The search for Paul Swenson ended tragically in August, when his body was found floating in a Utah creek. His disappearance has still not been explained and there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
What happened to Paul Swenson? The 30-year-old American Fork man was reported missing weeks before police found his body. Reports say that he drowned in Mill Creek in South Salt Lake, but there is still a mystery surrounding his disappearance. Here are a few things you need to know about this case.
How Did Paul Swenson Die?
A medical examiner determined Paul Swenson’s cause of death as drowning, with traces of alcohol and THC found in his system. According to South Salt Lake Officer Gary Keller, the report also stated that there were no signs of foul play.
Fox News’ Coverage on Paul Swenson
Concerning the disappearance of Paul Swenson, Fox 13 interviewed his wife, Ashlee Swenson, who said her husband’s behaviour was strange before his disappearance. On July 27, 2017, he left their home and did not return. His car was found by the police the next day unoccupied, and parked on the side of the road at Park View Elementary in Salt Lake City. Police found a backpack full of clothes and a cell phone that did not belong to Swenson. His phone was turned off and none of his credit cards were used. A blogger with thousands of followers, his wife used her Internet fame to request that people to join the search for her husband. Within no time, hundreds of searchers distributed posters all across the state.
Authorities eventually located Swenson’s body on August 12, at about 4:00 p.m. in Mill Creek in South Salt Lake. Someone had reported a body floating near 130 West and 2950 South. The body was located several blocks downstream, where it was caught on debris. The toxicology report took months to compile, and results from evidence sent to the FBI have not yet been received. This includes parts of Swenson’s abandoned SUV, which police hope the FBI will be able to use to determine where the car had been. This would help establish a timeline and help answer questions about Swenson’s death.
The disappearance and death of Paul Swenson is extremely tragic. Ashlee Swenson expressed her sorrow through a blog post writing, “My heart goes out to and aches so deep for the millions of people who have lost their worlds in an instant. We all have to bind together in this trying time.”