Swanson was last seen by his family at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Aledo, Illinois, near the 1400 block of 120th Avenue. He left both a note and a voicemail message assuring his family that he would be safe and telling them not to worry. Later that evening, Swanson’s dog was discovered tied up outside a local convenience store. Two days after his disappearance, Swanson’s vehicle was found abandoned and burned in Loraine, Illinois. There was an unconfirmed report of him hitchhiking in the Bushnell area on May 29, but he has not been seen or heard from since. Swanson’s mother revealed that he had been under significant stress leading up to his disappearance. In March 2002, his home was destroyed by fire. Three months later, his fiancée ended their relationship. In September of the same year, Swanson was involved in a car accident, which resulted in memory problems. Swanson has brown hair, blue eyes, and wears silver wire-framed eyeglasses. He has two tattoos: a bulldog with the words “Big Dog” on his right shoulder blade and another bulldog on the inside of his right ankle.