Overview

Last known sighting: July 2, 1998, at the Krnak family residence in the Helenville area of Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s official missing-person record uses July 6, 1998, as Donna’s missing date.

Missing person: Donna Kay Krnak, age 52 at disappearance.

Also missing: Her son, Thomas John Krnak, age 21.

Related homicide: Donna’s husband, Allen F. Krnak, was found dead in Jackson County, North Carolina. He died from blunt-force trauma.

Key evidence: The family’s abandoned Chevrolet pickup truck; thousands of unexplained vehicle miles; Donna’s wedding ring near Allen’s remains; Anderson’s familiarity with the North Carolina recovery area; and evidence and witness testimony introduced during the homicide investigation and trial.

Conviction: Derek Nicholas Anderson, formerly Andrew Krnak, was convicted in 2006 of first-degree intentional homicide in the murder of his father, Allen.

Donna’s status: Missing. Her remains have not been recovered, and no one has been convicted of causing her disappearance or death.

Thomas’s status: Missing. His remains have not been recovered.

Current investigating agency: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Donna Kay Krnak: The Unresolved 1998 Disappearance From Helenville, Wisconsin

Donna Kay Krnak was 52 years old when she disappeared from Helenville in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, during the Fourth of July period in 1998. Donna vanished along with her husband, Allen F. Krnak, their 21-year-old son, Thomas John Krnak, and the family’s cocker spaniel, Hunter. More than 28 years later, Donna and Thomas remain missing.

Wisconsin’s official missing-person records continue to list Donna as a missing person. Her disappearance is closely connected to the murder of her husband and the subsequent conviction of her older son, Derek Nicholas Anderson, formerly known as Andrew Krnak.

The Krnak Family Disappears

According to Wisconsin court records, Donna, Allen and Thomas disappeared on or around July 2, 1998. Anderson told investigators that he last saw his family at approximately 5:15 to 5:30 p.m. as they prepared to leave their Jefferson County home for the family’s cabin near Coloma in Waushara County for the Fourth of July weekend.

Donna, Allen and Thomas never arrived at the cabin.

The family’s dog, Hunter, disappeared with them. Anderson later reported the family missing after they failed to return as expected.

There is a discrepancy in public records concerning the disappearance date. Wisconsin’s current missing-person database gives July 6, 1998, as Donna’s official “Missing Since” date, while court records and other case sources identify July 2 as the date the family was last seen.

The Abandoned Krnak Family Truck

On July 10, 1998, the family’s black Chevrolet pickup truck was discovered in a wooded area near Reedsburg in Sauk County, Wisconsin.

Investigators found no luggage in the vehicle even though Anderson had said his family packed for their trip. Case summaries report that the truck appeared to have been wiped clean of fingerprints.

The mileage on the truck became significant to investigators. Court records show that approximately 2,600 miles were unaccounted for. Investigators noted that a round trip between the Krnak residence and the area of North Carolina where Allen was eventually found was approximately 1,560 miles.

Anderson acknowledged driving the truck but did not provide investigators with an explanation accounting for the additional mileage.

Allen Krnak Is Found in North Carolina

The disappearance changed dramatically in December 1999 when skeletal remains were discovered in the remote Roy Taylor Forest in Jackson County, North Carolina. The remains were later identified as Allen Krnak.

Allen had suffered fatal blunt-force injuries to his head and face.

The location was notable because Anderson had previously attended Western Carolina University and was familiar with the surrounding area.

Items discovered near Allen’s remains included a woman’s shirt, men’s underwear and a wedding ring subsequently identified as Donna’s. The remains of a dog were also discovered in the area, although authorities could not conclusively establish that they belonged to Hunter.

Donna and Thomas were not found.

Investigators Focus on Derek Anderson

Andrew Krnak legally changed his name to Derek Nicholas Anderson shortly after his family’s disappearance.

Investigators examined Anderson’s activities before and after the family vanished. Court records describe evidence including the unexplained vehicle mileage, his familiarity with the North Carolina area and a fingerprint found on a map recovered from Donna’s Buick.

The investigation also examined a telephone call made to Allen at work on July 2. Allen became distressed and left work early after receiving a call. Anderson initially denied making the call but later acknowledged calling his father, explaining that he needed help locating a tool while working on a vehicle.

Witness testimony also became part of the prosecution’s case. During later court proceedings, a friend of Donna testified that Donna had previously expressed fear concerning Anderson after discussing a letter she attributed to him.

These circumstances were evidence presented or considered during the investigation and court proceedings; they should not be treated as independent proof that Anderson caused Donna’s or Thomas’s disappearances.

Murder Charge and Conviction in Allen Krnak’s Death

Anderson was initially charged in North Carolina in connection with Allen’s death, but those charges were dismissed. Wisconsin subsequently prosecuted the case.

In August 2003, Wisconsin charged Anderson with first-degree intentional homicide in Allen Krnak’s death. Questions concerning where the murder occurred resulted in significant litigation over Wisconsin’s jurisdiction and proper venue.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ultimately concluded that the evidence presented was sufficient at the preliminary-hearing stage to establish probable cause supporting venue in Jefferson County.

Anderson maintained his innocence. His defense emphasized the circumstantial nature of the case and argued that the evidence did not prove he murdered Allen.

On April 7, 2006, a Wisconsin jury found Derek Anderson guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his father. He subsequently received a life prison sentence.

His conviction survived later appellate challenges. In December 2009, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals rejected his arguments and affirmed the judgment and order denying post-conviction relief.

What Happened to Donna and Thomas Krnak?

Despite the conviction for Allen’s murder, Donna and Thomas have never been recovered.

Authorities have publicly expressed the belief that Donna and Thomas were also murdered and that their remains may be in North Carolina. Searches of the Roy Taylor Forest area, however, did not locate them.

No one has been convicted of killing Donna or Thomas.

Donna’s wedding ring being discovered near Allen’s remains provides a physical connection between Donna and the North Carolina recovery site, but it does not establish precisely what happened to her or where her remains may be.

The absence of Donna and Thomas remains the central unresolved part of the Krnak family case.

Latest Status of the Donna Kay Krnak Investigation

As of September 2026, Wisconsin’s Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults continues to publicly list Donna Kay Krnak as missing from Helenville, Jefferson County. The state listing gives her current age as 80 and continues to direct anyone with information to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.

The Wisconsin missing-person poster also continues to identify Donna and Thomas together and provides their NamUs case numbers.

No credible publicly available law-enforcement announcement located during a current search indicates that Donna’s remains have been recovered, that her case has been closed, or that anyone has been charged specifically with her death.

The most recent public attention located includes new 2026 long-form coverage and a February 2026 Evidence Locker episode examining the Krnak family’s disappearance. Those publications represent renewed public coverage rather than a newly announced law-enforcement breakthrough.

Donna therefore remains officially missing, while the circumstances surrounding the disappearance continue to be treated as suspicious and connected to a family case in which one homicide has been proven in court.

Brief Case Summary

Last known sighting: July 2, 1998, at the Krnak family residence in the Helenville area of Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s official missing-person record uses July 6, 1998, as Donna’s missing date.

Missing person: Donna Kay Krnak, age 52 at disappearance.

Also missing: Her son, Thomas John Krnak, age 21.

Related homicide: Donna’s husband, Allen F. Krnak, was found dead in Jackson County, North Carolina. He died from blunt-force trauma.

Key evidence: The family’s abandoned Chevrolet pickup truck; thousands of unexplained vehicle miles; Donna’s wedding ring near Allen’s remains; Anderson’s familiarity with the North Carolina recovery area; and evidence and witness testimony introduced during the homicide investigation and trial.

Conviction: Derek Nicholas Anderson, formerly Andrew Krnak, was convicted in 2006 of first-degree intentional homicide in the murder of his father, Allen.

Donna’s status: Missing. Her remains have not been recovered, and no one has been convicted of causing her disappearance or death.

Thomas’s status: Missing. His remains have not been recovered.

Current investigating agency: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin.