Long before true crime had a genre, the Appalachian hills bore witness to one of the most infamous family feuds in American history. What started with a stolen pig spiraled into decades of bloodshed, betrayal, courtroom drama, and generational vengeance. In this episode of Dark Side Diaries, we unravel the brutal tale of the Hatfields and McCoys — a feud that blurred the line between justice and revenge, and left a permanent scar on the American South.

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🎙️ Have a creepy story, haunting, true crime twist, or dark local legend? Email us at darksidediariespodcast@gmail.com — you can remain anonymous, and your story could be featured in a future episode.

References

Billings, D. B., & Blee, K. M. (2000). The road to poverty: The making of wealth and hardship in Appalachia. Cambridge University Press.

Halbert, H. M. (2007). Roseanna McCoy. Appalachian Journal, 34(4), 362–375.

Hatfield & McCoy Historic Sites. (n.d.). Tourism and trails. Hatfield & McCoy Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.hatfieldmccoycvb.com

Hatfield, T. (2013). The Hatfields: The story of the famous feud. University Press of Kentucky.

Kunst, S. (2010). Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and social history. Journal of American Folklore, 123(489), 401–420.

Rice, O. K. (1982). The Hatfields and the McCoys. The West Virginia Historical Magazine Quarterly, 46(3), 121–139.

Shapiro, H. D. (1978). Appalachia on our mind: The Southern mountains and mountaineers in the American consciousness, 1870–1920. University of North Carolina Press.

Sullivan, R. (1999). The Hatfield-McCoy Feud: The story of America's most famous mountain feud. Penguin Books.

Waller, A. (1988). Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and social change in Appalachia, 1860–1900. University of North Carolina Press.

On a quiet night in rural Minnesota, 19-year-old Brandon Swanson drove into the darkness—and was never seen again. After crashing his car on a gravel road, Brandon called his parents for help. Calm, coherent, and sure of his location, he set off on foot to meet them. But somewhere along that silent stretch of highway, Brandon vanished.

In this episode of Dark Side Diaries, we retrace Brandon’s final known steps, unpack the chilling 47-minute phone call with his father, and explore the baffling clues—along with the heartbreaking silence that followed. Was it a tragic accident? Foul play? Or something stranger?

Join us as we dig into a case that continues to haunt investigators, fuel theories, and leave a family searching for answers in the dark.

Where to Find Us:

Email - darksidediariespodcast@gmail.com

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Brandon Victor Swanson was last seen on May 14 th 2008 in Canby Minnesota. At the time of his disappearance Brandon was 19 years old, 5’6” and 120 lbs. Distinguishing characteristics for Brandon include Caucasian male. Naturally curly Brown hair, blue eyes. Swanson wears black wire-framed eyeglasses. He has pierced ears and a small scar above his left eye. He is legally blind in his left eye.

At the time of his disappearance he was known to be wearing A white t-shirt under a blue striped Polo sweatshirt, baggy blue jeans, a black hooded zip-up jacket with an emblem on the back, a white flat-billed Minnesota Twins baseball cap twisted to the side, white sneakers, a heavy sterling silver necklace and one stud earring in each ear.

Brandon’s disappearance has classified him as an endangered missing person. Dental records and DNA are available for comparison, though fingerprints are not.

If you have any information, please contact:

Agency Name: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

Agency Phone Number: 507-694-1664

Agency Name: MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

Agency Phone Number: 651-793-7000

References

Day, J. (2022, January 26). Missing in Minnesota: The case of Brandon Swanson. Lost Souls of America. https://lostsoulsofamerica.wordpress.com/2022/01/26/missing-in-minnesota-the-case-of-brandon-swanson/

Day, J. (2022, May 13). Missing in Minnesota: The case of Brandon Swanson. True Crime Journal. https://truecrimejournal.com/2022/05/13/missing-in-minnesota-the-case-of-brandon-swanson/

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2020, July 22). Seeking information: Brandon Swanson. https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/brandon-swanson

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2020). Missing persons: Keeping the community informed. https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/missing-persons

Minnesota State Legislature. (2009). Brandon’s Law (Minn. Stat. § 299C.5655). https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/299C.5655

Missing Persons of America. (2022, March). Brandon Swanson – Missing since 2008 in Minnesota. https://www.missingpersonsofamerica.com

Reddit. (2023). r/UnresolvedMysteries: Brandon Swanson discussion thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/

The Charley Project. (n.d.). Brandon Swanson. https://charleyproject.org/case/brandon-vincent-swanson

Websleuths. (n.d.). Brandon Swanson discussion thread. https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/mn-brandon-swanson-19-marshall-14-may-2008-4

This week on Dark Side Diaries… we’re unlocking the case of one of the most chilling haunted objects in the world: Robert the Doll. Kept behind glass in Key West, his gaze has terrified thousands, his curse has allegedly ruined lives — and if you forget to ask permission before taking his photo, you just might be next. Giggles in the night, footsteps in empty rooms, and a legacy soaked in fear. Dare to listen?

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Email us: darksidediariespodcast@gmail.com

References

Aahans. (n.d.). The haunted doll of Key West: Robert the Doll’s influence. Medium. Retrieved from [source]

Atlas Obscura. (2021, October). The story behind the world's most terrifying haunted doll. Retrieved from [source]

Convertito, C. (Host). (2024, April 16). Robert the Doll: Key West’s haunted mystery [Audio podcast episode]. In Skeptic Psychic. Retrieved from [source]

Facts.net. (n.d.). 35 facts about Robert the Doll. Retrieved from [source]

Ghost Key West Tours & Paranormal Investigations. (n.d.-a). Robert the Doll: The legend behind Key West’s haunted icon. https://www.ghostkeywest.com/robert-the-doll

Ghosts & Gravestones. (2024, September 10). Robert the Doll. https://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/key-west/robert-the-doll

Haunted Key West. (n.d.). Robert the haunted doll. Retrieved from [source]

Home | Robert the Doll. (n.d.). Robert’s story. https://robertthedoll.org/

MonsterTalk. (n.d.). Demon dolls (Episode 114) [Audio podcast episode]. In MonsterTalk. Retrieved from [source]

Morton, E. (2013, November 18). Robert the haunted doll: Creeping out Floridians since 1904. Retrieved from [source]

POPSUGAR Smart Living. (n.d.). What is the Robert the Doll curse? Retrieved from [source]

Sinclair, E. (2024, December 12). Robert the Doll: Myth or reality? True Ghost Tales. Retrieved from [source]

Turns of Reddit users in r/Paranormal and r/TheMagnusArchives. (n.d.). Retrieved from [source]

Wright, A. (2025, January 14). The story behind the world’s most terrifying haunted doll. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/story-behind-robert-the-doll