Brother of man killed in 2012 hopes for justice after murder charges laid in cold case

More than 11 years after his brother was found dead, Robin Swanson said his family is finally receiving the answers they were always looking for.

In March 2012, Chad Jordan Swanson, 26, was found dead in his vehicle, with a bullet hole through the windshield.

Initially, police did not announce the cause of death, but now say they quickly realized Swanson was a victim of  homicide.

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Police Service said two people have been charged in Swanson's death, both with first-degree murder. 

"Our investigators never gave up hope and worked tirelessly over the last decade to identify the two responsible for the homicide of Mr. Swanson," said Staff Sgt. James Vanderland of the historical crimes section. 

The charges come 11 years after two people on a walk reported they had found Swanson in a black Chevy Tahoe near 113th Street and 167th Avenue.

Detectives believe the homicide was targeted and that the accused and Swanson knew each other.

'He was not just a statistic'

Swanson's brother, Robin Swanson, said the charges have allowed his family to finally get some answers and a renewed hope for justice.

"We want to know the why," he said.

"Why did these people decide it was a good idea to take my brother's life and make his son grow up without a dad?"

Swanson said on the day of his death, his brother was teaching his eight-year-old son how to ride a bike before he took a phone call, left the park and never returned.

He said his family, including Chad's parents and son, had maintained hope but after so much time passed it was difficult for them to believe anyone would be held accountable. 

"My brother wasn't just a number, he wasn't just a statistic. He was a real person and he had a lot of people that loved and cared for him like myself.

"He was my brother and he was my best friend too," Swanson said.

Swanson said their family goes sturgeon fishing on the Fraser River every year in Chad's honour.

When his family heard the news of the charges, Swanson said it felt like the day his brother died 12 years ago, adding it reopened wounds but also gave him hope his brother would finally receive justice.

Ballistic breakthrough

On April 21, EPS announced it was continuing the investigation into Chad Swanson's death and would be using the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS), which was implemented in 2021. 

"These advancements have helped us glean more information about the firearm used in this offence," Vanderland said.

At the time, he said IBIS helped police learn there were people who knew more about the circumstances of Swanson's death. 

The IBIS device — which looks like an oversized PC computer tower — takes pictures of fired cartridge casings and then compares the images against a national database of other expended cartridges and fired bullets.

"This will allow within a few days — it's about three days — we can get information back regarding a specific firearm or cartridge case," Courtnee Bell, one of the firearms examiners hired by EPS, previously told CBC.

"And that can get a gun off the street within a matter of a week."