COLUMBUS, OH – A 25-year-old homicide case has taken a major turn after Brian Swanson, 48, was indicted for the 2000 murder of Charles “Chico” Ballard, whose body was found shot and set on fire inside his home.
Ballard, 22 at the time, was discovered dead on February 9, 2000, in his residence on the 300 block of East 17th Avenue. Officers found that he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and that his body had been deliberately set ablaze.
Swanson was arrested last Friday in connection with the case, marking a major breakthrough in one of Columbus’ long-standing cold cases.
The investigation had remained open for more than two decades, and details surrounding Swanson’s connection to the crime have not yet been released publicly.
The case and its developments have been chronicled in the true-crime podcast The Fifth Floor, available on all major streaming platforms.