Family holds out hope to find Utah man Paul Swenson despite few tips checking out

Family members of a man who was last seen leaving his American Fork home July 27 believe he is “alive and will come home to us safely.”

According to a statement posted to the Bring Paul Home Facebook page, Paul Swenson’s family is shifting its focus “from daily searches out of Salt Lake City to a nationwide scope as investigators continue to follow various leads.”

Family members told police that Swenson “wasn’t acting like himself” before he left home that Thursday afternoon. According to American Fork police Sgt. Josh Christensen, Swenson‘s wife said the 30-year-old man was talking about “random things” that “didn’t make sense” before he left.

Earlier that day, Swenson complained of some kind of chest pain he thought might have been a heart attack, Christensen said, and he’d visited a doctor who told him there was nothing wrong.

When he left his home, Swenson was reportedly headed to an appointment in Salt Lake City, though his wife wasn’t sure what the appointment was for, and family members don‘t believe he ever arrived.

The next morning, police found the car Swenson had been driving, parked unoccupied on the side of the road at Park View Elementary, 970 S. Emery St. (1150 West), in Salt Lake City, according to American Fork police Sgt. Adam Stowers.

Police called the circumstances “suspicious” because Swenson had no connection to the area, and some items found in the car — including a backpack of clothing and a cellphone — did not appear to belong to Swenson. Police did not find alcohol in the car, Christensen said, as has been reported by other news outlets. Swenson‘s phone had been turned off, police said.

Swenson has no history of mental illness or medical problems, Christensen said, but, based on the behavior his wife described, family members wonder whether he was going through a medical or mental health crisis.

Police have not substantiated speculation about potential drug use by Swenson, Christensen said Friday, or that his disappearance was deliberate.

“We’ve not been able to substantiate that whatsoever,” he said. ”But we haven’t ruled anything out: kidnapping, homicide, drugs, suicide.”

Though "a ton" of leads continue to "pour in" daily, Christensen said the most recent tip police have confirmed was from the morning after Swenson was reported missing.

“The majority of them, we’ve been able to confirm they’re not him,” Christensen said. “A handful we believe were legitimate; we believe they were likely Paul.” Some other tips may be credible, he said, but police have not substantiated them.

There’s no indication that Swenson has left the state or country or that there was foul play involved. Police didn’t find blood in his car or evidence of threats against him, Christensen said.

Police are monitoring Swenson’s bank account and credit cards, Christensen said, but there’s been no activity since the man was reported missing. He added that Swenson had access to a large sum of cash at his home, but that he hadn’t taken it with him when he left.

“What‘s making this case so tough is we’re not coming up with anything,” Christensen said. ”We’re not finding any clues that are pointing us to any specific theory.”

Swenson's wife told police that he'd suspended his social media accounts days before his disappearance, Christensen said, but there wasn't a clear explanation as to why.

With the number of people and officers searching for Swenson, it’s “amazing he hasn’t been found if he’s still around here,” Christensen said.

Hundreds of volunteers searched for Swenson for more than a week before the family scaled back efforts, and posters in search of the man are hung throughout Utah.

Swenson has red hair, stands 6 feet tall and is about 190 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Utah Valley Dispatch at 801-794-3970, send text messages to 385-243-PAUL or use the hashtag #FindPaulTips on social media.

In the statement, the family thanked volunteers and others who have offered support to them as they search for Swenson.

Swenson’s wife, Ashlee Swenson, is a blogger with tens of thousands of followers. In June, she published a post indicating that she was pushing through marital problems. She’s used her celebrity status to generate publicity for the case.