Christmas Without Brandon: Lawson's Girlfriend Speaks of Loss and Holidays Past

On Aug. 9, Ladessa Lofton’s life changed forever when her boyfriend of over 10 years and the father of her children went missing on U.S. 277 near Bronte. Four months and several searches later, there is still no sign of Brandon Lawson.

All that remains in his place are a woman’s unanswered questions and four small children who will be spending Christmas this year without their daddy. 

“Every holiday, every event, Brandon always had a smile on his face, he was always down to earth,” Lofton said, recalling past Christmases spent with her high school sweetheart. “Thanksgiving was just really hard. Thanksgiving was not the same without Brandon. We were all just devastated. He would always say the prayer for Thanksgiving and he wasn’t there to say it.”

Brandon Lawson was last seen leaving his home on the night of Aug. 9 between 11:00 p.m. and midnight. He and Lofton had had an argument and Lawson had left the residence headed toward Fort Worth, family members suspect.

At around 12:50 a.m., Lawson called the police to report that he’d run out of gas and that he’d hit somebody, and from that point on the story gets muddy. Some report that Lawson skipped town due to an outstanding warrant, others suspect foul play, and still others just want to have him back.

Since his disappearance in August, a number of searches and flyovers have been conducted in the area, all to no avail. A search with cadaver dogs also turned up nothing and all hope rests with a few anonymous tips on Crime Stoppers that have yet to be confirmed. The family is losing hope.

“My kids, my 7-year-old, she’s devastated. She thinks Brandon’s alive, she thinks her daddy’s strong and he wouldn’t ever do this,” says Lofton. “My 2-year-old, he is so confused. He (Brandon) was there and then he was just gone out of his life. He cries for him a lot. My baby, all he says is daddy.”

For Lofton, life without Lawson has been difficult to adjust to, especially during this time of year. Memories flood in at every turn and questions that may never be answered surface. 

“Holiday’s is the worst time when something like this happens. You just think about all the things that—what you could have done different or why has this happened, you think about it all the time,” said Lofton.

Ladessa Lofton and Brandon Lawson have three kids together, plus a daughter named Mackenzie that Lawson would pick up on Christmas Eve. Because they both have large families, Christmas was usually spent visiting different parents and relatives. “We have four Christmases to get to every year,” Lofton said. And from those four Christmases stem a lot of traditions and memories.

“When Destiny was four she really wanted a Baby Alive, and Brandon got it for her,” Lofton said. “She didn’t think she was going to get it because she got done with her Christmas gifts, but he said ‘There’s one more gift you’ve got to open,’ and she opened it and it was a Baby Alive. She was just so surprised and just the look on her face was priceless,” Lofton said.

After 10 years, Lofton said she has her share of memories, but it’s the small things that stick out most.

“There’s other memories of us just being together,” Lofton said sorrowfully. “After we’d eat and get full, we’d just watch movies and stuff, be lazy. Stuff like that never goes away.

Lofton describes Lawson as a centered family man who always provided well for her and their children. His character as a man and father makes it all the more difficult to believe that he would leave his family behind, Lofton says.

“He worked very hard for our family,” she said. “He never gave up and he worked hard and he always provided for us.

“I have two little ones that are only 13 months apart. Witton’s going to be a year old and Nolan just turned 2, so he’s missing birthdays too, not just missing holidays, he’s missing birthdays. Our son’s first birthday is coming up. He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t just run off,” she said.

Since the disappearance of Brandon Lawson, Ladessa Lofton and their kids have moved back to Fort Worth, where they have family. Lofton returns to San Angelo from time to time to communicate with law enforcement and organize searches of land that is not private property, and has her private detective working on the case here.

Lofton returned to work two weeks ago, and thanks God for helping her through the past four months. She also expressed gratitude for all of those in San Angelo, Fort Worth and elsewhere that have been supportive throughout this time.

For Christmas this year, Lofton’s private detective has organized a toy drive to benefit the four children, which is currently taking place at Sound Choice San Angelo, 1101 W Beauregard, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

If you have information pertaining to the whereabouts of Brandon Lawson or the events of that night, call the Coke County Sheriff’s Office, Crime Stoppers, or the Brandon Lawson Anonymous Tip Line (325-718-4840).

“Last year, Brandon spent all day…he had to work a lot of hours," Lofton says lastly. "He was tired, he was covered in mud, but he came home and he showered and he still helped me do all the Christmas presents and put them together and everything," she said.

This year, she's doing it all alone.

Law enforcement in Coke County continues to investigate. The first story about Brandon Lawson is here.