On the night of May 13, 2008, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson was driving home from a party after finishing his first year of college. Just after midnight, he called his parents. He’d driven into a ditch, he said. He wasn’t hurt—just frustrated, and he needed a ride.

What followed was a 47-minute phone call—nearly an hour of confusion and missed turns. Brandon’s parents tried desperately to find him in the dark, rural backroads of southwestern Minnesota, but then the call went silent, and Brandon Swanson hasn’t been seen since.

Over the years, many theories have emerged about what happened to Brandon, but none have led to the teenager who was just trying to get home.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Brandon Swanson, please contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at 507-694-1664 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 877-996-6222. You can remain anonymous.

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A new episode of And Then They Were Gone is coming soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share today's episode of Day by Day: True Crime Stories, on the disappearance of Shapammala Buckner. Her case has clear suspects, yet interest in her case died out quickly. It's been nearly eight years since she's been seen, and the investigation seems to be going nowhere.

This episode of Day by Day True Crime Stories delves into the mysterious disappearance of Shappamala Latrisha Buckner, known as Pam, who vanished from her Houston apartment in 2017. The podcast explores the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, the challenges faced by investigators, and the relentless efforts of her family to keep her story alive despite minimal media coverage. Pam's case highlights the broader issue of missing persons and the importance of remembering every individual behind the headlines.

#ShapammalaBuckner #MissingPerson #UnsolvedCase #TrueCrimePodcast #HoustonTexas #BlackAndMissing #DayByDayPodcast #JusticeForPam

In this episode, And Then They Were Gone host Kona Gallagher sits down with Director Michael Bayer to discuss the Heather Elvis case, a missing persons investigation that remains unsolved. The conversation delves into the complexities of the case, including the impact of online harassment, the role of social media in investigations, and the ongoing struggles of the Elvis family. Bayer shares insights into the making of the documentary Vanished: The Heather Elvis Case and highlights the importance of keeping such stories alive to raise awareness and prevent similar tragedies.

vanishedfilm.com

vanished film.com

In December 2013, 20-year-old Heather Elvis was going through a transitional period in her life. After an ill-advised relationship with a married man, she had just gone on a first date, and was getting ready to start a new job. She was trying to make a fresh start and had plenty to look forward to in life.

But in the early morning hours of December 18, Heather’s car was found abandoned at a remote boat landing in her home town of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She was never seen again.

The investigation into Heather’s disappearance revealed a complicated story: a secret affair, relentless harassment, and two people who would eventually be convicted for kidnapping her. But despite the arrests and trials, one devastating mystery remains—what actually happened to Heather Elvis?

If you have any information about the disappearance of Heather Elvis, please contact the Horry County Police Department at 843-915-5350 or Crime Stoppers of South Carolina at 1-888-CRIME-SC. You can remain anonymous.

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At 10:45 am on June 13, 2001, 19-year-old Jason Jolkowski was seen outside his family’s home in Omaha, Nebraska, helping his younger brother bring in the trash cans.

He was scheduled to work that day at a local Fazoli’s restaurant. But because his car was in the shop, Jason had arranged for a coworker to pick him up at his old high school—just eight blocks away. He told his family he was heading out. He never made it to the school. He never made it to work. And he was never seen again.

There were no witnesses. No security footage. No clues. Just a young man who vanished in the middle of a sunny day, in a quiet residential neighborhood, during a walk that should’ve taken ten minutes.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Jason Jolkowski, please contact the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5818.

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This episode originally aired on February 2, 2022

Mary Johnson hadn’t been acting like herself for months. She and her husband were having marital problems, and she was thinking about next steps. The 39-year-old was staying with friends, only returning home to shower and pick up more clothes. On Friday, November 25, 2020, Mary started walking toward a church in Tulalip, Washington. She never arrived. It would be nearly two weeks before she was reported missing, at which point Mary Johnson became part of America’s growing problem of missing and murdered indigenous women.

Anyone who has any information on Mary Johnson’s disappearance, please call the FBI's Seattle Field Office at (206) 622-0460. You may also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

Cualquier persona que tenga información sobre la desaparición de Mary Johnson, llame a la oficina de campo del FBI en Seattle al (206) 622-0460. También puede enviar una sugerencia en línea en tips.fbi.gov.

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October 24, 1953 was a typical fall Friday night in La Crosse, Wisconsin. La Crosse State College was playing their homecoming game, and families and students filled the stands.

Fifteen-year-old Evelyn Hartley was supposed to be at that game too, but at the last minute, she agreed to help a family friend and babysit their toddler so the parents could go to the game themselves. She brought her schoolbooks and planned to spend the night studying after the baby went to bed. It was supposed to be a quiet evening, and an opportunity for Evelyn to make some extra money.

But when Evelyn’s father tried to call her later that night and didn’t get an answer, something didn’t sit right with him. He got in his car and drove over to the house where she was babysitting. What he found wasn’t just unsettling—it was a scene that would spark one of the most intense missing persons investigations in Wisconsin's history.

Anyone with any information about Evelyn Hartley’s disappearance is urged to call the La Crosse Police Department at 608-785-5962.

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On August 27, 2006, two-year-old Trenton Duckett was tucked safely into bed at his home in Leesburg, Florida. But when his mother, Melinda Duckett, went to check on him, she said she found an open window, a sliced screen, and an empty bed. She immediately called 911, launching a frantic search for the missing toddler. But as investigators dug deeper, Melinda's story began to fall apart, and in its place was deception, a bitter custody dispute, and a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

Anyone with information related to the disappearance of Trenton Duckett is urged to call the Leesburg, Florida police department at 352-787-2121.

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