
03/29/2025
An Ohio State University student was found dead in his apartment building in 2000. Nearly 25 years later, a man is facing charges in connection with his death.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Brian Swanson, 48, of Cincinnati, on Thursday on charges of aggravated murder and murder in connection with the Feb. 8, 2000, death of 22-year-old Charles “Chico” Ballard. Authorities filed a warrant for Swanson’s arrest, according to court records.
Ballard, a mechanical engineering student from Shaker Heights, was attending Ohio State on a full academic scholarship, The Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, previously reported.
Around 6 p.m. Feb. 9, 2000, his body was found in the basement of a home. Ballard had lived in an apartment on the first floor of the building.
An Ohio State University student was found dead in his apartment building in 2000. Nearly 25 years later, a man is facing charges in connection with his death.