Katharina Buczek
Born on February 13, 1968, Susan Anne Swedell of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, was known by her loved ones as “kind of the all-American girl.”
She and her younger sister, Christine Swedell, were inseparable, especially after their parents got divorced.
“We spent more time together than I think most siblings do,” Christine said.
“I talk like her. I laugh like her. I almost took her personality and meshed it into mine.”
The sisters, only three years apart, loved being outdoors – whether they were biking, walking, or feeding horses at a farm in their neighborhood.
Christine specifically remembers her sister being “very scholastic” as well, adoring school and constantly studying.
So, upon graduating from Stillwater High School, Susan studied psychology for a year at the University of Wisconsin. She eventually became quite homesick, though, and ultimately returned home.
At that point, in 1988, Susan was back living in Lake Elmo with her mother and sister. She also picked up two part-time jobs – the first at a small clothing store known as Body and Sole, located in Oak Park Heights, and the second at a K-Mart.
January 19, 1988, began like a typical day for 19-year-old Susan. That morning, she ate breakfast with Christine and departed for work at about 8:45 a.m.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
