Missing Texas woman found alive and safe after multi-state search; ex-boyfriend arrested

A nationwide search for a missing Texas woman concluded successfully early Tuesday morning when authorities located Brenna Swindell, 29, unharmed in Oregon. Her ex-boyfriend, Morgan Guidry, who had been with her at the time of her disappearance, was taken into custody, according to law enforcement.

According to a timeline provided by the Travis County Sheriff's Office, Swindell was last seen on August 22 at Poodies Hilltop Roadhouse, a bar in Spicewood, Texas, in the company of Guidry. Her sudden disappearance triggered a large-scale search operation across several states.

Guidry was apprehended in Klamath Falls, Oregon, nearly 2,000 miles from the bar where Swindell was last seen. He was arrested on a warrant issued by the Travis County Sheriff's Office. Swindell was located in the same vehicle as Guidry during the arrest.

The arrest took place around 1 a.m. Pacific Time when Klamath Falls police officers conducted a traffic stop on Swindell's vehicle, a white 2022 Kia Carnival with Texas plates. Both Swindell and Guidry were inside. Guidry was immediately detained on the outstanding warrant from Texas.

Swindell and Guidry had not been heard from since August 23, when their cell phones were turned off, leading to escalating concerns for her safety. Authorities initially believed the pair could be traveling through Colorado, with sightings reported in Colorado Springs and Denver.

Court records obtained by local news station KXAN reveal that Guidry faces serious charges in Texas, including Assault with Injury Family Violence Strangulation, a third-degree felony. The charges stem from a July 7 incident in which Swindell reported being choked by Guidry, who was her boyfriend at the time. She sustained multiple injuries, according to the affidavit.

Swindell had recently expressed her intention to press charges against Guidry, leading to the issuance of the arrest warrant on August 23. However, when deputies conducted a welfare check at her apartment on August 24 at the request of her parents, she and her vehicle were already missing.

Her father, Greg Swindell, former MLB pitcher, reported her missing to the Austin Police Department the following day. The case was then transferred to the Travis County Sheriff's Office due to jurisdictional issues.

Brenna Swindell's information was also entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), as efforts to locate her intensified. Austin Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson acknowledged the cooperation between agencies that led to Swindell's safe recovery. Guidry remains in custody as he awaits extradition to Texas to face the charges against him.