Key facts
- Names: Kristin Joy Diede; Robert Michael “Bob” Anderson
- Born: (not publicly established)
- Ages at disappearance: adults (Kristin, a mother of two)
- Last seen: Mid-August 1993
- Location: Wishek, North Dakota area (trip origin: Bloomington, Minnesota)
- Status: Still missing — authorities believe they were murdered; no one held responsible
- Investigating agency: Logan County Sheriff’s Office
The road trip
On an August weekend in 1993, Kristin Diede of Bloomington, Minnesota, planned to travel to her hometown of Wishek, North Dakota. Her boyfriend, Bob Anderson, went along for the ride.
The trip had a purpose: Kristin dropped her two children off with her grandparents in Wishek. She was in the middle of divorcing her husband, Clyde Diede — a chiropractor in Winner, South Dakota — and she called friends during the trip to say she was having trouble getting her children back. Before heading home, the couple stopped to see Kristin’s brother.
Then they vanished.
On August 20, 1993, their Dodge van was found in a railroad station parking lot in Aberdeen, South Dakota — more than 100 miles from Wishek, in the wrong direction from home. The license plates were missing. The timeline of the van’s movements was full of holes.
Kristin and Bob have never been seen again. Authorities believe the two were murdered. No one has ever been held responsible.
Who they were
Kristin Joy Diede was a young mother of two, caught in the unraveling of a marriage. Friends knew her fear was hard to miss: her relationship with Clyde had gone sour, and she told a friend he had hurt her. After a judge came down hard on Clyde over a domestic assault conviction, Kristin was shielded by a two-year no-contact order. But friends said she still didn’t feel safe — and they were glad Bob was going with her to Wishek, the hometown they all shared.
Bob Anderson was the boyfriend who went along for the ride. He has been missing exactly as long as she has.
The case stretches from Minnesota to the Dakotas and, for nearly 30 years, barely registered beyond them. As the Dakota Spotlight investigation put it: it was about who they were. Or perhaps more so — who they weren’t. Two people vanished, and no massive manhunt, no blanket coverage, no national reckoning followed.
The investigation
Law enforcement’s interest focused early on Clyde Diede. He had encountered Kristin at the Diede family farm near Wishek the same weekend she and Bob vanished. Investigators were interested enough that they jailed him at one point to compel him to give a hair sample. He later gave a rare, recorded conversation to the Dakota Spotlight team — Season 6, Episode 9, “Calling Clyde” — in which the hosts laid out their entire exchange and their deliberations over how to use it.
Clyde Diede has never been charged with any crime in connection with the disappearances, and the presumption of innocence applies. He is a person investigators pursued; he is not a convicted anything.
In 2022, Dakota Spotlight — host James Wolner and co-producer Jeremy Fugleberg — made the case its Season 6, “Vanishing Act: The Untold Story of Kristin Diede and Bob Anderson”: eleven episodes retracing the final days, examining the van, the missing plates, the timeline, and presenting four working theories to a retired homicide detective. The season asked why the case never captured widespread attention — and tried, three decades late, to give it some.
Theories: what might have happened
Murder connected to the divorce. This is the theory authorities themselves hold: that Kristin and Bob were murdered, with the bitter divorce and custody struggle as the backdrop. The van abandoned 100 miles away with missing plates reads like someone else moved it. But belief is not evidence, and no one has been charged.
A crime of opportunity on the road. Two people, a van, rural highways between North Dakota and South Dakota — a carjacking, a robbery, a chance encounter gone wrong. The van’s location in Aberdeen supports movement by unknown hands, but no witness, no forensic link, no suspect has ever surfaced for this version either.
Voluntary disappearance. Nothing supports it. Two children left with grandparents, a brother visited, a divorce in progress, friends called mid-trip — and 33 years of total silence from two adults. People who start over contact someone. No one has.
Have information?
Contact the Logan County Sheriff’s Office at 701-754-2495. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- 1993 (before August) — Kristin Diede, divorcing Clyde Diede under a two-year no-contact order, plans a trip to her hometown of Wishek, ND; boyfriend Bob Anderson joins her.
- Mid-August 1993 — The couple drops Kristin’s two children at her grandparents in Wishek; Kristin calls friends about trouble getting the children back; they stop to see her brother.
- August 15, 1993 (approx.) — Last confirmed period the couple is seen alive.
- August 20, 1993 — Their Dodge van is found in a railroad station parking lot in Aberdeen, SD, 100+ miles away; plates missing.
- 1993–2022 — Authorities treat the case as suspected murder; no charges; Clyde Diede pursued as a person of interest, never charged.
- 2022 — Dakota Spotlight Season 6, “Vanishing Act,” reinvestigates across eleven episodes, including the “Calling Clyde” interview.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Are Kristin Diede and Bob Anderson still missing?
Yes. Both have been missing since mid-August 1993 — 33 years. Authorities believe they were murdered, but no one has ever been held responsible.
What happened to Kristin Diede and Bob Anderson?
Nobody knows for certain. They vanished on a road trip from Minnesota to Wishek, ND; their van was found abandoned in Aberdeen, SD five days later with its plates missing. Authorities believe they were murdered.
Who is Clyde Diede?
Kristin’s husband, a chiropractor from Winner, SD, whom she was divorcing. He had a domestic assault conviction and was subject to a no-contact order. Law enforcement pursued him as a person of interest — at one point jailing him to compel a hair sample — but he has never been charged in the disappearances and the presumption of innocence applies.
Was their van ever found?
Yes. The couple’s Dodge van was found on August 20, 1993, in a railroad station parking lot in Aberdeen, South Dakota — more than 100 miles from Wishek, in the opposite direction from their Minnesota home. The license plates were missing.
How can I help?
Share this case file. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information — particularly about the van’s movements between August 15 and 20, 1993 — to call 701-754-2495.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Logan County Sheriff’s Office (701-754-2495).
- News: Forum Communications / InForum coverage (2022); US1033 / iHeart coverage.
- Reference: Dakota Spotlight — “Kristin Diede Disappearance with Bob Anderson” (dakotaspotlight.com); WebSleuths case thread.
- Media: Dakota Spotlight, Season 6 — “Vanishing Act: The Untold Story of Kristin Diede and Bob Anderson” (11 episodes, 2022).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.