CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N.Y. (WKBW) — 16 years ago, Corrie Lynn Anderson, a 36-year-old mother of three, vanished without a trace.
She was last seen at about 1:10 p.m. on October 28, 2008, leaving a car dealership in Jamestown. But her loved ones knew something was wrong when she didn't show up to pick up her first-grade son from school.
Two days later, her van turned up off Kortright Road in Busti. But there was no sign of Anderson.
On Monday, a group of volunteers with WNY Missing & Unsolved Persons held a search in the area where the van was found.
“I can't promise we're gonna find Corrie, but we're gonna promise to try," Merry Williams-Diers of WNY Missing & Unsolved Persons told the group of volunteers.
Volunteers wore orange safety vests and gloves and trudged through the woods and brush Monday. They used machetes to cut through grass and metal detectors to look for signs of Anderson.
Among those who volunteered was Wendy Mull. Three years ago, the remains of her sister, Marquita Mull, were found off of a trail in the Town of Portland in Chautauqua County.
She hopes that her sister and others whose lives have been taken violently can see the volunteers trying to find justice for them.
“If you're in heaven looking down...know that somebody's fighting for you," said Mull.
In September, to mark three years since the discovery of her sister's remains, Wendy Mull traveled to the scene. They brought flowers and candles and said a prayer.
Amy Shafer moved away from Chautauqua County but was in Ohio when she heard about the search on Monday. She decided to come back because of her connection to Anderson.
“Corrie's son and my son were both in a first-grade classroom together and the day that she went missing was the day that she was coming to the school to meet me and the teacher to plan the Halloween party later in the week. And of course, she didn't come," Shafer said.
Daniel Cook, another volunteer searcher, was Anderson's pastor at Lakewood Baptist Church when she went missing.
“Many things are impossible. But with God, all things are possible," said Cook. "And so we just believe that you know, he's going to eventually lead us to something that's going to reveal where Corey is at and hopefully be able to find the person eventually that was responsible for this."
The case remains open and investigators with the New York State Police ask anyone with information about the case to contact them at NYSP Troop A in Jamestown by calling 716-665-3113 or e-mailing: nysvicap@troopers.ny.gov.
