What started as a missing persons case evolved into a homicide investigation a little more than two weeks later.
We went back into the Dayton Daily News archives to see how it was reported on at the time.
Aug. 10, 2001: Kettering woman last seen July 28
Police announced that they were seeking help to find a Kettering woman.
Anderson, 28, of Far Hills Avenue and an employee of Voss Dodge in Centerville, was last seen July 28.
She was reported missing by Link, her boyfriend, on July 30 and had last been seen driving a 1997 red Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan.
Anderson was described as a white blonde, 5-foot-5, 130 pounds with hazel eyes.
Police questioned Link and her ex-husband but did not suspect foul play.
Oct. 3, 2001: Body of missing woman identified
DNA testing confirmed that a badly burned body found in Ross County was Shannon Anderson.
The body of the mother of two was found in a ditch along a rural road in Deerfield Twp. in Ross County on Aug. 17. A farmer on a tractor found her partially clothed body. Medical examiners estimated she had been lying outside for two to three weeks.
“She wasn’t killed out there. She was dumped,” said Ross County Sheriff Ron Nichols.
Officials determined Anderson’s death was caused by a severe skull fracture.
The minivan she was driving was still missing and was considered an important part of the case.
Her two daughters were in the care of relatives.
Oct. 6, 2001: Woman unhappy before slaying
The week before Anderson disappeared, she was stressed, according to her mother. She was moving into a new home and facing challenges at her job and in her relationship with her boyfriend.
“She was just frustrated with everything,” said Nancy Rutherford. “She was not happy with the situation.”
Even as the days and weeks drifted by without word, Anderson’s family didn’t believe she picked up and left town.
“She wouldn’t have left her kids for anything,” Rutherford said. “No matter how bad things got, Shannon would call me.”
Anderson’s boyfriend, reported as her fiancé, said the two had fought before she left their apartment for the Casablanca Club in Washington Twp.
Following her disappearance, family members canvassed bars and stores she frequented and posted fliers.
“If Shannon walked into the room, you knew she was in the room,” said her brother, Michael Anderson. “She was boisterous. She was loud ... She would change the atmosphere of a room.”
After her first child was born, Anderson began creating crafts, family members said. She and her girls made everything from cat-themed pot holders to lace-covered wedding albums.
Recently divorced from her second husband, Anderson, a Georgia native, moved back to the Dayton area the previous March from Destin, Florida, where her mother lived.
July 27, 2002: No indictment in slaying case
A Montgomery County grand jury rejected charges against a suspect.
Montgomery County Prosecutor spokesman Jim Knight said the grand jury “declined to issue an indictment at this time.” Knight declined to identify the suspect and said Kettering police “are going to try to continue to solve this case.”
July 28, 2003: Kettering police pursue woman’s unsolved homicide
Two years after Anderson disappeared, the case remained unsolved.
Her minivan had been found at the Atlanta airport. There had been no arrests.
Kettering police said the case was still open.
Lisa Brauchler continued to care for Anderson’s two daughters. Brauchler was a surrogate mother for Anderson’s daughters long before her death. Anderson and her children had lived with Brauchler for more than a year during her divorce from Brauchler’s brother.
Jan. 13, 2024: Centerville man arrested in 20-year-old Kettering cold case homicide
Diligent police work and scientific breakthroughs were credited Monday for Link’s arrest.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Link was indicted Monday on two counts of murder, Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. announced during a media briefing.
Link was the prime suspect all along in Anderson’s death, detective Greg Stout of the Kettering Police Department confirmed.
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