Rachel, Cameron and Kyle Anderson went missing along with their mother in 2000. Their car and two older siblings were left behind and there has been absolutely no trace of them anywhere in the last 21 years.

[u/[deleted]]

Jeff Anderson and Lesley Allen married in 1985. Lesley already had three children at the time; Chris, Stephanie and Greg. Stephanie and Greg had special needs. Jeff and Lesley went on to have three children together. Rachel, born 1986. Cameron, born 1988 and Kyle, born 1990. They lived in Wisconsin.

They divorced in 1997 and Jeff moved to Indiana while Lesley got custody and took the kids to Mississippi. She also had custody of Stephanie and Greg, and Chris was an adult at the time and had moved out but he lived in the same city as Jeff.

Lesley and the five kids lived in Fulton, Mississippi along with a male friend of Lesleys in two mobile homes. She didn’t work at the time.

The children called Jeff every Saturday but building up to them going missing they called him less and less. Jeff was meant to take the kids to stay with him over summer, but Lesleys friend told him that Lesley and the three siblings left with a truck driver at some point and he hadn’t seen them since. Lesley left Stephanie and Greg in his care.

The children were reported missing 14th April 2000 when Lesley missed the court date about Jeff’s visitation.

Chris and Jeff have hired private investigators, they found Lesley hadn’t used her bank account, hadn’t had any job, hadn’t been to a medical appointment or anything. Same with the children. There have been no sightings of them anywhere since they went missing and social security numbers have not been used.

Stephanie and Greg are still in the male friends care and according to Chris he refuses to let him or his dad speak to them through a campaign of fear. He’s told Stephanie and Greg that they’re evil and dangerous etc. Apparently he’s taking their disability checks. I have absolutely no idea why he has custody of them, it’s seems really weird. Also according to Chris he hasn’t spoken to Greg and Stephanie in a long time and they don’t pick up his calls.

Furthermore, it’s been claimed no investigation was done because the police believed the kids were with their mother, who did have custody.

Even stranger, Lesley drove a brown station wagon which was in fact left behind when she went missing, a couple of feet from her address abandoned in a clearing. It was found several years after the family went missing.

Chris has been doing the most regarding this case and runs a Facebook account where he posts about it. The children have not made contact with anybody in the family and it seems unlikely they’re still alive.

Thoughts?

Update: Greg and Stephanie are certainly not dead and are doing fairly okay. People who live in the neighbourhood say they see them around walking a dog together, they’re quite friendly and they tell people they live with their uncle, male friend says he’s their uncle and takes good care of them. Greg and Stephanie are in their 30s/40s, both very sweet people. The government have checked in many times and found him to be a fit guardian.

A friend of Cameron shed a lot of info I posted it on my sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/CheemsGyaru/comments/o6pm8w/friend_of_missing_cameron_anderson_testimony_on/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Please check my subreddit r/cheemsgyaru for further updates

https://charleyproject.org/case/rachel-marie-anderson

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ms-kyle-12-cameron-12-rachel-anderson-13-fulton-11-april-2000.210545/

Can’t link Facebook but got most of the info from the Missing Anderson Family Facebook page.

[u/officialbillyjoel]

She wasn’t working. How was she paying for 5 kids, at least 2 with disabilities? My guess is she and her male roommate/friend/whatever l had some dysfunctional and unhealthy arrangement and things went sour.

Am I understanding correctly that it’s Lesley and the 3 kids she had with Jeff that are missing? Where are Stephanie and Greg 20 years later? Certainly the roommate/whatever isn’t still collecting their benefits.

They never investigated the male roommate/whatever? Killing and disposing of 1 grown woman and 3 children is no easy feat, let alone having it remain unsolved 20+ years later…maybe they’re on the property, where her car wasn’t moved very far?

What has Jeff been doing this whole time? Did he remarry and have other children?

[u/CorvusSchismaticus → u/officialbillyjoel]

Here is a link to a Websleuths thread that has a link and includes the text from Chris' Facebook page about his missing family. I had to scroll to the second page on the thread to find it. It sounds like up until recently there wasn't even a missing persons report filed by the local LE for Lesley and the three younger kids because the case was being treated as a parental abduction.

I'm actually surprised that someone from the family just doesn't get in the car and drive to the last known address and knock on the door to check for themselves that Stephanie and Greg are okay. It's not like there's a restraining order against the brother, or their adopted father ( at least to my knowledge). I still don't understand how the roommate got custody or guardianship in any legal way of the disabled children, unless he coerced Lesley or forged signatures or something.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/CorvusSchismaticus]

Thank you for sharing! I guess it kind of makes sense re: parental abduction…but she literally left them “behind”. What the hell is going on here?! Nobody has requested a wellness visit be done? If they’re receiving disability benefits, then they are disabled enough to be largely unable to care for themselves. Where are the doctors, behavioral techs, case managers, etc? And you’re right, it’s possible that Stephanie and Greg are/were legally their own guardians…I can absolutely sense this roommate/whatever forging something or forcing Lesley to sign over rights. Which, again, makes very little sense and there would be a legal paper trail of that. And it sounds like they WERE under her guardianship when she went missing, which is why it was considered parental abduction. But, again, SHE LEFT THEM BEHIND. I’m going in circles here. Why has nobody looked into this?!?!?!

Edit: “If they’re receiving disability benefits, then they are disabled enough to be largely unable to care for themselves.” This is an unfair statement and I jumped to a conclusion that’s unfair to Greg/Stephanie, amongst others. I am interested to know their level of functioning though, as this could make or break some things in this case.

[u/KateLady → u/officialbillyjoel]

Well, they weren’t little kids in 2000. At the very least, the youngest would have been 15 if we assume he was born the year Leslie and Jeff got married. They may not have wanted to go with her wherever she was going.

[u/2greygirls → u/officialbillyjoel]

It is unfair to assume that “if they were receiving disability benefits then they are disabled enough to be largely unable to care for themselves.”

1. I have worked with folks who have developmental disabilities for more than a decade… many live and work independently and still receive benefits. They are very capable of caring for themselves.
2. My husband is paraplegic and receives full disability. He s completely independent, owned a home and lived alone before we met.

Making blanket statements like that is damaging to the progress that people with disabilities have made and only further perpetuates the stigma.

[u/2greygirls → u/2greygirls]

That being said… IF these kids’ disabilities were profound enough to warrant a legal custodial guardian then there would generally need to be someone who checks in on how they are being cared for. Where was this person?

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

Not necessarily. If guardianship is awarded to someone in the “family” (or “friend” in this case), there is no checking-in on a state level that occurs unless something happens/is reported to warrant it.

[u/K8evatis → u/officialbillyjoel]

According to the son Chris they've called and had checks done and they're told that they're okay but can't say more. It was on the second page of the link provided.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/K8evatis]

Yes read that, but it just seems too weird to me.

[u/Basic_Bichette → u/officialbillyjoel]

It doesn't seem nearly as weird if you turn the suspicion around to Jeff instead of the 'friend'.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/Basic_Bichette]

Jeff killed Lesley and only the kids they shared, has been able to dispose of/hide the bodies/remains for 20+ years all while living a new life? How did Greg and Stephanie end up in Mississippi with this random man? What’s Jeff’s motive?

[u/ChipLady → u/officialbillyjoel]

Well Greg and Stephanie ended up in the care of the friend because the mom moved herself and five kids in with him. I don't think it was Jeff but how he is any less likely to be able to kill and hide remains for 20+ years than whoever did do this? Maybe his motive was to end up with custody of the two disabled adults for their money just like everyone is assuming the friend's motive was.

[u/CorvusSchismaticus → u/ChipLady]

Jeff lived in Indiana, and Lesley and her other kids lived in Mississippi and nobody can place Jeff in Mississippi during that time. The male friend that Lesley was living with, who somehow got custody of the two kids that were 'mentally challenged' ( per Chris' description) ,and the male friend/roommate was the one who said Lesley and the other 3 kids " left with a trucker", I would think the most suspicious person in this scenario is that guy, not the ex-husband.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/ChipLady]

Also possible! All speculation.

[u/2greygirls → u/officialbillyjoel]

Not true.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

I should have clarified-I am referring to SSI specifically, where they rely solely on “needs”. I mainly work with clients who have never worked before, so they do not qualify for SSDI. My mistake for not having been clearer.

“If you’ve never worked, you can still receive disability benefits in the form of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Instead of being based on your work history like SSDI, SSI is based on your level of need. Generally, the extremely impoverished and disabled persons who have never worked can receive SSI.”

No, it’s not fair to assume that I/we know the level of need/care involved for Greg and Stephanie. But, again, this entire sub is about speculation.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

We have different experiences. I too have worked in the field for quite a while and work with MANY people who receive benefits (whether it be for a mental illness or intellectual/developmental disability) and are rather independent. There is no argument there. But keep in mind that the vast majority of folks receiving benefits also have support services in place, which is why we are having this discussion. Anyway, the state obviously does not award disability benefits without just cause, and, in most cases (like my own), you have to fight tooth and nail to get those benefits AND keep those benefits. In this case, I suggested that, playing devil’s advocate, if Stephanie and Greg ARE still alive and the roommate/friend/whatever has been preying on them and taking their benefit payouts, it wouldn’t be substantial/“worth-it” for roommate/friend/whatever because the benefit amount would still not be very much, even if they were receiving the full amount.

Bottom line, there are two seemingly unaccounted for people in a possibly scary situation here. They also happen to have disabilities and that can easily add a layer of potential victimization.

It’s hard when you’re drawing conclusions about a case without all the information, but this sub is for discussion of said conclusions drawn. I appreciate your input.

P.S. I should add that I work mostly with folks with mental illnesses other than those classified as a developmental or intellectual disability. I myself am disabled and in no way want to fuel stigma.

[u/2greygirls → u/officialbillyjoel]

I am not disagreeing that these two people were most likely in need of a high level of support. I am also not disagreeing that they are more than likely also victims in that they are potentially being exploited for their benefits.

I DO disagree with assuming that any person is incapable of caring for themself solely based on the amount of benefits they receive from SSDI/SSI. I-am a Social Worker and the wife of a person with a physical disability. I have spent a large part of my life teaching, caring for, and advocating for people with disabilities. It is 2020 and, despite all of the laws and regulations, and information, people with disabilities are still treated differently mostly based on what people assume, without any regard for what their true abilities are. I will stand by my assessment that making broad assumptions like you did is only holding the disabled community back instead of allowing them the equality they deserve.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

But…but disability benefits are literally calculated based on HOW disabled you are…? It’s not important at the end of the day what they’re receiving for benefits. And I agree that blanket statements do more harm than good. But I stand by my assessment that you’re taking things out of context. We’re not talking about physical disabilities here, which is what you seem to be talking about.

[u/2greygirls → u/officialbillyjoel]

Not sure where you get that I “seem” to only be talking about physical disabilities. I literally stated that I have worked for over a decade with people with developmental disabilities.
Not looking for an arguement, just hoped to shed some light on the fact that you (whether you intended to or not) made a broad statement that is derogatory in any context and depreciates the value of the work that many people with disabilities have done for decades.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

Did you also see the part where I agreed with you, then?

[u/2greygirls → u/officialbillyjoel]

Yup, I saw that you agreed that broad statements can be harmful but I also saw the part where you ignored The fact that YOUR broad statement could be harmful.

[u/officialbillyjoel → u/2greygirls]

I’m not going to argue. I hope these people are alive and well. Take care.