Andrea Michelle Knabel
Andrea, circa 2019
- Missing Since 08/13/2019
- Missing From Louisville, Kentucky
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Female
- Race White
- Age 37 years old
- Height and Weight 5'7, 180 - 190 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A light-colored tank top, white shorts and light-colored Nike shoes.
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Andrea's ears are pierced. She may have scarring on her face. Her last name is pronounced kuh-nay-bel.
Details of Disappearance
Andrea was last seen in Louisville, Kentucky. She had been at a McDonald's on Poplar Level Road on the evening of August 12 with Ethan Bates, her sister Sarah's fiance, and her nephew. Then Bates took her to the hospital in the 3900 block of Dutchmans Lane to receive treatment for injuries to her face, which allegedly came from an infection.
At 11:22 p.m., she took a Lyft ride from the hospital to her mother's home on Chickadee Road in the Audubon Park neighborhood. Andrea, her sister Sarah, and Bates were living at the home at the time, but their mother wasn't, as the property was being renovated. That night, Andrea's two young sons were staying with their respective fathers, whom Andrea was separated from.
At 12:15 a.m. on August 13, Andrea walked over a mile to her other sister's home on Fincastle Road. There was an argument at the home and as a result, Andrea left at 1:38 a.m. and walked back to her mother's house, arriving at 1:54. She apparently didn't go inside, however, and this is the last place she is known to have been.
Her phone was still active at the Chickadee Road house at 6:31 a.m., several hours after she was last seen. After this, either the battery died or the phone was turned off, and all calls to that number have gone straight to voicemail. When the police served a search warrant on the Chickadee Road home, they were unable to find the phone.
There are reports that Bates has been interviewed by police and ruled out as a suspect, although the police would not confirm this. Both of Andrea's children's fathers have been cleared as suspects.
Prior to her disappearance, Andrea had been an active member of Missing in America, an nonprofit group that tries to find missing children and adults. The founder of the group self-identifies as one of Andrea's closest friends. It's unclear whether her membership of Missing in America had anything to do with her disappearance.
Andrea has a marketing degree from the University of Louisville and had worked as an analyst for Humana, but at the time of her disappearance she was unemployed, having been laid off. Her car had recently been totaled in a hit-and-run accident and she was going through hard times. Her family was concerned about her mental health and they were trying to get her into counseling, something Andrea was very angry about.
Since her disappearance there has no activity on her financial or bank accounts. Her family stated she was dedicated to her two children's well-being and it's uncharacteristic of her to be away from them. Her case remains unsolved.
Investigating Agency
- Louisville Metro Police Department 502-574-7111
- Clarksville Police Department 812-288-7151
Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated August 17, 2020; casefile added.