26-year-old Brandon Lawson lived in San Angelo, Texas, with his common-law-wife of ten years, Ladessa Lofton, and their three children. Brandon also had a young son with a previous girlfriend. The young family had lived in Fort Worth until they moved in 2012 due to Brandon’s work with Renegade Well Services. He was a loving partner and a doting father.
At approximately 11:54PM on the 8th of August, 2013, Brandon left their home after having a minor argument with Ladessa. He called his father and asked if he could come to his home for some cooling off time to which his father agreed. Shortly afterwards, Brandon’s brother, Kyle, stopped by Brandon and Ladessa’s house to check on Ladessa.
Moments after he had left, Kyle called Ladessa to tell her that Brandon had called him and told him that he ran out of gas on Highway 277 near Bronte, Texas. Kyle told Brandon to hang tight where he was and that he would bring him gas. Ladessa then went to sleep for the night believing that Brandon would be home shortly. She left her mobile phone on charge out in the car and missed several forthcoming phone calls from both Brandon and Kyle. “I’ll never forgive myself for not having my phone on me,” Ladessa later said.1
When Kyle arrived at the planned location, he found Brandon’s abandoned truck alongside the road. Brandon was nowhere to be found but there was a police officer at the scene. Coke County Sheriff Wayne McCrutchen told Kyle that he had been sent to the scene after Brandon placed an extremely unnerving 911 call which is transcribed as best below:
9-1-1 Emergency: 9-1-1 Emergency?
Brandon: Yes, I’m in the middle of the field … (inaudible – possible: pushed some guys over or pushed some cars over) right here, goin’ towards Abilene, on both sides. My truck ran out of gas… there’s one car here… (inaudible) got chased through woods. Please hurry.
9-1-1 Emergency: Ok. Now. Run that by me…..?
Brandon: (inaudible)…we’re not talking to em (inaudible)…ran into em
9-1-1 Emergency: Ahhh…you ran into them? Ok.
Brandon: (inaudible)…just the first guy.
9-1-1 Emergency: Do you need an ambulance?
Brandon: Yeah. No. I need the cops.
9-1-1 Emergency: Is anyone hurt? Hello? Hello? Hello?
After calling 911, Brandon called Kyle’s girlfriend, Audrey. She was the last person to ever speak to Brandon that night. In the phone call, he pleaded: “Audrey, Audrey, I’m bleeding,” before the call was cut off.2
Brandon’s truck didn’t look like it had been involved in any sort of collision or accident and there was no evidence of a struggle in the area surrounding the vehicle. It appeared as though the ground had swallowed Brandon whole.
If Brandon had of wandered into the surrounding desolate area, which was extremely rugged and dotted with cactus, and became disorientated or wounded then surely his body would have been discovered by now.An extensive search on land and in helicopter of the surrounding area turned up nothing. His keys, wallet and mobile phone were never found.
The background noise in the 911 call hinders the clarity of what is said but many sleuths have attempted to figure it out; many believe he certainly wasn’t alone when he made that call. Cynthia Caron, the president of LostNMissing believes that there is a second voice on the 911 call.
His family are adamant that something sinister took place that night and that Brandon didn’t just disappear on his own accord. It wouldn’t be like Brandon to just up and leave his common-law-wife and their children. “Brandon would never do this in a million years,” said Ladessa. Furthermore, there has been no activity on his bank account or his cell phone since his disappearance.
While they did have a minor argument that night, it was a typical argument that all couples have at least once in a while during a relationship. The last moment Ladessa had with Brandon haunts her to this very day. “It taught me so much, to always value my words. I make sure every time I drop the kids off or leave for work, I always tell them I love them. You never know when you’re going to get those last words…”
The not knowing what happened to Brandon is arguably the worst for Ladessa and the couple’s children. “Each day they ask me why isn’t my dad at my birthday party, why is my dad not here for Thanksgiving, why is my dad not going to be here for Christmas?” Ladessa said. “My son asked Santa, he wants his daddy for Christmas.”3
Brandon is currently classified as an involuntarily missing person. He stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall. He weighs 230 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. He has several tattoos and was wearing a yellow shirt, camouflage shorts and white sneakers.
If you know anything about the disappearance of Brandon Lawson, please call 800-756-3434.
Comments:
What the heck this is so weird…. cant even understand him w that accent.
What does “scaper purching guys over” mean? Urban dictionary did not help. This all sounds so strange, like an abduction and by not normal entities.
Ok so what I’m picturing is that he had his truck on the side of the road after it ran out of gas, there were cars coming from the other way and someone was trying to pass maybe and didn’t see him there until the last minute, tried to get back into his own lane and ran another car or more off the road? I mean it doesn’t explain what happened after that, but might fit with what happened initially?
from what i gathered by that phone call… when his truck ran out of gas and he pulled over he was on the wrong side of the road, facing the way to Abilene. He came up on some guys in a field out by the woods (probably in the process of another crime) . He said he wanted the cops to report them, and they must have seen or heard that. Knowing whatever they did would/could land them in jail they tried to stop him from getting the cops involved. You can hear after the line goes silent, and the… Read more »
You are correct, I believe what you heard are gunshots.
It sounds like he says, I surprised them when I ran into them.
Wow. You sure can hear something after he stops talking & she says “Is anyone hurt?” It sounds like 2 muffled noises. Like a car going over 2 bumps or possibly shots.
They recently found his body on land that had not been searched before