Welcome to the very first episode of The Cookie Case Files! In this debut, we introduce ourselves, share what this podcast is all about, and set the stage for the cases to come.

Our first story is the puzzling disappearance of Brandon Swanson, a 19-year-old college student from Marshall, Minnesota, who vanished on May 14, 2008. After accidentally driving his car into a ditch late at night, Brandon called his parents for help. While on the phone with them, he suddenly exclaimed “Oh, shit!”—and the line went silent. Despite extensive searches, Brandon has never been found, and his case remains one of Minnesota’s most haunting mysteries.

We’ll walk you through the details of that night, the ongoing search efforts, and the questions that still linger more than a decade later.

If you want to learn more or help spread awareness about Brandon’s case, here are some resources:

• National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) case file
• Charley Project profile
• Brandon's Law- John Francis Foundation
• The National Center for Missing Adults
• If you have any information, please contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at (507) 694-1664.

Resources for research:

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – Brandon Swanson (2013)
• Divine, Mary – Brandon Swanson search resumes in western Minnesota (St. Paul Pioneer Press, Oct 13, 2015)
• Weed, Alexis – Teen drove into ditch, vanished as parents searched (CNN, Jan 18, 2010)
• Brandon Victor Swanson – Marshall, Minnesota (The Charley Project)
• Kruger, Rae – Search for teen continues (Marshall Independent, May 16, 2008 – Archived)
• Kruger, Rae – Search continues for missing teen (Marshall Independent, May 16, 2008 – Archived)
• Divine, Mary – Five years after Brandon Swanson’s disappearance, the porch light’s still on (St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 12, 2013)
• Rietmulder, Michael – The search for Brandon Swanson continues seven years later (City Pages, Oct 16, 2015)
• ‘Brandon’s Law’ merits support (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Apr 26, 2009)
• Gaining ground in the search for missing adults (Marshall Independent, Oct 24, 2015)
• Dunsmoor, Ben – MN Governor Signs ‘Brandon’s Law’ (KELO-TV, May 7, 2009 – Archived)
• Cook, Mike – ‘Brandon’s Law’ is now law (Minnesota House of Representatives, May 8, 2009)
• Marshall Man Missing: Nine Years Later (Southern Minnesota News, May 14, 2017 – Archived)