Very good article- July 18, 2024
Susan Swedell pulled into a gas station roughly one mile from her home on the night of Jan. 19, 1988. She was last seen by the man who pulled up behind her in a light-colored muscle car.
www.inforum.com
photo courtesy of Swedell Strong FB page
<<A winter storm was descending on the area as her shift was ending, and Swedell was nervous. Before leaving, she called her mom from K-Mart, asking which route would be the safest for the ride home, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
She changed out of her red K-Mart uniform and into a new outfit: a mini skirt and black leather jacket, which her manager commented on, saying it wasn’t exactly the best attire for the weather.
Still, Swedell went on her way – and began her drive home in her Oldsmobile Cutlass.
An obstacle to any Minnesota driver, the blowing winds and rapidly falling snow weren’t the only complication Swedell faced on her trek home.
Roughly one mile before pulling up to her house, her car began to overheat.
Noticing the urgency of the situation, Swedell pulled into the nearest gas station, which happened to be Kern's North Star Station on the corner of Highway 5 and Manning Avenue.>>
<<As Swedell pulled up to the gas station in her Oldsmobile the night she went missing, the clerk watched as another vehicle pulled in promptly behind her.
The cashier described the vehicle as a light-colored muscle car, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Specifically he said it might have been a Ford LTD or Thunderbird with flashy wheels.
The cashier described the driver as a tall man with muscles and shoulder-length, sandy hair. The clerk told law enforcement the man was wearing jeans, a bomber leather jacket and a knit hat.
The cashier watched Swedell and the unknown man chat for roughly 15 minutes before Swedell went into the store to ask the clerk a question.
She explained her car trouble and asked if she could leave the vehicle there overnight.The clerk complied – and Swedell drove away into the night with the man with long, sandy hair.>>