Minnesota authorities announce $25K reward in 1987 missing persons cold case

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety on Monday afternoon announced a reward of up to $25,000 in the investigation into the 1987 disappearance of Carla Beth Anderson.

The nonprofit organization, Spotlight on Crime, is offering the reward in exchange for information leading to the whereabouts of Carla Anderson.

She was last seen at her Greenwood Apartments residence in Wadena on the evening of Nov. 13, 1987, after spending time with her family. She had been scheduled to work the next day but never showed up.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says investigators found no signs of a break-in and nothing indicating a struggle when they went to her apartment. The only items missing were her apartment keys and her Hardee's jacket. 

Carla Anderson, who was 23 when she went missing, has not been seen or heard from since. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.

Despite pursuing hundreds of leads and conducting hundreds of interviews over nearly four decades, no arrests have been made in the investigation.

"Carla was a vulnerable adult and we are confident she would not have chosen to disappear," Wadena Police Chief Naomi Plautz said. 

At the time of her disappearance, Carla Anderson was 4 feet 10 inches tall and 80 pounds with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.

Dan Anderson, Carla's brother, thanked the Wadena Police Department and other investigative agencies for not letting his sister be forgotten.

"My sister, Carla, she was like any young woman. She was fiercely independent, loved her family, loved all the family gatherings — we had lots of big gatherings in our family," Dan Anderson said. "Loved living on her own, making her own money, doing her own thing. Again, loyal to her friends and a good person; happy and just a really good person. We miss her a lot."

Plautz said she is confident authorities can solve the case and hopes the reward helps speed up the process. She added they are open to any tips that might help in the investigation.

"What was going on in your life that night, what do you remember, who were you hanging out with, who were you talking to? We want to know anything, even if you think it might not be evidentiary, it still might help," Plautz said. "Anything. We want to know all of it."

Anyone with information that will help authorities find Carla Anderson is urged to contact the Wadena Police Department at 218-631-7700, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 877-996-6222 or 651-793-7000, or by emailing bca.tips@state.mn.us.

"This is something our whole community has been suffering with along with the family, and we know that, so to bring her home and have that closure would be amazing," Plautz said.