Overview

Andrea Michelle Hendrix-Steinert, age 28, was murdered in Gibson County, Indiana, in October 1997. Her body was discovered October 29, 1997, in a ditch along a rural county road near Francisco, Indiana. A highway worker found her nude body, and an autopsy determined she had been strangled and had been dead for 24–48 hours. Investigators believe she was killed elsewhere and later dumped at the scene .

Andrea was last seen alive on October 27, 1997, at a gas station on Fares Avenue in Evansville, Indiana. She had previously been reported missing before her body was found.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Andrea Michelle Hendrix-Steinert, age 28, was murdered in Gibson County, Indiana, in October 1997. Her body was discovered October 29, 1997, in a ditch along a rural county road near Francisco, Indiana. A highway worker found her nude body, and an autopsy determined she had been strangled and had been dead for 24–48 hours. Investigators believe she was killed elsewhere and later dumped at the scene .

Andrea was last seen alive on October 27, 1997, at a gas station on Fares Avenue in Evansville, Indiana. She had previously been reported missing before her body was found .

Although Andrea had a past involving drug use and prostitution, her family stated she was working to turn her life around, attending drug rehabilitation, and had started a new job. She left behind a young daughter .

The case has remained unsolved for decades. In later years, investigators reviewed the case in connection with suspected serial killer Bruce Mendenhall, but authorities ultimately determined the method of killing did not match his known crimes. Law enforcement continues to list Andrea’s death as a cold case homicide

📌 Who She Was

Andrea Michelle Hendrix-Steinert was a 28-year-old woman from Indiana. She was a mother and held a job as a pharmacy clerk, and by many accounts was trying to turn her life around at the time of her death.

🕯️ What Happened

– On October 29, 1997, Andrea’s body was discovered by road workers lying nude in a ditch along County Road 350 in Gibson County, Indiana.
– Autopsy findings showed she had been strangled — indicating a homicide, and she likely had been dead for 24–48 hours before her body was found.
– She was last seen alive the afternoon of October 27, 1997, at a gas station in Evansville, Indiana.

🔍 Investigation Details

– Law enforcement determined Andrea had not been killed at the location where her body was found; she was likely killed elsewhere and then moved.
– Investigators exhumed her body in November 1997 to seek new DNA evidence and pursue additional leads.

🧠 Suspects and Leads

– In 2007, authorities briefly reviewed the case alongside the arrest of long-haul truck driver Bruce Mendenhall, a suspected killer in multiple states, to see if there was a possible connection. However, differences in MO and evidence meant no direct link was confirmed.
– Some later true-crime reporting mentions that at one point a prison inmate allegedly confessed to the killing, but no charges were ever brought based on that claim.

📌 Current Status

As of the latest available information, Andrea Hendrix-Steinert’s murder remains officially unsolved. Despite periodic reviews and renewed interest from cold-case investigators and true-crime researchers, no arrest or conviction has been made.


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Facebook Criminal Case Post

On October 29th, 1997, road workers found the body of Andrea Michelle Hendrix Steinert, 28, in a ditch off Highway 351 in rural Gibson County, Indiana. She had been reported missing the previous day in Evansville.

Andrea was known to be a very trusting person according to family. When she was 5 she was mauled by a lion on a school trip in Florida. At age 6 her mother died from epilepsy. Andrea’s grandmother went on to raise her. She was unaware of Andrea’s foray into sex work at the time of her murder. Andrea was working to be clean at the time and had recently finished rehab. She had also started a new job. Her daughter is now being raised by Andrea’s grandmother, the woman who raised her.

Andrea was last seen at a gas station on Fares Avenue, a place she often worked from, that night. The next day she was found strangled, dumped in a ditch. It’s believed she was killed elsewhere.

Please call the Indiana State Police at 800-852-3970, referencing case # 35F16666, with any information on the murder of Andrea Michelle Hendrix Steinert.