Rachael Leigh Anderson, a 40-year-old mother of four from Clarkston, Washington, disappeared on April 16, 2010. She was reported missing after she failed to show up for her job at a pathology lab. Just days after she was last seen, the vehicle she had been driving, a white 1997 GMC Yukon, was discovered abandoned near a bus station in Lewiston, Idaho, with her purse and cellphone still inside. In the time leading up to her disappearance, Anderson had expressed fear of her estranged husband, Charles Capone, and had filed multiple police reports alleging harassment and stalking. The couple was in the process of a divorce after a brief and tumultuous marriage.
The investigation into Rachael Anderson's disappearance soon focused on her estranged husband, Charles Capone, who had a history of domestic violence. The case, however, saw little movement for three years. A significant breakthrough occurred in May 2013 when Capone and a friend, David C. Stone, were charged with Anderson's murder. The prosecution's case was substantially bolstered when Stone agreed to a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of failing to notify law enforcement of a death in exchange for his testimony against Capone. Stone testified that he witnessed Capone strangle Anderson at his auto repair shop in Moscow, Idaho. He then admitted to helping Capone dispose of her body by dumping it from the Red Wolf Crossing Bridge into the Snake River. Another crucial piece of testimony came from a jailhouse informant who claimed Capone had confessed to the murder while awaiting trial, stating he had buried her body so deep it would never be found.
In September 2014, a jury found Charles Capone guilty of first-degree murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, the judge referred to Capone as a 'risk to society' and a repeat offender. Capone, however, has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming the trial was a 'popularity contest' and that the case against him was built on lies. Despite extensive searches of the Snake River by law enforcement, including the use of dive teams and helicopters, Rachael Anderson's body has never been recovered. The case officially remains a 'no-body' homicide, with the conviction resting heavily on the testimony of Capone's co-conspirator and a jailhouse confession. The tragic disappearance and murder of Rachael Anderson left her four children and extended family without closure, as they continue to hope for the day her remains can be found and laid to rest.
Last Seen: Apr 16, 2010
