Overview

Date Last Seen: July 16, 1979
Last Seen Location: Eureka Lodge, Mile 128 Glenn Highway, near Palmer, Alaska

Main Circumstances:

• Cora Mae Andersen, 51, was last seen leaving the Eureka Lodge on July 16, 1979.
• She was believed to be driving alone.
• Her vehicle was discovered abandoned nine days later at Moose Creek Campground along the Glenn Highway.
• No confirmed sightings have been reported since her disappearance.
• Despite decades of investigation, her disappearance remains unsolved and she is still classified as an endangered missing person.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Cora Mae Andersen (1979) Disappearance: Alaska Cold Case Remains Unsolved

Quick Summary

Date Last Seen: July 16, 1979
Last Seen Location: Eureka Lodge, Mile 128 Glenn Highway, near Palmer, Alaska

Main Circumstances:

• Cora Mae Andersen, 51, was last seen leaving the Eureka Lodge on July 16, 1979.
• She was believed to be driving alone.
• Her vehicle was discovered abandoned nine days later at Moose Creek Campground along the Glenn Highway.
• No confirmed sightings have been reported since her disappearance.
• Despite decades of investigation, her disappearance remains unsolved and she is still classified as an endangered missing person.

Cora Mae Andersen Disappearance (1979): What Happened to the Alaska Woman Who Vanished Along the Glenn Highway?

On July 16, 1979, Cora Mae Andersen, a 51-year-old woman from Alaska, disappeared after leaving the Eureka Lodge located at Mile 128 of the Glenn Highway near Palmer. More than four decades later, investigators have never determined what happened to her, making her disappearance one of Alaska’s enduring unsolved missing person cases.

According to investigators, Andersen was last seen departing the Eureka Lodge on her own. She was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, black slacks, a purple jacket, and black shoes. She may also have been wearing distinctive gold nugget jewelry, including a gold nugget watch with a black jade band.

For more than a week, there were no confirmed reports of her whereabouts.

On July 25, 1979, Andersen’s vehicle was located abandoned at Moose Creek Campground, near Mile 58 of the Glenn Highway, approximately 70 miles from where she was last seen. The vehicle offered no obvious clues explaining her disappearance, and Andersen herself was nowhere to be found.

Investigators have never publicly identified any suspects or disclosed evidence indicating whether Andersen was the victim of foul play, suffered an accident, or encountered another unknown circumstance. However, because she disappeared without explanation and has never been located, authorities classify her case as an endangered missing person.

The case remains open with the Palmer Police Department and continues to be listed in national missing persons databases. Andersen’s NamUs profile remains active, allowing investigators to compare her case against unidentified human remains discovered across the country.

Latest Investigation Information

As of the latest publicly available information, there have been no announced major breakthroughs, arrests, or identified suspects in Cora Mae Andersen’s disappearance. Her NamUs case remains active, indicating the investigation has not been closed. Authorities continue to encourage anyone with information to contact the investigating agency.

Although no recent developments specific to Andersen’s case have been announced, Alaska investigators have successfully solved other decades-old cold cases using modern forensic DNA testing and investigative genetic genealogy. Those advances demonstrate that long-unsolved cases can still be resolved when new evidence becomes available.

Anyone with information regarding Cora Mae Andersen’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Palmer Police Department.