Reward up to $25K offered for information on Wadena cold case

WADENA — A Minnesota nonprofit is offering a $25,000 reward for information on a Wadena cold case.

Carla Beth Anderson, a 23-year-old woman described as a vulnerable adult, was last seen returning to her Wadena apartment around 8 p.m. on Nov. 13, 1987, after an evening with her mother and stepfather.

After she didn’t report to work the next day or answer multiple phone calls, Wadena Police officers responded to her apartment.

“Inside her apartment investigators found no signs of a break-in and nothing indicating a struggle,” a news release stated. “Carla’s apartment door was locked and her purse was still inside. The only things missing from her apartment were her apartment keys and her Hardee’s jacket.”

The nonprofit Spotlight on Crime announced the reward in a Monday press conference in Wadena. A person coming forward with information that leads to the whereabouts of Anderson and the identity of those responsible for her nearly 40-year disappearance could receive up to $25,000.

“Investigators do not believe that Carla would have chosen to disappear and are unaware of a motive for someone to harm her. No witnesses to aid the investigation have been found,” the release stated.

“Investigators have conducted hundreds of interviews and pursued hundreds of leads, but an exhaustive investigation has resulted in no arrests, and Carla Anderson remains missing.”

Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Wadena Police Department at 218-631-7700 or the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 877-996-6222 or bca.tips@state.mn.us. Information can be provided anonymously.