Key facts
- Name: Carla Beth Anderson
- Born: January 15, 1964
- Age at disappearance: 23
- Last seen: November 13, 1987, between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. — dropped off at Greenwood Apartments, Wadena, Minnesota
- Physical description: 4’10”, about 80 lbs, blond/strawberry hair; half-inch scar over her right eye; classified as a vulnerable adult
- Location: Wadena, Minnesota
- Case reference: NamUs MP5795; Wadena Police Department case 87001505
- Status: Still missing — $25,000 reward offered (announced June 2026)
- Investigating agency: Wadena Police Department (218-631-7700)
The reward
In June 2026, the Wadena Police Department held a press conference with an announcement meant to shake a 39-year-old case loose: a $25,000 reward, offered through the state’s Spotlight on Crime program, for information leading to answers in the disappearance of Carla Beth Anderson.
At the press conference, Wadena Police Chief Naomi Plautz asked, again, for anyone who knows anything to come forward: “It was a big night for Carla. She had received an award from her Hardee’s employer where she worked and celebrated with her mother and stepfather. They dropped Carla off near her apartment around 8 p.m. that Friday night, and no one has seen her since.”
A $25,000 reward in 2026, for a disappearance from 1987: not closed, not cold in the way that means forgotten — but stalled, waiting on the one person who knows something and hasn’t said it yet.
The investigation
The details of Carla’s last night come from a 1987 continuation report by Officer Mike Peters and the initial complaint report, quoted in later coverage by the Wadena Pioneer Journal.
After dinner, between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m., Carla’s mother and stepfather — Verne and Roberta Wells — picked up some movies for her to watch and dropped her off at Greenwood Apartments, where she lived. She had been carrying a cup of soda; the empty cup was later found in her apartment, and one of the rented videos was found in her VCR.
When she didn’t show up for her morning work shift — “uncharacteristic of her, as she was exemplary employee” — something was wrong. She has never been heard from again. Her apartment showed nothing amiss and no signs of a break-in or struggle. The only things missing were her keys and her Hardee’s jacket. And there was one detail that never sat right: the apartment door was locked from the outside. The building had a security door, but it had been propped open that night by other tenants who were moving in.
That same night, a fire was burning in a swamp on the outskirts of Wadena, visible from her window. Authorities theorized she left home to look at it up close, and someone attacked her. There is no evidence to support this theory. Also that night, a brown Plymouth Horizon was stolen a couple of blocks away and was never recovered. It is unknown whether the stolen car has any connection to her case.
Carla was 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 80 pounds, with blond or strawberry-blond hair and a half-inch scar over her right eye from sutures. She had a learning disability — she was classed as a vulnerable adult. When last seen she was wearing a Hardee’s jacket, a Pepsi and Mountain Dew sweatshirt, blue jeans, and pink tennis shoes. Her family and her boyfriend were cleared of suspicion.
Theories: what might have happened
The fire drew her out. What supports it: a swamp fire was burning on the outskirts of Wadena that night, and authorities themselves floated this theory. What undercuts it: there is no evidence to support it, and nothing in the apartment suggests she prepared to go out.
Someone came to her door. What supports it: the door was locked from the outside, her keys are missing, and the building’s security door had been propped open. What undercuts it as a finding: no sign of a struggle or forced entry, and nothing else in the apartment was disturbed.
The stolen car is connected. What supports it: a brown Plymouth Horizon was stolen within a couple of blocks on the same night and was never recovered. What undercuts it: authorities say it is unknown whether the theft has any connection to the case.
Voluntary departure. What undercuts it completely: a vulnerable adult who had just been honored at work, with movies waiting in the VCR, left everything behind and has never contacted anyone in 39 years. Her family and boyfriend were cleared.
No suspect has been publicly named. No one has been charged. Any living person is presumed innocent.
Have information?
Contact the Wadena Police Department at (218) 631-7700 (case 87001505). A $25,000 reward is offered through Spotlight on Crime for information. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- January 15, 1964 — Carla Beth Anderson is born.
- November 13, 1987 — Named employee of the month at Hardee’s; dropped off at Greenwood Apartments between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. Never seen again. A brown Plymouth Horizon is stolen nearby the same night.
- 1987–2012 — Case open with Wadena PD; family and boyfriend cleared; DNA samples secured from her biological mother.
- 2008 — Carla’s case featured on the Minnesota BCA cold-case playing cards.
- 2012 — 25th-anniversary coverage; Chief Bruce Uselman: four binders of documented, categorized information.
- June 16, 2026 — Wadena PD press conference: $25,000 Spotlight on Crime reward announced; Chief Naomi Plautz appeals for tips.
- November 2027 (upcoming) — The 40th anniversary of her disappearance.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is she still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, she has been missing for nearly 39 years; her case remains open with the Wadena Police Department.
Was she ever found?
No. No trace of Carla has been publicly reported since November 13, 1987.
What was Carla Anderson’s last night like?
She had been named employee of the month at the Hardee’s where she worked, celebrated with dinner at Taco John’s with her mother and stepfather, and was dropped off at her Greenwood Apartments home between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. One rented movie was still in her VCR the next day.
Was there a sign of forced entry?
No. The apartment showed no signs of a break-in or struggle — but the door was locked from the outside, her keys were gone, and the security door had been propped open that night.
How old would she be today?
Born January 15, 1964, she would be 62 in 2026.
Is there a reward in Carla Anderson’s case?
Yes — $25,000, announced in June 2026 through Minnesota’s Spotlight on Crime.
Who is investigating?
The Wadena Police Department (case 87001505), led by Chief Naomi Plautz, at (218) 631-7700.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Wadena Police Department (case open; case 87001505; (218) 631-7700); Minnesota Spotlight on Crime reward announcement (June 16, 2026 press conference, Chief Naomi Plautz); Wadena Pioneer Journal / DL-Online 2012 coverage (Officer Mike Peters’ 1987 report, Chief Bruce Uselman).
- News: Daily Mail coverage of the June 2026 reward press conference; Wadena Pioneer Journal — “Just named employee of the month, Wadena 23-year-old was never seen again” (Jan 4, 2022).
- Reference: The Charley Project (retrieved Oct 2026); NamUs MP5795; Uncovered case page.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.