The BoogeyMan is Here — The Case of Gabrielle "Gabbiee" Swainson

Posted by Black True Crime

In this deeply unsettling episode, hosts Kayla and Nikki — joined by Kayla's mom as a special guest — walk us through the 2012 disappearance and murder of 15-year-old Gabrielle "Gabbiee" Swainson of Columbia, South Carolina, and the horrifying criminal history of the man responsible.

Who Was Gabbiee?

Born June 26, 1997, Gabbiee was a bright, talented teenager who sang, played guitar, and tap danced. She was an honor roll and magnet student at Ridge View High School, a JV cheerleader, and an active churchgoer. By every account, she was a girl doing everything right — until she vanished from her home on August 18, 2012, just days before her sophomore year.

Gabbiee Swainson, 15

What Happened

Gabby's mother, Alvia, left for work at 3:30 AM, leaving Gabby asleep with her cellphone in case of emergencies. When Alvia returned home, Gabby was gone. Blood stains in Gabby's bedroom signaled the worst. A massive multi-agency search — including the Richland and Kershaw County Sheriff's Departments and the FBI — turned up nothing.

The breakthrough came from cellphone location data. Alvia's phone, which Gabby had that night, was traced to the home of Freddy Lee Grant, 53 — Alvia's own boyfriend. Investigators searched Grant's home and found duct tape with Gabby's blood and hair, as well as more duct tape with her DNA in a nearby alley. Despite this evidence, Grant was not initially charged with kidnapping. Instead, he was arrested for illegal possession of firearm ammunition — a felony, given his long criminal record.

Freddie in jail.

Who Is Freddy Lee Grant?

Grant's criminal history reads like a decades-long trail of violence and manipulation. Joining the Army at 17, he was quickly court-martialed for slashing a fellow soldier's face with a razor blade, then kidnapped two military guards at gunpoint during his transport. He was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to hard labor at Fort Leavenworth.

After his release, Grant returned to Florida and racked up charges including cocaine trafficking, drug possession, and repeated aggravated battery against his wife, Juanita Jackson — whom he'd groomed starting when she was just 16 years old. Juanita endured years of brutal abuse, including targeted attacks on her left eye that left her with permanent retina and bone damage, before she was finally able to break free. Even after their divorce in 1996, the trauma of their relationship had lasting consequences.

The Case Breaks Open

In June 2013 — nearly a year after Gabbiee’s disappearance — a delivery driver found a cellphone behind a Piggly Wiggly in Myrtle Beach. Surveillance footage revealed the phone had been dumped there by Dominique Grant, Freddy's 27-year-old daughter. Armed with this evidence, investigators went to Grant in prison and reportedly offered to drop Dominique's accessory charges in exchange for information. Grant agreed, and led investigators to Gabbiee's body — buried in a five-foot grave in a field off US-1, just three miles from his home, in an area police had already searched multiple times.

Freddie’s house

Gabbiee died from asphyxiation. Grant confessed and pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murder. He was sentenced to 30 years on each count, to be served concurrently.

Another Victim: Adriana Laster

Adriana and her daughter, Crystal

Gabbiee was not Grant's first victim. Adriana Diana Laster, 26, began a relationship with Grant around 2009 and moved into his Elgin home. She was subjected to the same brutal violence. The last time she was seen alive was around Labor Day 2011 — just months before Gabby was taken. Her remains were not discovered until January 2024, in a Richland County sandpit. As of the time of this episode, Grant had not been charged with her murder. He is also a key suspect in the death of his neighbor, Daniel Lee Woods Jr.

Legacy

Ridge View High School — Gabbiee's school honors Gabbiee's memory each year with the "Cuts for Gabbiee" event, a back-to-school tradition where local barbers offer free haircuts to those in need.

Rest in peace to Gabbiee Swainson, Adriana Laster, and every victim touched by this case. Freddy Lee Grant is exactly where he belongs — and we hope he stays there.

Recommended by listener Jalia. Episode available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and BlackTrueCrime.com.