Their car, the one their mother supposedly drove off in with a truck driver, turned up months later — parked right back on the family's own land.
Lesley Allen Anderson and three of her children — Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle — vanished from Fulton, Mississippi, in April 2000. More than two decades later, none of them have ever been found.
A Blended Family, Then a Divorce
Jeff Anderson and Lesley Allen married in Wisconsin in 1985. Lesley had three children from a prior relationship — Chris, Stephanie, and Greg — all later adopted by Jeff; Stephanie and Greg both have intellectual disabilities. Jeff and Lesley went on to have three more children together: Rachel, born 1986, Cameron, born 1988, and Kyle, born 1990. The couple divorced in 1997. Jeff moved to Rising Sun, Indiana, while Lesley took the younger children — along with Stephanie and Greg — to Itawamba County, Mississippi, where she lived with a male roommate. Chris, already an adult, moved out on his own.
Contact That Faded
Under the custody agreement, the children were supposed to call Jeff every Saturday, but the calls grew less frequent over time. Rachel's last day at school was April 5, 2000; Kyle's was April 7; Cameron's was April 10. Jeff had arranged to have the children visit him that summer, but when he tried to work out the details in April, Lesley's roommate told him she had left in the middle of the night with a truck driver, taking Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle with her — and leaving Stephanie and Greg behind in his care.
A Car That Never Actually Left
The roommate said Lesley had driven off in a brown 1981 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon. Months later, that same vehicle was found parked on the family's own property — a detail that has raised serious questions about how, or whether, Lesley and the children actually left in it as described.
No Trace, Anywhere
The children were formally reported missing on April 14, 2000, after Lesley failed to appear for a scheduled court date regarding Jeff's visitation rights. Investigators found no activity on Lesley's credit history, no job records, no school enrollment requests, and no medical records requested for any of the children anywhere in the country since their disappearance — an absence of any digital or institutional footprint that has persisted for more than two decades.
Two Children Left Behind
Stephanie and Greg, the two children with intellectual disabilities who were left in the roommate's care, remained in Mississippi. Family members have described difficulty maintaining contact with them in the years since, though the exact nature of their current living situation and any restrictions on communication has not been independently verified through public reporting.
Still Classified as Missing
Indiana State Police continue to investigate the case, which remains classified as a suspected family abduction, though the extended period without any contact or evidence of the family's whereabouts has raised ongoing concern for their safety. Age-progressed images have been released showing what Rachel, Cameron, and Kyle might look like as adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Lesley Anderson or any of her children ever been found?
No. Rachel, Cameron, Kyle, and their mother have not been seen or heard from since April 2000.
Is this considered a family abduction or something more serious?
The case is classified as a suspected family abduction, though investigators have expressed growing concern given the extraordinarily long period without any trace of the family.
What happened to the two older children, Stephanie and Greg?
They were left behind in Mississippi and remained in the care of their mother's roommate; family members have said maintaining contact with them has been difficult in the years since.
Sources
Rachel Marie Anderson — The Charley Project Anderson Siblings — MissingSippiAnyone with information is asked to contact the Indiana State Police at 812-689-5000.