In 2000, She Left To Go Christmas Shopping But Never Returned Home: Later, Her Cell Phone Was Found Locked Inside Her Empty Car In The Mall Parking Lot, And She Has Never Been Found
On December 2, 2000, a fifty-year-old woman named Sharon “Shari” Christine Anderson from Stanwood, Washington, planned to complete some Christmas shopping just a few weeks before the holiday.
So, she woke up early that day and informed her husband, John, that she would be at the Everett Mall for much of the afternoon. Then, Sharon figured she would arrive back home around 4:30 p.m.
It was important that she returned from the mall on time, though, because the couple reportedly was supposed to travel to Seattle for the evening to attend a motorcycle show and dinner.
And after John woke up from a nap at 5:30 p.m. and realized that Sharon never got back from the mall, he became worried.
John first reached out to his wife’s best friend, Mary, to ask if she had heard from Sharon or seen her that day. Unfortunately, Mary had not, but she decided to visit the mall and see if Sharon was still inside.
Then, at about 10:00 p.m., Mary discovered Sharon’s pickup truck still parked in the mall parking lot right by Mervyn’s Department Store.
The vehicle was locked, but both Sharon’s cell phone and a gun that she carried for protection were still inside.
Moreover, there were no Christmas gifts in sight– revealing that perhaps Sharon never made it into the mall.
The authorities were then contacted, and various searches were launched, ranging from Everett to Snohomish.
National Missing Person Directory – pictured above is Sharon
But, no one had spotted a missing woman fitting Sharon’s description, so the police were left without any firm leads.
It also puzzled investigators how her credit card, bank accounts, and social security number showed no activity on or since that day.
“The no leads– that is just killing us. If a credit card had been used or something… nothing. It’s so hard because we’re just basically doing what we can to get the word out there. We have no direction on where to go,” said Louise Baxter, Sharon’s friend of thirty years, in a 2000 interview with HeraldNet.
Despite having no answers, Louise and countless other community members continued to contribute to the search effort.
They would gather at 9:00 a.m. each day and comb through woods, swamps, and bushes surrounding the mall and along route I-95 until the evening.
The search groups– which ranged from ten to nearly eighty people– would also walk down road routes, knock on home doors, and follow up with local businesses in hopes someone had spotted Sharon.
“We have just been blessed by a lot of people coming out and helping us put up flyers. We’re trying to hold it together as best we can and keep a positive attitude that we are going to find her and bring her home,” Louise added.
At the time, Sergeant Boyd Bryant with the Everett Police Department commended the searchers for their “phenomenal job” in raising awareness about the case. The great word of mouth ultimately provided the police with an influx of tips– as much as over fifty in just one day.
Tragically, though, none of the tips have resulted in a solid lead that might help find Sharon.
Her loved ones set up an account known as the Shari Anderson Fund at a local Washington Mutual Bank so people in the community could donate to the search efforts.
And even though Sharon’s disappearance was considered suspicious, investigators simply had no evidence that foul play was involved.
Yet, her friends and family see no other possible explanation. Sharon was a state Department of Social and Health Services caseworker who was known for being a very dependable and responsible person.
According to those who knew her, it was extremely uncharacteristic of Sharon to just pick up and leave her loved ones behind without any notice.
National Missing Person Directory – pictured above is another photo of Sharon
It has now been twenty-two years since she vanished.
At the time of her disappearance, Sharon was five foot eight, weighed one hundred and thirty pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. She was a Cherokee Indian and was last seen wearing blue denim jeans, a green jacket, and white sneakers. Sharon would be seventy-two years old today.
If you have any information regarding Sharon’s case, you are urged to contact the Everett Police Department at (425) 257-8483.
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