ANDERSON, MO — Investigators in McDonald County believe they have found the bodies of Leo and Katherine Lindeman, the Missouri couple who disappeared from their rural Anderson home in mid-September. The McDonald County Sheriff’s Office said in a November 2 release that two bodies were discovered on a neighboring property more than six weeks after the couple vanished.

A dog was also found alive near the bodies, according to the sheriff’s office. The Lindemans’ small dog, Itty Bitty, had gone missing with them. Officials have not yet publicly confirmed the identities of the remains, but they said identification is expected after autopsy results and confirmation by the proper authorities.

How the couple disappeared from their rural property

Investigators believe the Lindemans left or disappeared from their Dogwood Drive property around September 16. Family members did not realize something was wrong right away, and the couple was not reported missing until September 24, when a family friend contacted the sheriff’s office after the pair missed a planned weekly dinner.

The couple lived on 15 acres in a rural part of McDonald County, and the property had already become the focus of a search effort by the time the missing report was filed. Their disappearance drew concern because there was no immediate sign of where they might have gone or what happened to them.

Search efforts on the property turned up little before the discovery

LaShawnda Lindeman, the couple’s niece, told Dateline that a private drone operator from Arkansas joined the family at the property on September 28 to help look for Leo and Katherine. That search did not find them.

The following day, September 29, the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office searched the Lindemans’ land as well, but LaShawnda said deputies found no sign of the couple then either. Those early searches left the family with no answers and extended the uncertainty for weeks.

The eventual discovery came after a property owner reported finding a body on November 1. When a deputy responded, the sheriff’s office said the second body was found nearby in the same wooded area.

What deputies found in the wooded area near Anderson

According to the sheriff’s office, the bodies were found in a heavily wooded area adjacent to the property where the couple had been missing. The release said the discovery was made after a neighboring landowner called in to report one body, which led to the second body being located as well.

Deputies also found a dog at the scene. Officials did not identify the animal in the release, but the detail has heightened concern that it may be the Lindemans’ missing pet. The sheriff’s office has not said whether anything else was recovered from the area.

The wooded location and the distance from the couple’s home raise questions investigators still have not answered publicly. For now, the sheriff’s office says only that the remains were found close to the area where the couple was last known to be.

Autopsy results will guide identification and death investigation

The sheriff’s office said formal identification is expected later this week, once autopsy results are completed and the appropriate authorities confirm the remains. Until then, officials have not publicly declared the bodies to be Leo and Katherine Lindeman, even though they believe the remains are theirs.

LaShawnda Lindeman said investigators have told the family they have not yet determined the cause or manner of death for either person. That means authorities are still waiting for forensic findings before they can say what happened or whether foul play was involved.

The case remains open and active, with no public explanation yet for how the couple ended up off their property or why they disappeared in the first place.

Family members and investigators are still seeking answers

The Lindeman family has been living with uncertainty since mid-September, when Leo, Katherine, and Itty Bitty vanished from their home. Dateline had previously featured their case in its “Missing in America” digital series, bringing wider attention to the search before the discovery was announced.

Even with the latest development, key questions remain unresolved, including the couple’s identity, the timeline of events, and the circumstances surrounding the dog found near the bodies. The sheriff’s office has not yet provided additional details beyond the November 2 release.

Anyone with information about the Lindemans’ disappearance is being asked to contact the McDonald County Dispatch Center at 417-223-4318.