More than a year after the shooting death of a 42-year-old Odessan, the Odessa Police Department is still searching for the gunman.
OPD officers, Crime Stoppers spokesperson Susan Rogers and family members of Brandon Swinney, 42, spoke with local media outlets on Tuesday afternoon at OPD to urge the public to relay information pertaining to the shooting investigation.
Swinney was shot and killed outside of his home on Nov. 21, 2019, in the 1700 block of Dotsy Avenue, a previous Odessa American article detailed.
“As of (Tuesday), we still don’t have all of the necessary information to find this person,” OPD Det. Cpl. Sam Chavez said. “We are asking for assistance from the public, because someone out there does know. Someone out there has this information.”
During Tuesday’s press conference, Rogers read a letter from Swinney’s mother, Kathy, while Swinney’s wife, Samantha, read a letter from Swinney’s sister, Shelby.
The letter from Kathy Swinney detailed that “One day you think your family is normal and the next day your son is dead and you have a big hole in your heart…. We need justice for Brandon. Please, please help us.”
OPD released the surveillance footage on Feb. 26 that can be seen on OPD’s Facebook page at tinyurl.com/yx497b4a.
Odessa Crime Stoppers is offering $20,000 in rewards for information that leads to an arrest, a press release detailed. To be eligible for the additional rewards, a person has to contact Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS or using the “P3tips” app.
Eligible information is reportedly information that isn’t already known to investigators and leads to an arrest.
Officers reportedly responded to a shots fired call and found Swinney dead and lying outside of his residence, a previous Odessa American article detailed.
Investigation reportedly showed Swinney had just returned to his residence and exited his vehicle before being shot by an unknown subject, the release stated. The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived.
The letter that Samantha Swinney read from her husband’s sister detailed “I simply ask that as you all prepare for both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays that you give Brandon, our family and his children the gift of justice. Someone out there knows who did this….We will never give up until justice is served. I love and miss you Brandon.”
According to Swinney’s obituary, he graduated from Odessa High School in 1995 and then went to Odessa College, Hardin-Simmons University and the University of South Carolina Aiken. He played baseball during high school and collegiately.
Reach Royal McGregor at 432-333-7793 or by email at rmcgregor@oaoa.com and follow him on Twitter at @SirRoyal.
