A legal secretary disappears after having dreams of being abducted.

A caucasian woman with short tight curly dark brown hair, Cynthia Anderson.

Cynthia Anderson

Missing:

Gender: Female
DOB: 1962
Height: 5’4”
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Remarks: Last seen 8/4/81

CASE DETAILS

A man is dragging a woman down a hallway, both of them are in shadows.

Cynthia was plagued by bad dreams

In 1980, 20-year-old Cindy Anderson of Toledo, Ohio, was plagued by a series of frightening dreams. In one episode, the acquaintance she lets in the door betrays her trust. Cindy’s sister, Christine Savidge, heard her sister talking about the dreams:

“One morning while I was getting ready for work, I overheard Cindy talking to my mother. I do believe that the dreams could’ve been a premonition of fears that Cindy actually had in her subconscious at the time.”

Two Toledo police officers are trying to pull fingerprints off a door.

Police searched for clues

On August 4, 1981, Cindy went to work as usual. She was employed as a legal secretary and, in the mornings, usually worked in the office alone. She kept the door locked at all times. A buzzer had even been installed at her desk so that she could alert the shop next door if there was trouble.

One day, at noon, Jim Rabbitt and Jay Feldstein, two of the lawyers, arrived back at their office after a meeting. According to Jim Rabbitt:

“Jay and I came back from downtown, got to the door and the lights were on, the door was locked. We unlocked the door, went inside, yelled for Cindy and there was no answer. I started to look around out front. Cindy, when she would leave, would place the phones on hold and that wasn’t done either.”

Jim Rabbitt said that Cindy had left her romance novel open to the only violent scene in the book, where the heroine is abducted at knifepoint:

“It wasn’t until really looking at the book, particularly reading the passage in the novel, that I had a sickening feeling that something was wrong.”

Cindy was never seen again. There was no body, no farewell letter, no hint where she had gone, or why she had disappeared. Were Cindy’s dreams premonitions of a terrible fate? Or, were they just a coincidence?

A man is holding an old landline phone to his face.

A mystery caller provided a new lead

Cindy was raised in a strict religious environment. Her family, boyfriend, and most of her social circle were all devout Christian fundamentalists. Cindy’s father, Michael Anderson:

“She was a very quiet, obedient type of a girl. She never made waves with either myself or her mother. And she had lots of friends. She was the type of daughter that you just enjoy, I mean, just a beautiful young girl.”

Cindy’s sister had no idea why she might leave on her own:

“At the time of Cindy’s disappearance, there were no circumstances in her life that any of us were aware of that would’ve caused her to have run away. She was looking forward to quitting her job in two weeks and going to a Bible college that she would attend with her boyfriend. She was very excited about it.”

Cindy’s dad said he noticed a change in his daughter’s behavior:

“Just before she disappeared however, she was becoming like a debutante. She was spending a lot of time on her face and herself and she’d skip breakfast for this reason. And that may be part of the problem.”

The day Cindy vanished, the police immediately began a search for clues. Cindy’s car keys and purse were missing. But the office was undisturbed, and according to Toledo Police Det. William Adams, there were no signs of a struggle:

“Her car was parked in front of the law office. Her bank account, which had a nice substantial amount of money, was never touched. Her social security number has never shown up under any other work place. It’s a complete mystery how and why Cindy disappeared.”

Larry Mullins was a client of the law office where Cindy worked:

“The day before Cynthia Anderson disappeared, I had been in the law offices to pay off a legal fee. She got a phone call. She kind of reacted like maybe it was obscene or something and hung up real quick. And the look on her face, still, I can picture it today. She was scared. She was honestly and sincerely scared. It gives me shivers to think of the look on her face. I went home and I called the police department and asked them to do a drive-by and check on her. Something scared the hell out of her, in my opinion.”

In September, 1981, a month after Cindy vanished, another strange phone call gave police a new lead. According to Det. Adams, a woman called to report that Cindy was being held in the basement of a white house:

“She said that she was scared and she was talking in low whispers. She kept saying she had to go. I kept begging her to stay on the line, give me more information, give me an exact address, something that we could act on. A short while later, she again called. The lady mentioned that there were two houses side by side owned by the same family, and that the family was out of town. But their son was home and he was the party that was holding Cindy in the basement. We did check street after street on the north end to see if we could find two houses side by side. There’s many, but you can’t find any positive location to the house.”

Michael Anderson has wondered if his daughter isn’t living somewhere with amnesia:

“If she herself is out there, we want her to know we love her and we certainly want her to come back, whatever the case may be. The door is open, we certainly want anybody and everybody that can possibly help in this situation to do so.”

After Cindy’s disappearance, a local grand jury indicted nine people for drug trafficking. Some suspect that Cindy knew one of them, and she was killed after she overheard incriminating comments. No charges were ever filed.


Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season two with Robert Stack and season four with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.

SUBMIT A TIP

 

124 Comments

  1. Researcher

    The “I love you Cindy” graffiti is NOT related to this case in any way shape or form. The woman that message was referring to came forward years ago and put that theory to rest once and for all. The woman’s name was Cynthia Betz and “GW” was Greg Wiczynski. Greg died in a motorcycle accident in 1983 and lived near the plaza of the law office. These two were a couple that lived in Toledo. This poor lady kept telling the police to stop bringing up this nonsense as it has no connection to this missing Cindy.

    Reply

  2. Tom

    The latest piece of information I have seen came from a document rejecting Rodriguez’ attempt to be released during Covid. In the rejection, the judge noted he had once claimed to know who murdered Cindy, and where her body was located, and was willing to tell them if they let his son out of prison early. They refused to do that. Rodriguez could have been making it up of course, but it’s interesting.

    Reply

    • Stephen

      Tom, Yes it is possible he was making it up in a desperate attempt to help his son and himself. But dental records and dna would be likely obstacles. The judge who denied compassionate release believed it was more likely than not that he did actually know her location.

      Reply

  3. Anonymous

    Because of her stare of mind and the circumstances she was facing, I believe she possibly staged her own disappearance. But I doubt if she is still alive. Many hospitals just cremate people who they can’t account for. Not every patient qualifies to be a Jane Doe.

    Reply

  4. expert

    get her DNA off pages of the romance novel she was reading run it thru data basis like CODIS she ran away and started a new life

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      You may be correct. But it is very dangerous to do that. If something was to happen no one would know about it.

      Reply

    • Anonymous

      They didn’t have silver alerts back then. But I think a possible mental condition had her run away from her book. (I’m not a doctor, so I’m not diagnosing.)

      Reply

    • Phillip Wand

      Bit odd to run away during the middle of a working day. People are more likely to quickly notice that you’ve gone missing.

      Reply

    • Expert is wrong

      This is probably the worst interpretation of the situation and shows a lack of understanding for the nature of human behavior.

      Reply

      • expert

        I still think the disappearance was ” staged” by her. something in her mind was changing as the father said she was becoming a “: debutante” . she wanted to start a new life, the phone call of the woman and the 2 houses probably was her and designed to be a ” red herring” , to throw others off. I still think getting her DNA off the pages of romance novels and running it the CODIS is the best bet. . she wanted a new life -probably without the religion or the Bible college . she may be still alive somewhere. a Notorious case of a Massachusetts bomber suspect woman wanted by the Police in the 1970’s finally revealed she ran away and lived relatively normally for a number of years in Oregon until she turned herself in, so this woman, with out a criminals’ past, might be able to run away relatively easily.. the DNA might be best bet, since if she had any children’s that would show up in their DNA records and clue the investigators as to where she went , married had kids, etc. . I still think it was ” staged” disappearance, the so called dreams were to serve as a background story for her family when she finally ran away. ,the so called frightening phone call was also staged by her and served as some form of red herring clue .

        Reply

        • Not AnExpert

          Let’s Nit forget this IS a WOMAN who is MISSING,… STILL.
          Family, Friends may read these and Comments who “THINK” they are experts, are Nothing More than a Skeptical person who maybe DOES NOT know ALL the Evidence, as we all May Not Ever know.
          REMEMBER – if it were YOUR MOTHER, SISTER, DAUGHTER would you still write what you do!.

          Reply

  5. SteveM

    I admit I did find the attorney noticing where her romance novel was bookmarked very odd. I don’t know many men who would think “my employee is missing, let’s see if she left me a message via romance novel “

    Reply

    • Carla ann

      Really the lawyers I think she ran away from her overbearing. Strict parents look at her dad’s quotes ” she was obedient , never made waves.

      Reply

      • alex

        u are right but we will never know

        Reply

      • Cathy Smith

        True. But remember he came from a much different era back then and the dialect was also much different. If someone said that today it would warrant being side-eyed but an older person giving this quote 40 yrs ago isn’t out of the norm.

        Reply

    • L

      Same thought. Too bizarre.

      Reply

    • Anonymous

      I don’t like reading minds. But if I had a co worker relaxing reading books, I would notice it. There were other things she could of been doing. A paralegal is a hard labor job. And to finish a 200 page book would have to be very secretive. I would have been surprised to have seen it.

      Reply

      • TooGood

        She wasn’t a paralegal. She was the receptionist. She hadn’t even gone to Bible college, let alone a course of study to become a paralegal. She polished her nails at the desk, too. This was a reception role, in 1981.

        Reply

    • Adam

      The way it was portrayed in the reenactment does seem strikingly odd but you have to remember it was a reenactment in which it is hard to capture the details of the situation which are often needed to understand why it was odd. First that book had a single violent scene in it, and the book was turned exactly to that page. Second the book was not noticed as quickly as portrayed, they spent sometime observing the oddities in the office that were not typical of Cynthia and highly unusual as the phones not being on hold or the ac and lights on which she would always shut. Among all these oddities was the book because of the way it was placed perfectly on the table.

      But the question is, how did she have time to do it if the attack was a surprise? Remember the two phone calls she received the other day. The transcript of those calls we do not know, but there is a transcript, there were things that were said to Cynthia over those calls we do not know. Seeing that she was scared of the person calling, the caller was most likely the stalker who would end of taking her hostage. It is my speculation that the attacker was telling Cynthia what they plan to do and Cynthia would quickly hang up and not listen to them, and the second time she heard the same voice she quickly hung up the phone and that is when the client observed the horror in her face.

      Reply

    • Shelso

      Exactly! There seems to be low suspicion of the lawyers. And this maintenance man…hmmm

      Reply

  6. MydnyghtMyst617

    In my opinion a lot of police departments try to cover up things they don’t want the public to know, much like the military, or the government. Anyway, the town clerk is supposed to know about assets like that, 2 houses next to each other. Do your homework, the “mysterious” girl on the phone told you. She gave you a lead. Check with the clerk and see if there are families that own 2 houses next door to each other. She was probably in the basement at that time, but several years have passed. She may not be around anymore and have perished, who knows, but the indescribable incompetence of the law and the system sometimes as I watch these, is just astounding. I feel horrible for the families of the victims when nothing gets resolved and there’s no closure. It’s like how hard do you actually work for that badge, and where’d you get it, out of a Crackerjack box??? Not ALL cops are bad, just looks like there’s many that don’t try, take shortcuts, or are lazy. They should be doing more for these families. Just look at that poor guy, Michael Rosenblum, that got “lost” a couple towns over from where he lived, and that crooked police Chief Gaburri trying to cover everything up. Or also poor Cindy James and that cocky Neal Hall Vancouver Sun reporter, Mabel Wood’s kennel violence, Permon Gilbert, Patricia Meehan’s amnesia in the plains of Montana, Elizabeth Campbell, and let’s not forget Kari Lynn Nixon who was murdered and buried 6 miles away from where she was picked up. That’s just pure NEGLIGENCE, of the highest degree. The more I watch these episodes, and I love them, they’re incredibly addicting, the more I pick them apart and dismantle them, and then I’m like, “Well, why wasn’t that done, or why didn’t he check that out” . Sometimes you just gotta shake your head in sorrow and disappointment, I guess

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      It is the discretion of the law enforcement agency on what information they release. If her life was endangered releasing that information could of been harmful to her. However it was kind of odd that the caller was careful not to be traced.

      Reply

    • Quote Me

      I agree 99% of the Crimes Not Solved is because of incompetence by the Police.
      Obvious clues are not even examined. Just a little thinking by one ☝️ Officer could’ve saved so many innocent lives also.
      They’re literally letting criminals go by not doing “hard work” like making a phone call or doing a search of “potential suspects” property .
      Watching this show gives me frustration. ‍♀️

      Reply

      • Adam

        100% agree as well. If you were trying to mislead the investigators, the manner and transcript of that phone call is a very poor way to do it. There probability it is genuine is high and the person making the call is obviously risking their lives to do so. The reason the caller hung up when she heard the other phone pick up is because she was scared that someone on her side of the line picked up the phone to listen in. She was unaware it was the detective because all you hear is the phone being picked up and held to the ear and it could have been someone at the house she was at which was most likely the same one Cynthia was at.

        What is crazy about this tip is the nature of the situation she is describing. A family that owns two houses. A family! So this is some sick group effort by parents who raised kids in a mentally sick environment using them to join there efforts to kidnap people hold them hostage in some kind of organized manner. They may have been using these people’s labor for their benefit or simply freaks hurting others for no reason other than their own incomprehensible satisfaction. This could have been a big case to uncover.

        Reply

  7. Unsolved On Purposely

    Sorry to break the bad news, but in all unsolved Cases. This COLD Case is NOT to be solved. Just how investigation proven itself, that Cynthia chose to Avoid being detected. And make matters worst. ON PURPOSELY wanted to NOT be known anymore. Aka Death or Missing. So she can live her OWN LIFE Silently. That how it runs down sadly. ANYONE Does that, Look at all famous Singers like Elvis Presley for example. No way you can deny that TRUTH. And what happened? Found him as a homeless man in the street with SAME BLOOD DNA. Either way People DO Intentionally DO THAT.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      You were correct up until Elvis. His daughter just passed away. I’m sure the released autopsy will reveal all unanswered questions.

      Reply

    • Priscilla Beaulieu

      Elvis? Homeless? Man it’s hilarious all the conspiracy theorists online nowadays. Let me humor you for one second, let’s say he faked his death. Do you even realize the number of people who would have to go along with that conspiracy?! Also, Elvis would never be homeless. He would never have left his daughter or his family that depended on him. His estate, Marilyn’s estate, and MJs estate are always the top three dead celebrities pulling in hundreds of millions each year. A homeless Elvis with his DNA is beyond hilarious. It’s just sad you believe it.

      Reply

  8. Anonymous

    I’m sure this comment will be laughed off, but there was much talk of satanic/cult themed activity going on in the northern Ohio area during that period of time.

    Reply

    • Priscilla Beaulieu

      Yes, it is funny. Why? Bc for some reason Satanists are the boogeyman for evangelicals. They’re not more scary or powerful than any other group with fringe beliefs. People like you give them the power they crave. They just want to frighten people and you fall for it.

      Reply

  9. Luke

    To me, it sounds like it was an inside job, with either the attorneys or the janitor. Someone who had access to the law firm’s doors to lock and unlock, and who she may have at least initially recognized and trusted to preclude any sort of initial struggle in an abduction. My guess is she either saw or heard incriminating info from one of the shady attorneys and a drug dealer, was about to leave for college in two weeks (where she would no longer be under their supervision and eye for potentially preventing her from telling the police), and maybe that’s why the strange phone calls came—as in “you better not tell anyone or else” type threats. Perhaps the drug dealers got increasingly nervous and paranoid with her leaving town soon. Maybe even her soon to be old bosses knowing what she already knew? She also could’ve had that nightmare out of fear and the reoccurring threats. Just my thoughts.

    Reply

  10. Sam Sloane

    Any updates on this just saw her episode on Amazon Prime?

    Reply

  11. Daisy

    What if one of the clients that went to the law firm for a case against them, maybe something like a restraining order, talked to Cynthia and took a liking to her. Maybe thought she was being extra nice to them, but only knew where she worked so that’s where the phone calls and the “I love you Cindy -GW” came from. That was the only way they thought they could get cindys attention. Then they came up with a new idea, they would run into Cindy at some point when she was on her way to work or left work. That would be how he introduced themselves, Cindy probably helped multiple people a day and would really remember their face. That could be who her “boyfriend” was, or who people thought she was dressing up for. That would be why she trusted him when he came to her job and the nail polish smell could have been used in her like chloroform. ( though I don’t know if that’s how that would work) The whisper call that was made to the police could have been Cindy after she was kidnapped and the reason she didn’t know the address was because she had only been to the house once or never had been and could only describe how it looked. Not to mention it’s also possible that her stalker could have gone to her church and her family knew the stalkers. That’s why she knew the family was on vacation and that only the son was home. (Sorry if it sounds like I’m reaching I just haven’t heard a theory like this and it makes sense in my head)

    Reply

    • Marcus

      I totally agree with Daisy’s theory. I think it was the client Larry Mullins. Body language experts need to take a look at footage of this guy. Pretty ‘perfect’ little alibi calling the cops to do a welfare check, I bet he had someone else call her so her could see her reaction close up to feed his perverse thrill. All makes sense to me. He fits the profile to me.

      Reply

  12. vi

    I googled to see if there are any updates, and there something online about the other attorney being disbarred. Cynthia Anderson is mentioned and it said that the grand jury looked at the case but didn’t indict on it. Cops must pretty much know what happened.

    Reply

  13. Tai Boyd

    Both attorneys were interviewed .. Attorney Jim Rabbitt did most of the talking … ironically … he had a STROKE 10yrs later (1991) and died in 2005 in a State of Michigan Veteran’s Home in Grand Rapids MI @ the age of 60. SOMEBODY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO CYNTHIA!!!!

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      Jim Rabbit was a good person. Even though she was about to quit, he still respected Cynthia. With all the medical privacy laws they had back then, it is really difficult to determine what happened to her. Back then you could even get an abortion without anyone knowing. (Just an example of an unsafe and confidential medical procedure.)

      Reply

      • Stephen

        Anonymous, Jim Rabbitt may have been a good person, but do you think it is possible he knew about the drug operation? Not necessarily in detail, but at least knew that Neller was involved in something bad with one of his clients. Perhaps he was afraid to tell the police about it. It would help to explain his comment that upon realizing that Cindy was not in the office, he knew she wasn’t coming back.

        Reply

        • Anonymous

          He was an attorney. Attorneys have shady clients. If that is the case every public defender is an automatic suspect when a paralegal disappears.

          Reply

        • Anonymous

          I mean I will break down notes if you like. Her father said she wasn’t herself in weeks up to her disappearance. So she was going into that disability. As far as the lawyer, she talked about quitting. People quit without telling people all the time. He possibly assumed for reasons known only to herself she didn’t want to come back to work.

          Reply

  14. FBX

    I think it’s fairly obvious one or more of the lawyers she worked for knows exactly what happened to her. It should come as no surprise the police also suspect this is the case after one of the lawyers was busted for drug trafficking.

    By the way, I’ve been reviewing the original episodes and cross-referencing the updates with the latest information. In the first season alone, THREE men that were eventually convicted of crimes (and reported as ‘solved’ on the later airings of the show) were shown THIS YEAR to be innocent after DNA tests came in. Something about the year 2020 is just ‘Twilight Zone’ all over the place…

    Reply

  15. WhoDunnit

    Well since lawyers were corrupt why would anyone even believe any story they told about going to lunch for all anyone knows the lawyers could have killed her the night before or that morning. With the indictment coming down word travels and also cops on toledo police force were on the take for years not to mention judges and people at prosecutors office had been known to take bribes during years past. That police officer from tpd who was found guilty recently of covering up murders maybe he was involved or perhaps cook brothers or the client who said he called the police the day before. The callers lead wouldnt be that hard to figure out landlords having side by side properties and a white house with basement in it. Or perhaps maybe a stalker from her church since churches are well known to have tie with people who commit kidnappings and sex crimes and murder.

    Reply

    • Betty Brown

      I worked for one of the attorneys mentioned in this story & while he is your typical attorney in many respects, he’s not corrupt and was not involved with the clients of attorney Rabbit.
      I think she ran out to grab the breakfast she skipped at the McDonald’s across the parking lot & some sick monster nabbed her. There were active serial killers in Toledo at the time & violent crime was bad in general.

      Reply

    • Gary taylor

      Who was the new boy friend and could have done it

      Reply

  16. Lwebb08

    I think there’s a lot of distraction from the obvious which is that she had a stalker. Stalkers escalate. Of stalkers could just walk up and befriend someone they wouldn’t be stalkers. They escalate in negative harmful ways. What ever solution is the simplest must be true; she had a stalker, the stalker escalated and took her. This stalker even believed they “Loved” her when she didn’t even know who they were. It doesn’t sound like anyone took it seriously except she did have the buzzer at her desk which I think is telling, it’s not like she was a bank teller, and she had a phone but they still gave her a little emergency alert system. That to me even more shows it wasn’t the lawyers. I think earlier comments were right she stepped out briefly and the stalker saw an opportunity. Shocked her purse was never found but he probably has it. I think her dreams were definitely her subconscious saying hey something is very wrong here.

    Reply

    • Tom

      I think you are right. A stalker is the simplest solution. It’s hard to see harassing phone calls and the buzzer fitting in with other scenarios.

      Reply

    • Anonymous

      That is always a possibility. But it didn’t happen there. The doors were locked. That is one thing you have to look for when pondering if the victim was responsible. The Janitor was eliminated as a suspect. He may have wrote the graffiti. But that is a lot more shy than abducting someone. She was about to leave in two weeks. That may have been his way of showing a secret crush.

      Reply

  17. Judy

    To me, all those ‘coincidences’ were a little too coincidental. Has anyone thought about this young woman as secretly being placed in witness protection? She disappeared shortly before members of that law firm were arrested. She may have been approached by the FBI or she’s the one who initiated the police, FBI, to whatever to the illegal drugs incidents. No abductors allow you to bring your belongings upon you being kidnapping. If she’d been abducted, after she locked the doors, then why weren’t the phones put on hold, as she had a pattern of doing, whenever leaving the office, even temporarily. If she was running a quick errand I believe she would have followed through with that pattern. Her father may have been at ease because he may have been informed by Cindy prior to her leaving for witness protection. His words show that he wanted his daughters integrity to shine in lieu of his daughters sudden/questionable/strange disappearance. The norm for informants is to not give anyone any info. I’m sure she would have told her father, at the very least, but not her siblings or friends, and definitely not her employers. She was on her way to starting a new life, hence the sudden attention to details in regards to her grooming and appearance. As an informant your given some money besides a new identity, house, and life. Most likely it would have been more then she had saved in her bank account.

    Reply

  18. Vi

    I vowed to never watch any more crime shows and haven’t for years til watching this show a few times lately, and here I am . Did anyone ever consider that a disgruntled family member might have been trying to scare Cindy with phone calls to her work? I could see someone thinking she was getting too worldly and then trying to scare and manipulate her. Also, fundamentalism is mentioned but no denomination. If it was Pentecostal they can be big on dreams having meanings or prophecy. And, if she was so scared, why would she be taking so much time applying makeup and getting ready that morning and other mornings. Why did the parents approve of her job? Everyone knows that attorneys can be shady and try to go out with their secretaries, why didn’t she quit after thinking the spray paint message was to her, and if she heard drug talk being such a fundamentalist Christian why on earth would she stay on that job. The whole thing sounds weird. Even the phone call the police received. If this was some woman not living in the house, why was she so afraid and why did she hang up. If she knew the house why didn’t she give an address. I think Cindy most likely ran off.

    Reply

  19. anadentone

    according to the Toledo newspaper, Mr Anderson died in 2008 while his wife,(Cynthia’s mom) died in 1983.

    Reply

  20. Dan

    Any one think the mysterious caller was Cindy. I mean they never showed her face on the show and she could have slipped away and made the calls.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      I think it was. Without any ransom demands it is very unusual for people to be held like that permanently. Also the caller didn’t want to be traced.

      Reply

  21. Alex

    I’m not entirely sold on the “she was killed because she knew too much” theory. I do believe she was killed by someone who worked at the firm or client of the firm, but everyone just assumes that because her law firm was involved in illegal activities that was the reason for her death. I believe that someone at the firm or client of the firm was obsessively stalking her and that explains the harassing phone calls she was getting. If people within the firm were planning to kill her, why creep her out more by making harassing calls? It would be their best interest to make her feel as comfortable as possible. I think these calls were of the sexual stalking variety. This also fits in with possibility that she was held at a house for a month afterwards. I feel like the police investigation was flawed and corrupt and I think they were protecting someone.

    Reply

  22. Jason

    The fact her employer installed a “panic button” for her says a lot. They obviously wanted her to feel safe. And that she was being harassed. Also, she left her things, which means to me, she stepped out to her car or maybe to let someone in the bldg she trusted. I don’t think she ran away or “staged” her disapearance. If no fingerprints were left, she was abducted outside. Maybe someone was watching her? If she knew something, what?

    Reply

  23. Julie

    I am a “distant family member” and I can state here, that there is much more to this story than is being told here. A private investigator looked into this case several years after the fact and she discovered lots of fishy things. It appears that many in the law inforcement community, including the lawyers, knew more than they let on. Many things were overlooked and ignored. The investigator was truly scared as she snooped and she constantly looked over her shoulder. Some things are not to be known in this lifetime, I guess.

    Cindy was a good girl and she had her life planned out. Like writer pointed out, Cindy was to begin college two weeks from the time she disappeared. She was almost ready to leave the secretairal job. Yes, Cindy was scared of somebody….she told her mother she was scared, but, she never said what she was scared of, as far as I know.

    Reply

    • Stephen

      Julie, Can you provide any more details about what this private investigator discovered? Do you know if she suspected Rodriguez? Did she find anything about a family that owned two white houses next door to each other?

      Reply

  24. cindy

    My thoughts have always been that it was the horrible Cook brothers. Nathaniel Cook will be released from prison on February 13th 2018 (in 7 months). It is a judicial release not a parole hearing. It was agreed upon at his trial that since he only kidnapped and raped their victims that he testified against his brother and get a 20 years and out sentence. I knew 2 of their victims and it sickens me to know that one of them is getting out. Also reading some of these replies from the one annoyamus person saying they know she was killed and put in a box and dropped in the river freaks me out.

    Reply

  25. Bill Blaski

    Saw Cindy’s case again on lifetime, so sad for her. Any updates on this case Unsolved?

    Reply

  26. Beccaboo

    Was Cynthia ever found or is there any new information?

    Reply

    • ron white

      I went to Bedford with her vary nice person and fammly I alwas hoped thay would find out someing on her all we can do is wounder and its been a long time we got out of high school in 79

      Reply

  27. Friend

    Cindy was my friend. We were a year apart. We went to church together. Her boyfriend did go in to marry and have children and was not abusive. In fact, he graduated from the same Masters Programs as about 8 years after Cindy sent missing. Cindy’s dad was not a creep. I was a Police Explorer back then and the police have more knowledge of this case than has ever been released to the public. Her disappearance had a huge effect on me and I often think about her. Unfortunately, from what I heard from the (former) Chief if Police in Toledo, Cindy was probably not alive long after she went missing.

    Reply

    • Anon

      You’ve talked to Detective Adams? I know this is a long shot, but do you know if he’s still alive? He’s my biological grandfather, but I’ve never met him. I’d really like to. His involvement in this case has me obsessed with it. My mom met him once when she was pregnant for me, and he sent her away and said he wanted nothing to do with us. That was 26 years ago. I just want to see if his attitude has changed. Again, I know this is a long shot. But I’m willing to try anything since all my internet searches have come up empty.

      Reply

    • Stephen

      Friend, can you provide any more information about what you discovered? Did the chief know something about the family that owned two white houses next to each other? Were the police afraid to push too hard in the investigation?

      Reply

  28. Toledo

    What about all the strange events during that time?The Cook brothers were killing persons in the North End during that time and wasn’t Alton Coleman along with his side kick Debrorah Brown seen in that area too?

    Reply

  29. Lurker

    The graffiti was found to be a different GW and was written for a different Cindy.

    For those who are asking why she never told anyone about the phone calls, I have read in multiple places that she did. She told the attorneys and they put in the buzzer for her because of it.

    Reply

  30. Danno

    She DID NOT disappear on her own or ‘stage’ her disappearance. Absolutely this is a case of foul play. To the people who think she ran away or ‘staged’ her disappearance- Can you explain the phone call from the woman who claimed she was held in the basement of a house? Don’t you find it weird how one of the lawyers who worked at the law office was arrested years later and charged with distributing cocaine and heroine? Remember right when she went missing that same lawyer was representing Jose Rodriguez on drug charges- the same guy that was arrested in 1995 along with the lawyer and the same guy that confessed to killing Cynthia Anderson but a Judge threw out the confession.

    Also there have been no sightings of her. In most cases when someone disappears voluntarily or runs away that person usually always contacts a friend or family member later on, yet that didn’t happen here. If she ran away why didn’t she take her car? Why didn’t she make any attempt to access the money in her bank account? Why were there zero sightings of her other the person who called Police claiming she was being held in a house? If she ‘staged’ her disappearance she did a terrible job. Why would she stage her disappearance and then lock the door behind her? If she had staged her disappearance she would have thrown stuff around to make it appear there was a struggle. I think someone she knew is responsible and someone who worked at the law office connected to the lawyer and Jose Rodriguez or… it was Neller and Rodriguez who did it. I read where someone said, ‘what type of kidnapper would have allowed her time to leave a book open to the part of the abduction scene?’ First of all the book could be a coincidence or the two lawyers who came back to she wasn’t there could have made it up all together. Nobody besides the two layers can verify that the book was turned to that page so they easily could have made it up. I think someone she knew who worked there or a lawyer from that office came back and said, ‘hey, Cindy let’s grab breakfast.’ or something along those lines and from there she was taken possibly to a house where she was murdered or held captive for a while. That would explain why there was no forced entry and why the door was locked. A lawyer would have access to the building even it was locked. You people that think she ran away want to ignore the lawyer being arrested and Jose Rodriguez’ confession along with several other things. Wake up- it’s foul play, not a staged disappearance or run away.

    Reply

    • Nikki

      First off, I’d like to say I’m sorry about your friend. Must be terrible to have to think and wonder what happened to her. I couldn’t imagine. I just seen on Facebook that they dug up remains from Toledo area that was found in a river I believe they said from 40 years ago and wanted to test DNA since technology is much better to see who this woman was and some people who commented brought Cynthia’s name up and I just had to google around! I am interested in cold cases and trials n such. I’m not too far from toledo; I’m in Fostoria but I’m only 32 so I wouldn’t have heard about her prior. I’d love to hear more about this lovely woman and her cold case. Love and warmth sent your way!
      Nikki

      Reply

  31. PsychicANGELA

    The one who keeps posting about her being in a box…are you a Psychic? Either way, my quick impression is a marriage and name-change. It may not be solved as she doesn’t want to be found. I also felt the boyfriend was too possessive. He’d be one to look at if my vision is off about her being alive — always possible — as I see another vision of debris and a river or lake.

    The boyfriend whom she was to attend school with … what happened to him? Did he go on to be married and was there a history of spousal abuse. I feel there is a clue and/or knowledge from him.

    Reply

    • Karen

      Hi psychic Angela if you get vibes from this case you should look into my Aunts case its still unsolved murder in Sylvania on january 2 nd 1985 Patricia Stichler let me know what you think????

      Reply

    • Anonymous

      She is not alive. It was very confusing to speak to her spirit.

      Reply

  32. joey

    Anyway to watch this episode.

    Reply

  33. Anonymous

    I know where her body is it in the boxs with the lock on it its in the river that all i know

    Reply

  34. Liz

    Did anyone cross reference a 1981 residential white pages under “W” to research initials “G. W.” in comparison to the county’s recorder of deeds property ownership of two neighboring houses or a duplex?

    Reply

  35. Anonymous

    Being raised with a Christian back ground I can see her leaving to start s new life . Possibly to afraid to tell her psrents that she had met someone in fear of thier disapproval . Being young yet thinking her parents would not approve of a man she met . Love is blind and makes people do things with out thinking .

    Reply

  36. Joe Kulik

    My thinking about Cynthia Anderson is that she MAY Have run away to start a new life. My reasoning is that she may have rejected her family’s Fundamental Christian lifestyle, replete with their plans for her to attend a Bible college with her Fundamental Christian boyfriend. Also her father is quoted as disapproving of her wearing make up & skipping breakfast to try to lose weight. Her father is quoted as calling her a “debutante” for her efforts to enhance her feminine beauty. It all adds up for me as an environment where this 20 year old young lady didn’t have much room to express her individuality, and her own ideas about what kind of life she may have wanted. Furthermore, she may have seen no way to reconcile with her dogmatic family if she “disobeyed” them regarding her life choices … joseph.kulik.919@gmail.com

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      They were good people. She had a nice family. Sometimes church is not enough for people that are physically disabled.

      Reply

  37. LUIS FREEH

    WHAT IS A “WHITE HOUSE” LEGALY? IS IT “WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS”? NEXT DOOR WITH “THE BUZZER” CAME TO SHOW HER THE BUZZER OR SOMETHING AND SHE WENT WITH THEM AND BANG! THEY HAD GOT HER. LEGALY A OFFICE “COULD BE CALLED A HOUSE”!

    Reply

  38. MrT

    We knew Cindy and the family. Cindy was a really solid girl. She didn’t run away or do something stupid. Those attorneys she worked for did business with the drug world and she probably overheard conversations. They silenced her. RIP sis

    Reply

    • Joe Kulik

      Dear MrT: How do you equate “run away” with “do something stupid”?? How do you reason that a “solid girl” “didn’t run away”?? The point is that you are judging Cindy by YOUR values, without REALLY Having a clue about HER Values. Did it ever occur to you that Cindy ran away precisely because she Was NOT “stupid”, because she WAS “smart” enough to realize that the rigid Fundamental Christian lifestyle of her family was just not what she wanted out of life, & that the ONLY Way that she could live the way she wanted to live was to just break free from her family & start a new life?? Of course, family & friends of a “disappeared” person ALWAYS Assume foul play, but only because the alternative is too painful for them to handle, that being that their “loved one” Just DUMPED Them for a better life. … joseph.kulik.919@gmail.com

      Reply

      • Anonymous

        REALLY? That’s the best you can come up with?! SMH!

        Reply

      • Winn

        Joe, Cindy was my daughter’s best friend and bridesmaid and she was a kind very focused level headed young lady. Very intelligent, classy dresser and did not lack for friends. She was very popular in a great way. We are grieved over her disappearance to this day. Her boyfriend at the time was also a great young man, very trustworthy. I say these things to you because you seem to want to give the very opposite opinion of her. Please, for those of us that personally knew her your comments are insulting and cruel.

        Reply

        • Stephen

          Winn, I am very sorry for the loss that you and your daughter suffered. If Cindy did overhear something at work, I have a hard time believing it was a straightforward comment about drug deals or related robberies. Perhaps she heard some kind of cryptic comment, or comments, on multiple occasions and asked Richard Neller, or another attorney, about them. She was young and, compared to the attorneys, had lived a very sheltered life. I wonder if she asked some innocent questions that spooked Neller and Rodriguez. Maybe they assumed that she had figured out what they were doing, but in fact she had not. Do you think she was an inquisitive type of person, who might, innocently, have asked questions about a dangerous subject?

          Reply

  39. Sheri O'Sullivan

    This is a very sad case. If she took her purse and keys but not her car, she may have gone to lunch and just forgot to put the phones on hold (everyone forgets to do things they always did before). The door was locked, probably by Cindy. She was grabbed before she could get into her car. I think whoever called her and wrote the sign is the person who took her. She was probably killed the same day. In the 1980s the police didn’t have the tools they have today. Also, the sign would’ve been considered romantic! A secret admirer. We know now, that is stalking if the woman doesn’t know the person. The only chance to find her is if her grave is disturbed and her remains are found. Very sorry for your loss.
    P.S. The Dad is a fundamentalist who is very wrong about the make-up causing her death. He is blaming his daughter for her situation because she began wearing make-up?? Heartless bastard. She was a young woman about to go to college, of course she was paying more attention to her face and weight! Its normal.

    Reply

    • Vicky

      Cindy always had make up on. Her dad’s statements were made trying to explain a change in her behavior. You act as if she were a prisoner in her own home. Lots of kids walk away crom their faith without dissappearing. Shop applying your prejudice to this situation. What we do know is that the lawyers she worked for were shady characters.
      I will never forget the day she disappeared and how heart broken her Church family was. I can only imagine how her biological family feels.

      Reply

      • Stephen

        Vicky, do you know if the police had any concerns about the safety of her family after she disappeared? If they abducted her because she overheard something about drug deals, they must have been concerned about what people, if any, she may have confided in about this. And do you know if the buzzer was installed because of the phone calls or because Cindy was upset about the I Love You Cindy spray painting?

        Reply

  40. Anonymous

    In response to phone calls to Det. –search the tax records for 2 houses owned by same family that are next to each other– I worked for a large city Police Dept. And did research that idea came to mind hopefully this info will be helpful.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      They had two mental hospitals in the 1980s. The older one they were cleaning out. But they still had patients there. As well as secretaries and schools. Cynthia could of told them she was a secretary and was probably sent to that building on accident.

      Reply

  41. Anonymous

    I reckon it’s her dad to nochalant and laid back the way he smiled and she must of known the person she let in the office as the panic button was at her desk and she easily could pressed that.

    Reply

  42. Ana

    If the book was left open on that particular scene..
    most likely the answers are in that book as to where she might of been taken.

    Reply

  43. Ida Strickland

    You know with all the technology today. I believe that the maintenance man knows something. When that called came in to the police department gave details were she was. Mention 2 houses side by side. What about the maintenance man why didnt they get a search warrant something slip because if they would have got a search warrant to see if he had a basement. To much time went by he may have killed her and bury her body. You know usually when these types of cases slip away usually because they had no clues or found no interest. The case will never be solved unless that person that made the call will call again. But the calls stop which means the possibility is that person is dead too.

    Reply

  44. Moore 01

    Take a look at her father. Just something about how he smiled, looked cynical when asking for anyone to come forward with information. It seems more intricate and complex to me…… The whole story and description.

    Reply

    • Adam

      The father is extremely creepy. He seemed to be quite upset at the daughter at the time she disappeared. Even to this day! No sadness of grief observed when talking about what should be one the most painful and sad experiences of his life. He does not seem mentally stable.

      Reply

  45. A good source

    She is buried in Perrysburg Ohio. In a house that is described as it is. Look under the floor in the utility room.

    Reply

  46. Michelle

    I wonder what happened to her. She should have told someone about the phone call, so if this person called again they could record the phone call and she could have had someone with her all the time watching over her, like the cops. Life lesson TELL someone if you’re being stalked or followed by someone the first indication of this is her phone call! she was getting stalked, maybe she didn’t know exactly who it was and the person who was stalking her was someone she knew. No struggle is an indication that she either walked out with someone because she knew the person, or the person had a gun pointed at her and she walked out because she wanted to comply. No struggle doesn’t mean she wasn’t taken against her will. The anonymous caller was probably a person who knew who took her or even helped – maybe? I would look into that a little closer. If anything by now, I hate to say it, but she’s either dead or probably still with these people I hope she’s not dead =( but its a possibility unfortunately we live in a very cruel and disgusting world.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      The older mental hospital was famous for unlawfully locking up patients in the basement. There may have been a mix up with the owners like the caller described. If she was mistaken for a patient, they could also have mistaken medications and God knows what else.

      Reply

  47. Anonymous

    Wetyf

    Reply

  48. joe

    She realied her dream was from the book if it her book or the abductors.

    Reply

  49. Anonymous

    1. I think GW is not a neame but ( guess who).
    2.what time did she go to eat n with who.did she order delivery had er purse too pay.
    3 did she t take out the tr rash n was watch n knew when n grabed. Her probly was goning to get lunch
    4. Last guess she was going too lunch with soneone n never made it back that why she was hurry to leve erly from home.

    Reply

  50. Anonymous

    The FBI know where she is! The lock on the door was put on buy the FBI,(magnetic lock). She was a (C.I.) at 20,with out her family knowing. She overheird a payoff in a DRUG deal.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      Elliott Ness was with the FBI and also from Ohio. His only unsolved case included a mental hospital. (I believe this case also includes one.)

      Reply

  51. Mj

    A suggestion would be to look at the city records and find the same family that owns 2 houses side by side.

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      Look in Perrysburg not Toledo . Look in Wood county Recorders office for M. Pizza . She is in the house next door!

      Reply

      • A

        Has this tip been looked into, Unsolved? I googled M Pizza for Perrysburg and a Marcos Pizza came up. I looked at the streetview and there is a white house down the way from that business.

        Reply

  52. Anonymous

    Their were a lot of clues in this case. The graffitti outside of her work and the book left open to the page and didn’t sound an alarm? The person responsible probably knew about the alarm and told her not to set it. It is strange how she got calls at work from a stranger and didn’t tell any of her co-workers, maybe she just didn’t want to accept the fact that maybe someone was stalking her. I hope this case is looked into again and they find who did it their are clues and it’s been years so maybe now the woman who called in with information about the house would reveal her identity.

    Reply

  53. Anonymous

    Maintenance man had keys to the rooms. Says he didn’t have anything to do with the spray paint but what about her disappearance? The ‘BY GW’ sounds like a cover up. Should investigate in the maintenance man again after years past

    Reply

  54. Anonymous

    She mentioned..two houses side by side..white…kept in cellar….must be heated. As she was abducted during day…and immediately brought to…safe house…she noticed house color and two side by side..( duplex style) but didn’t see house number…. it must be obscure. missing.or.painted . Check USPS….Fedx..UPS…for constant delivery people would know right away….of missing address numbers….they probably have a p.o. box….and 2 dish on roof…

    Reply

    • Anonymous

      The old Toledo hospital was made up of 20 white houses. But they had two special wards for the most critical patients. It was later shut down in the 1990s.

      Reply

    • Anonymous

      The place described was creepy. And Toledo has changed a lot over the years. Those old buildings with asbestos have been remodeled or replaced.

      Reply

  55. Anonymous

    Two houses side by side indicates a duplex …a two story wood structure usually mirror image of each other….with wooden steps …with a concrete block foundation of which several layers are visible. Covered cellar windows included…

    Reply

  56. anonmys

    i feel sorry for your lost i think that the killer dissever anything he or she gets

    Reply

  57. Cheryl

    I wonder if she didn’t have some kind of mental break and left on her own. She didn’t have time to hit the panic button, but she had time to leave a book open to a passage? It was a woman who called the detective leaving vague messages about houses, but no street name or address? Being that she worked for lawyers, I would think she would have told them if she was getting strange calls. There also seemed to be no evidence that someone else painted those messages. Her family noticed a change in her behavior; her life was about to change as she was going off to college and quitting her job. I think maybe she wanted attention or had a breakdown and just wandered off.

    Reply

  58. rebekkah

    Does anyone have any clue as to what romance novel she was reading? There might be clues in the text of the novel.

    Reply

    • Stephen

      Rebekkah, I wonder if she was reading the book at her desk and when she came to the part about the heroine being abducted at knife point it spooked her. Her nerves were already frayed from the calls and the spray painting. Maybe she was unnerved by that scene and decided then to go out and get some air, or perhaps walk across to the McDonald’s to get the breakfast she had skipped. In her hurry she forgot to put the phones on hold. Somewhere in the parking lot someone grabbed her and forced her into a car. I don’t know what the odds are against someone reading an abduction scene and then being abducted, but given her mental state I think this set of events is worth considering.

      Reply

      • Stephen

        And I will add that even if it seems strange that she was reading that scene and then the same thing happened to her outside, the scenario that I have described is much less strange than if she just happened to stop reading at that point and then was abducted. In my scenario, there is a direct and logical connection between the fear that made reading the scene so upsetting and what actually happened a minute or so later.

        Reply

  59. steve

    Test Comment

    Reply

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