TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — On Tuesday, Tony Elias Swaney, 37, was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Bethany Lee Brown, a mother of three children, who was reported missing in 2022.
Brown was reported missing on April 10, 2022, while living in Taylorsville with Swaney. Following her disappearance, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), conducted thorough interviews and searched various locations but could not locate her.
On Jan. 13, 2025, hunters discovered skeletal remains near their home on Caldwell Drive in Taylorsville.
The remains were positively identified as belonging to Bethany Brown by the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s Office with assistance from the SBI Crime Lab on Dec. 18, 2025.
The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, which helped investigators advance the case and seek criminal charges against Swaney.
Swaney has been charged with one count of murder in relation to Brown’s death.
He is currently being held at the Alexander County Detention Center without bond, indicating the gravity of the charges against him. His first court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.
VIDEO: Mother of 3 vanishes without a trace; family wants answers
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