Human remains found in Tennessee belong to missing Kentucky woman, police say

12/14/22

UPDATE:

WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) -37-year-old Laura Anderson went missing from Whitley County five years ago.

Anderson was last seen in February 2018 near a gas station off Kentucky 92 near Williamsburg.
This year on December 6th human remains were found in a wooded area off APD-40 close to interstate 75 in Cleveland, Tennessee, according to the Cleveland police department.
The remains have now been confirmed to be those of Anderson.

“I think the really good news about finding laura’s body if you can even call it that is that her family has the ability to bury her now,” said Whitley County Commonwealth Attorney, Ronnie Bowling.

According to Bowling, the year Anderson went missing, a man named Joseph Bauer told police he had a state of guilt, that he recalled to police Anderson’s last moments and admitted to helping move her body, but did not admit to killing her. But, Bowling says Bauer told police who did.
Bauer was charged and sentenced to 10 years in 2019 for facilitation to commit murder.

Bowling says Bauer led police to a river in Whitley County where he said Anderson’s body had initially been placed.
Bowling says it was confirmed she had been left there at one point due to evidence found on items used to weigh her body down in the water.
He believes after Bauer’s conviction was made public, Anderson’s body was moved by someone else to Tennessee.

He says Chief Byrd of the Williamsburg Police Department who just recently retired was instrumental in proving Anderson had died and getting a conviction without having found a body at that time.

“Entering her dental records into the NCIC database, entering her DNA in the NCIC database, getting a good description of what she was last known wearing and items she was commonly known to have and any unique medical conditions that she had were all extremely important in identifying her. If he had not done those things in taking those extra steps to make sure people in all 50 states had that information to identify her she could have easily been a Jane Doe” added Bowling.

Bowling says they believe they know who killed Anderson but the Williamsburg Police Department says it is an ongoing investigation as they wait to learn more about Anderson’s cause and manner of death.

12/13/22

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WTVC)

Cleveland, Tennessee police have identified human remains that were found in a wooded area over a week ago. They belong to a woman who was missing from Kentucky, according to ABC affiliate WTVC.

Cleveland PD identified the woman as 37-year-old Laura Anderson, a Kentucky resident.

Anderson was reported missing in February 2018 from Williamsburg, Kentucky. The suspect, Joseph Bauer, an acquaintance of Anderson’s, was charged in connection with her death.

The Cleveland Police Department is working with the Williamsburg Police Department to bring closure to the case.

They hope that the recovery of Anderson’s remains will offer some peace to the entire family and those affected by her loss.

12/6/22

Human remains were found in a wooded area in Cleveland, Tennessee on Sunday.

The Cleveland Police Department says they received a call about the possible remains being in a wooded area off APD 40, close to Interstate 75.

Cleveland PD responded and searched two areas at the location. Investigators discovered the remains of a human.

They say that they continued processing both locations throughout Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Cleveland PD says they are currently working to confirm the identity of the remains.