Andrea Knabel Missing: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Andrea Knabel is a 37-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, woman who dedicates her time to help find missing persons and now has herself vanished. The single mother of two was last seen on August 13 about 1 a.m., leaving a relative’s home on foot.

“Here she is helping to locate people and she comes up missing herself,” friend and private investigator Tracy Leonard told WAVE-TV.

“We have no indication at this point that leads us to believe that there’s any foul play, but we’re still very early in our investigation,” Leonard said in a Facebook video. “We’re just going to continue to look at what facts we discover.”

“She’s a good mom, friend, and has a beautiful heart. Andrea would do anything for anyone. Smart, funny, strong, loving, always there for people. This has been so overwhelming for all who know and love my friend,” Suzette Rodriguez wrote on Facebook.

Here’s what you need to know about Andrea Knabel:

1. Knabel Was Described as ‘Pretty Upset’ on the Night She Went Missing

Authorities aren’t sharing details as to why Knabel left her relative’s home in the 4000 block of Fincastle Road in the middle of the night. Leonard is working with the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department to find Knabel and would only reveal to the Louisville Courier-Journal that “she was pretty upset, pretty wound up when she left walking.”

Police checked home security cameras in the neighborhood but most weren’t recording at the time of her disappearance. Local stores are currently being canvassed for video surveillance footage.

Andrea Knabel is described as standing five feet seven inches tall and weighing 190 pounds. She has dirty blonde/light brown hair and hazel eyes. Knabel was wearing a light-colored tank top and white shorts on the night of her disappearance.

2. Her Last Known Calls Were to Friends Asking for a Ride Home

Knabel’s phone pinged last between 1:30-2:00 a.m. when she began calling friends for a ride home. The pings emanated from Louisville’s Audubon Park neighborhood where she last seen. According to Missing in America, Knabel attempted to Facetime someone at 2:12 a.m. but the person was sleeping and missed the call. Her phone has been shut off since then and all calls have gone directly to voicemail.

There were reports of a Lyft driver in the area that didn’t pan out and nobody knows if she got a ride from a stranger. “She was upset and she needed a ride,” Maricia Kidd said. “Obviously she was trying to get ahold of people, maybe she got in the car with the wrong person,” she told WAVE-TV.

According to Leonard, there have been several possible sightings of Knabel since her disappearance, but none are confirmed. He said they are also looking at the most logical route Andrea would have taken to get back home.

3. Friends Said Knabel Had Just Lost Her Job

According to friends, Knabel has been going through a difficult time. She’d recently been laid off her job and lost her car. The vehicle had broken down on the highway at night and she was forced to leave it on the side of the road. When Knabel went to retrieve it the following day, she discovered the car had been hit, then pushed into a ditch.

“The car is a total loss,” Schaefer and friend wrote on a GoFundMe page the two started to help Knabel, who was using the car to earn money at various
delivery jobs.

“We are heading now on week three of no car and no work… things are starting to pile up… please donate before it’s too late …can I get 20 people to donate at least $10 today?” Schaefer wrote in February.

4. Knabel Volunteers With the Group ‘Missing in America’

Knabel is described as a dedicated member of Missing in America. The organization is comprised of volunteers who assist law enforcement with locating missing persons.

“Andrea is not only a member, she’s searched for a lot of missing people. She’s also a very good friend,” Missing in America’s Founder Nancy Schaefer said in a video posted on the FindingAndrea Facebook page. “She’s just a great girl,” Leonard said of Knabel, who helped the Missing in America locate a teen who’d disappeared.

According to Schaefer, volunteers from Missing in America are coming in from California and Wisconsin to assist with searching for Knabel.

5. Friends Have Created a ‘Finding Andrea’ Facebook Page to Help With the Search

Knabel’s friends and family have started a Finding Andrea Facebook page to provide information and updates. The page is also being used to coordinate searches for Knabel and poster distribution efforts.

Anyone with information about Andrea Knabel is asked to contact the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department’s crime time hotline at 502-574-5673. Leonard can be reached at 502-618-9337, fellow privtate investigator Dan Washington is available at 502-722-8181 and Missing Person Recovery Specialist Nancy Schaefer Smith can contacted at 502-500-3026.

READ NEXT: Astronaut’s Ex-Wife Accuses Her of the First ‘Space Crime’