Remains Found Believed to be Brandon Lawson

Brandon Lawson vanished from the side of the road after running out of gas on Route 277 in Texas in 2013. He hasn’t been seen since.

On August 8, 2013, Brandon Lawson, a father of four, stormed out of his home near Bronte, Texas, after a disagreement with his wife. He called the police an hour later when he ran out of gas. He also called his brother Kyle and asked him to bring some gas. When Kyle arrived shortly after 1 a.m. Brandon was nowhere to be found.

The 9-1-1 call:

“Yes, I’m in the middle of a field,” Lawson told an emergency operator, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. “My truck ran out of gas. There’s one car here. The guy’s chasing [inaudible] to the woods. Please hurry! We’re not talking to him… I told you I ran into ’em.”

Who Was Brandon Lawson?

Brandon Lawson was married to his high school sweetheart, a woman named Ladessa. The couple had three kids together and Brandon had another child from a previous relationship. Brandon was stressed to the max before he disappeared, having worked 60 hours per week as he helped Ladesssa with a newborn son. Brandon began using methamphetamine to deal with life.

Brandon Hoped to Score Meth From Brother

On August 7, 2013, Brandon called his brother Kyle hoping to score some meth. When he did not return that evening, his wife was angry. He took off in his truck in a rage after midnight on August 9.

Brandon called his father at about 11:30 p.m. telling him he was driving to his home. He never made it to the Crowley, Texas, location, having ran out of gas on Route 277 at about 12:30 a.m.

When Brandon called Kyle, he assumed he was high on meth and hallucinating. He was paranoid and sounded “crazy.” That isn’t surprising, considering Brandon told Kyle that “three (expletives) are chasing me out town.” Kyle explained that he was talking about Mexicans in the neighborhood.

Brandon assured Kyle was sober and not under the influence of meth.

Someone Follows Brandon

Kyle, his wife, and his 4-year-old son headed out with a gas can to help Brandon. The brothers exchanged several text messages during this time. Brandon told Kyle in one text message that he was bleeding. He then called 9-1-1 at about 12:50 a.m. saying that he needed the police and someone was with him as he sat stranded on the side of the road. He believed a group of men was following him.

A passing trucker saw Brandon’s truck at about 12:56 a.m. He called 9-1-1. An officer arrived at the scene about 1:10 a.m. about the same time Kyle and his wife and child arrived. He and Brandon were talking on the phone at the time. Brandon told Kyle he saw him yet Kyle could not find his brother. The police could not locate Brandon, either.

Kyle parked his car down the road, thinking maybe Brandon was hiding from the police. His brother never approached the vehicle, even when officers left. Kyle continued to call his brother, but they went to voicemail. He left to take his family home, returning at dawn. His brother was still nowhere to be found.

“The only sign of anyone being in that area was a spot under a tree where it appeared someone sat down close to the roadway within eyesight of where Lawson’s pickup broke down,” a deputy report stated.

Police towed Brandon’s truck at about 8 am. On August 10th. They noted Brandon had an outstanding warrant on drug charges as they towed the car. Police immediately suspected Kyle helped his brother vanish to avoid spending time behind bars. Kyle passed a polygraph test and police searched the area with thermal imaging cameras, airplanes, and cadaver dogs, but found no trace of Brandon.

Brandon Lawson Reported Missing

Brandon Lawson was officially reported missing on August 13, 2013, the day Texas Rangers conducted a helicopter search for the man, determining he was no longer in the county.

Before Brandon disappeared, he withdrew the 401(k) plan from work and planned to start a new job in a few days. The Lawson family doesn't believe he purposely vanished.

Remains Found More Than a Decade Later

The mystery of Brandon Lawson remained unsolved for nearly a decade when on February 4, 2022, investigators found clothing identified as belonging to Lawson as well as human remains near Lawson’s last known location. The remains have been sent for DNA analysis which can confirm or deny the identity as Lawson. Police suspect the remains belong to the young man.

Resources & More Case Information:

https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/2022/02/04/brandon-lawson-missing-911-call-remains-possibly-found-family-says/6668447001/