Arrest in Ohio Renews Hope for Breakthrough in Missing Upstate New York Woman’s Case

The arrest of an Ohio man is reigniting calls for answers in the disappearance of Corrie Anderson, a Chautauqua County mother in Upstate New York who vanished in 2008.

Authorities in Ohio recently took 65-year-old Kenneth Anderson into custody, charging him with kidnapping, rape, and assault in connection with a separate case.

The development has drawn attention back to Corrie Anderson, a Jamestown mother of three who was last seen running errands nearly 17 years ago.

From the beginning, many close to Corrie suspected her estranged husband Kenneth played a role in her disappearance, though no charges have ever been filed against him in New York. For some, his arrest in Ohio has deepened those suspicions.

“Corrie was a mother. Corrie was a sister. Corrie was a best friend. Corrie was a daughter. Corrie was so many things to so many,” said Merry Williams-Diers, founder of Western New York Missing and Unsolved Persons to WIVB News 4. “You put yourself in those shoes, as a Chautauqua County resident, and wonder, how many people are gonna give up on looking for me if I were to go missing? My answer to that is, I hope no one stops looking for me.”

Court records show Kenneth Anderson is also facing charges in Ohio for resisting arrest and obstructing official business.

Williams-Diers hopes these new charges will push investigators to revisit Corrie’s case.

“I do remain hopeful. Some days it’s easier said then done, but at the end of the day, if we become complacent then these cases are definitely not going to be solved, you know what I mean?” she said. “Anytime we can get any sort of media attention, traction, or just departments communicating, I think it is a beneficial thing.”

Williams-Diers has also voiced concerns that other women may have been harmed, and she has launched a petition on Change.org demanding justice in connection to Kenneth Anderson.

For Corrie’s family, the arrest is another reminder that the case is far from over. Community members continue to press for answers in hopes that renewed attention will finally bring closure to a mystery that has haunted Chautauqua County for nearly two decades.

Arrest in Ohio Renews Hope for Breakthrough in Missing Upstate New York Woman’s Case