Brandon Lawson
UPDATE:
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2023
After the University of North Texas was unsuccessful in extracting enough viable DNA, the remains found have been sent to a second lab. Please read the following statement from Brandon’s Family:
We like to keep our community as up to date as we reasonably can regarding the status of Brandon's case. As most of you are aware the labs were not able to extract enough DNA from the remains found in February of last year. The Texas Ranger in charge of Brandon's case has been weighing all options in attempt to ID the remains. The clothing that was found by the private search party has been tested for DNA as well but nothing has resulted from these tests as of yet. As of our last communication with the Ranger. He believes that the most probable next step will likely be to return to the area where the clothing and remains were found and search for additional evidence. We have no time frame for when this search will occur as of yet. With the weather beginning to turn cooler we hope it will be soon. We will update as soon as we are able too.
Navigating Advocacy along with 6 other volunteers participated in a foot search on January 15, 2022. While on this search a member of the Navigating Advocacy team found a pair of shorts that closely resembled the shorts that Brandon was last known to be wearing. Within seconds of this discovery, another search team member found the sole of a right Nike AirMax tennis shoe. This is also the brand and style of shoes Brandon was last known to be wearing. While search team members stood near the items the remaining team fanned out to see if there were any other signs of evidence while team leader & case advocate Jason Watts, notified authorities. While waiting for instruction from authorities, the same member of the Navigating Advocacy team found the left shoe.
Once we told the authorities of our findings, they asked us to mark the locations and vacate the area to not contaminate the premises and wait for them to arrive. We were also instructed by Texas Rangers to not release any information until they were able to conduct a search. The sheriff and Texas Rangers marked the evidence we found, collected it for further testing and by this time it was nightfall and no search could be conducted at that time.
On February 1, 2022 we were advised that the Rangers were conducting a search that day at the site where we located the shoes and shorts. Later that evening we received word that human remains, most likely Brandon's, were found 400 yards from the location where the clothing items were found.
The remains are being sent to the University of North Texas for DNA testing to confirm the identity.
We will share more as it comes available. We ask you to please respect the family’s privacy at this time. They have waited 8.5 years for answers to Brandon’s story.
In the late hours of August 8th, 2013, after a lengthy argument with his wife, then 26-year-old Brandon Lawson, tore off into the night to head to his dad’s house to cool off. However, he would never make it there.
Shortly after midnight, Brandon runs out of gas on the side of Highway 277 just 3 miles south of Bronte, TX with the bed of his pickup still in the lane. He calls his wife twice. Both calls go unanswered as she had her phone charging in her vehicle. He then calls his brother Kyle to bring him some gas. This is where Brandon’s case becomes more and more puzzling.
Brandon calls 911 at 12:50 am requesting police assistance. The 911 call has been dissected a number of times and it still raises more questions than answers.
Within five minutes an officer was dispatched north of Bronte to help a stranded motorist after a passerby called in the pickup bed sticking into the lane. The police officer did not find Brandon’s truck as he was searching north of Bronte and not south. A second call came in to dispatch regarding Brandon’s vehicle being a hazard and a second officer was dispatched.
At 1:10 am Kyle approaches Brandon’s truck at the same time the second deputy discovers the now abandoned vehicle. Kyle was able to call Brandon but Brandon didn’t want to come out while a cop was present and told Kyle to run. This is the last anyone heard from Brandon. Many searches have been conducted and no sign of Brandon. The endless theories surrounding Brandon’s disappearance range from him running away from his family to start a new life to someone taking him from the side of the road.
What happened to Brandon Lawson?
If you have any information about Brandon’s disappearance, contact the
Texas Department of Public Safety at 512.424.5074, Case Number M1308005.
