OSHKOSH — According to Oshkosh police, Nina Anderson is missing and was last seen at her home in Oshkosh more than two weeks ago. Although police say her "disappearance does not seem suspicious," law enforcement and advocacy groups are still looking hard for her.
Jacob Koppenhaver is the director of investigations for the non-profit We Help the Missing and says missing persons cases like Anderson's are not uncommon, as his organization is "currently tracking 274" throughout the country.
Koppenhaver urges people not to wait if they suspect a friend or loved one may be missing.
"The first thing to do, if you believe you have a genuine missing person on your hands, is to call your local law enforcement agency," he said.
Koppenhaver explains that there is no waiting period to report a missing person, and that doing so early makes it much easier to find that person.
Detective Lieutenant Michael Sewall leads Winnebago County's Special Victims Unit. While his agency is not leading the search for Anderson, he said that, in general, about 80% of missing persons cases are related to mental illness, and there are signs people can watch out for to try to help friends or family.
"The key thing is to be proactive," Sewall said, "have those discussions with your loved ones, keep track of their demeanor, how they're acting, their moods and things like that…we wanna make sure we can be proactive and intervene before they have that feeling of 'I need to leave.'"
Anderson's family declined to be interviewed on her disappearance, but have offered a $10,000 reward for information that leads to her return.
Anderson is described as a 36-year-old white female, standing 5' 5" and weighing 156 lbs. She was last seen wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt, black yoga pants and a light-blue and pink colored purse.
Anyone with information on Anderson can call the Oshkosh Police department at 920-236-5700. Those wishing to remain anonymous can submit a tip online at Winnebago Crime Stoppers.
