These are Their Stories

Kristen Anderson: The Mystery of Kristen’s Missing Body

2007-12-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Kristen’s family is very certain of her death, but her body is still nowhere in sight.

October 1, 2006

WHEELING, W. Va. – One early morning of the first day of October, a terrible incident occurred. Everyone who learned of it got so disturbed, and yet public officials didn’t heed those first few pleas for help.

At Jaycee Manor Apartment in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where Kristen, her kids, and a friend of hers were living, Kristen arrived at their place while all the tenants of the said apartment were still sound asleep. By 2:00 a.m. that morning, Kristen’s friend suddenly roused from sleep when she heard Kristen’s loud voice telling James, her husband who arrived there to woo her back and bring her home, not to hit her.

After a few moments, a chilling silence filled the whole apartment.

Aside from Kristen’s friend, Kristen’s son also heard every single word of the verbal sparring of his parents.

When the yelling stopped, and after a minute of silence, James Anderson walked in his son’s room, checking if he woke up from the noise.

Slept came to Kristen’s friend again, but she awoke the second time when she heard Kristen’s child’s crying, looking for her mother. Because her friend couldn’t bare the sobs of Kristen’s son, she stood up and looked for her friend, but she couldn’t find her.

Aside from Kristen’s cellphone that James Anderson took when he left the premises, nothing was lost from the missing woman’s belongings.

Certainly, James Anderson tried to harm Kristen. If she is dead by that time, no one knew. Her family is in a lot of confusion but they are very sure of the person to pinpoint on their family member’s absence: James Anderson, the estranged spouse of Kristen who had this history of hitting his wife even during the early stages of their marriage.

On that day that Kristen disappeared, her close family relations tried reporting the incident to the Martins Ferry Police Department. But it was no use. The police officers did not listen to their pleas for help, and refused to believe them.

They said they will not look for a person unless the reported person doesn’t show up after twenty four (24) hours has passed.

A day passed but the policemen still disregarded Kristen’s absence, and even laughed about it - telling Kristen’s mom that Kristen probably needed a few days away… like a vacation of some sort.

Since the start, Kristen’s family didn’t approve of James Anderson. Their first impression of him was that he is a very manipulative man.

Later, certain incidents prior to Kristen’s absence had shown that James really has an unfavorable attitude. The worst of the worst. When he and Kristen married, it wasn’t long before he showed his violent side by hurting and beating up Kristen.

Because of consistent physical abuse from her husband, Kristen decided to move out and leave Anderson. She wanted to seek a safer place to live, and she decided that her mom’s home could be her place of refuge.

However, Kristen later got back to Anderson’s house, because police officials came – accompanied by Anderson – said that she had to go back or she can be sued for kidnapping the kids.

Kristen had no other choice but to go back. And the beatings continued.

When she got back, she was treated as a roommate by Anderson, and was expected to pay rental fees to James even though they are officially married. He even had his computer password-protected so she wouldn’t be able to use it. Things got worse everyday for Kristen as she lived with James.

When Kristen has had enough of Anderson’s behavior, she decided to move out again, and decided to take her children away from their abusive father.

It was September then when she found a warm welcome in Jaycee Manor Apartment located in Martins Ferry, Ohio and started to live in peace with her friend and kids.

She was happy that she finally had a better life with her kids.

However, things never lasted that way as Kristen had hoped for.

Anderson came back. He went to Kristen’s apartment, and begged her to come back home with him, but Kristen couldn’t be swayed by his pleas, and didn’t want to reunite with him again. She was tired of the beatings and other abusive behavior that Anderson usually directed at her.

Feeling more strong and certain of her decision not to go back, she continuously refused. No more reuniting with him will ever happen again. She doesn’t want more of the physical abuses, the lies, and the pain. She didn’t want Anderson to be a part of her life again.

But her refusal led to unwanted consequences. She didn’t know that Anderson wanted her to come back or else…

Before going there, Anderson already had formulated a plan. And after Kristen’s disappearance, investigations said that he bragged to a friend of his about his planned murder for Kristen - that he will never leave even a single trace as to where they can find Kristen’s body. She will just disappear, which was what Anderson wanted to happen.

When the missing persons report was finally made, Kristen’s family asked the policemen to start the investigations with Anderson. But, Anderson told them a different story that the police officials had no choice but to let him go.

So, Kristen’s family decided to ask Anderson on their own, but he made up various stories.

At first, he said he didn’t go to the apartment that day. After that, he confessed he was really there and left after some arguments. Because of his misleading statements, it was impossible for Kristen’s family to make James admit that he is the reason for Kristen’s absence.

Mary Dailey, the loving and caring mother of Kristen, thought of a solution. She borrowed the surveillance tape from the Jaycee Manor Apartment. There, they found the answers to the numerous questions that led to Kristen’s absence.

On the tape, they saw that Anderson went to the apartment, and upon coming out, was carrying Kristen’s body with him. Kristen was killed but her body was missing.

The tapes were given as evidence to the police officers of Martins Ferry but still they didn’t arrest Anderson, and even informed Kristen’s family that Anderson had to turn himself in to the authorities – voluntarily. Where’s the justice to that?

However, peace finally came when Anderson soon killed himself using a shotgun that he bought from a pawnshop. And because of his death, no one knew where Kristen’s body can be found. He even told a friend that no one will ever find out.

The answers are yet unknown. But the search for her body still goes on. Though the Martins Ferry is dropping the case, hope will always be there as long as the family, close friends, and colleagues of Kristen believes that Kristen’s body will soon be found, and the case will finally be laid to rest.

Chicago Johnny: The Search of a Man Lost Without a Clue

2007-12-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

When the music fades slowly for John “Chicago Johnny” Spira although hopeful hearts still remain steadfast.<span id="fullpost">
February 23, 2007

West Chicago, Ill. – Many believe that the music of the band called “Rabble Rousers” can continue to live on for the band’s member, John Michael Spira (also known as Johnny Cage), 45, a citizen of 3000 block of King Richard Circle in St. Charles, Illinois.

However, this didn’t happen because since February of this year, John Michael Spira is still nowhere to be found. Although this is so, the family still remains hopeful that some leads may prove to be favorable.

But, ten months have already passed and there is not even a single trace that can point the authorities to where John Spira might be.

Reminiscing what had happened…

It was a typical working day for John Spira (Johnny Cage to his fans) at his own firm which he is said to share with his estranged wife, Suzanne, and another business partner named David W. Stubben: The Universal Cable Construction Inc. which is located at a busy corner at 2N255 County Farm Road, in DuPage County. (His business is just near West Chicago, Illinois). Those close to him saw him until around 5:30 p.m. at the said place.

It was known that Johnny Cage had a later engagement to meet a friend for dinner around 8 in the evening at the Oak Brook place, but failed to show up.

When news of his unlikely behavior of not showing up reached his girlfriend, Renata Bielskis, Johnny Cage’s girlfriend, felt alarmed that she immediately trotted off to the nearest station, St. Charles Police Department, in order to file a report about Johnny’s disappearance to alert the authorities, and hopefully have an immediate head-start for a thorough town-wide search for Johnny (including the neighboring places that he may have gone to).

However, since Renata wasn’t next of kin, her report was dismissed. She was even told that Johnny may have gone off somewhere else for the night, and may show up soon enough. But Renata couldn’t stop feeling worried about the safety of her boyfriend.

The next night, since Johnny was a long-time band member of the Rabble Rousers, he was expected by his band members to appear for the band’s gig at their usual music place (where they perform live before an audience) at Jason’s Steakhouse, which is located in Montgomery. But, Johnny didn’t attend the said event.

It was really rather unusual, as his band members and close family relations say, for Johnny to miss a show. He was never known not to show up for a gig since those close to him says that it is pretty obvious that Johnny loves the music and the thrill of performing before an audience in all his four-year membership with the group.

Still, authorities didn’t move to investigate his disappearance because of an absence of a formal report made by any of Johnny’s close family relations.

At 5:30 a.m. the next day (February 25), the filing of a missing persons report by Johnny’s estranged wife, Suzanne Spira was finally accepted by local authorities of St.Charles and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Department. But, many hours were already wasted.

When the officials checked Johnny’s home at King Richard Court, and also conducted investigations in his business premises, the surprising thing is that nothing unusual or out of the ordinary was found.

There were no signs of foul play. And some authorities speculated that perhaps Johnny left on a whim, and didn’t want anyone to find out where he was headed to.

But close relations of Johnny do not believe these things because they claim that Johnny isn’t known to do things out of the ordinary like not showing up for his band’s gig that he hasn’t – in his entire membership with them – ever fail to show up for a musical performance since he played a key role in the band as a guitarist.

The police also said that Johnny must have decided to leave everything because he has to go to a place no one knows about.

Impossible! That is the word that comes out of the mouths of those who knew him well. Why? Because why would a man with a stable job and a famous music life be able to choose to leave and adapt those things that are easy to remember and prepare? That he cares about so much? How could a man like Johnny leave all the things that he had worked so hard for? Technically, he is well-endowed in work stability and riches, has a loving family, and a faithful girlfriend. But, why would Johnny leave all these things when he isn’t known to make impromptu and unexpected exits from prior situations?

Since there were no leads or new info about Johnny from the officials, his sister, Stephanie, decided to take matters on her own. She put up a website for her brother, and made a profile for him where her description of Johnny is crystal clear. According to her, Johnny is passionate about his music, and that’s why his jilting the group or going somewhere else (as some may think) simply does not describe her brother.

No one can really say what actually happened to Johnny that time before he disappeared along with an office supply – a roll of plastic material – that also disappeared without a trace as of this writing.
All of the family members of Johnny were so distraught and overly concerned about Johnny’s whereabouts. That is why there is still a continuation of the search up to now.

However, the question still remains on whether he is alive or not anymore.

Further investigations that were done garnered some interesting things about Johnny’s case.

One is that there was no single banking activity made on his credit cards.

Two, there is no known means of getting in touch with him since bank accounts, his cellphone, and other things left no trace.

To get more people to help, flyers were freely given with a photo of Chicago Johnny.

Aside from the website, Stephanie, along with two friends, erected a billboard outside Johnny’s business on cable construction which has Johnny’s best two pictures and a message of help. However, after two days, someone destroyed the billboard by intentionally burning the whole company.

Whether the burning of Johnny’s company is related to his disappearance, no one knows. There are still more investigations being made, and much of it is centered around finding Johnny soon.

To push the case forward, the close family relations of Johnny opted to give a reward of ten thousand dollars to anyone who can give a lead to where Johnny might be, dead or alive.

So, will the music find its way to where Johnny is? Probably. But then, this case is still pending, and the family needs all the help they can get.

Lisa Stebic: Her Disappearance Still Remains a Mystery

2007-12-20T08:08:00.001-08:00

Lisa Stebic’s family and friends still hope that she will be able to come home safely.

April 30, 2007

PLAINFIELD, ILL. – Her name is Lisa Stebic. And two of the things that a person close to her may notice the most when looking at her are her tattoos - a small rose tattoo on her ankle, and a butterfly tattoo on her lower back.

Her neighbors, husband, and their two children – daughter Lexi, 12, and a son named Zach, 10 – have been graced with her fun-loving presence for many years as she may sometimes smile with those twinkling brown eyes of hers, framed perfectly on her chiseled features and softened by a healthy brown mane (her best features), as she would lightly move around her home at 13244 Red Star Drive – bringing her 5’ 2” frame in a graceful stride with her. That was the usual scene of their home then.

It seemed like a picture-perfect close-knit family to some, although Lisa and her husband of fourteen years, Craig, 41, were already in the middle proceedings of a divorce case.

Nonetheless, the couple still agreed to stay together with their children while the proceedings were still ongoing.

But, the divorce case wasn’t the least of the family’s problems as a devastating event happened without anyone understanding how it occurred.

No one had thought that 37-year-old Lisa Stebic, described by close family relations to be a loving lady who has an enduring love for life and her children, to grace the family’s home on the evening of April 30 for the last time, and disappear without a trace as reported to the authorities the next day by a concerned neighbor.

As of this writing, no one could pinpoint what really happened to Lisa.

When the authorities came after hearing the report, they found that there was no sign of abduction or foul play in Lisa’s home. What’s more confusing was that they even noticed that Lisa’s car was still parked in the garage, although her personal belongings such as her cell phone and purse (usual things that were assumed to be brought by Lisa if ever she did leave the premises of their abode voluntarily) were nowhere to be found.

Further investigations also revealed that everybody was home that day before Lisa disappeared, but the children went out to enjoy a bicycle ride for a few moments. When they arrived, their mother was already nowhere in sight, and didn’t come back ever since.

Because of this, police thought that the children can reveal other important matters about their mother’s disappearance like what she wore that night she disappeared and other pertinent things, but, unfortunately, they weren’t able to question the children because of their father’s disapproval of further interrogations as advised by his attorney, Dion Davi.

But, the grief didn’t end there. Lisa’s close family relations on her side were so distraught with the incident that they couldn’t bear facing the media. Thus, two of her relations, her cousin, Mark Greenberg, and wife, Melanie (living in Naperville), were the chosen spokespersons of the family to handle these things. Their first brush with the media, regarding Lisa’s disappearance, was on May 4 where they held a press conference on behalf of the parents of Lisa.

Ever since this incident, news of her disappearance spread far and wide, and prompted the authorities and those who knew her to take immediate action to find her whereabouts and bring her back home.

Everyone wanted to help the family. Volunteers from neighboring towns and in other parts of the country helped search for Lisa by combing through the most likely places that she may have gone to, distributed her photos to the people who may have seen her, and also joined the family vigils and prayed for her safe return.

While all these things were happening, Craig wasn’t seen as an accessory to the case by police officials since it was observed that he was willing to comply with the investigations – initially.

When a search warrant to search the premises of their home was garnered because of a blood match with Lisa’s DNA that was found on Craig’s truck (to which Craig denied involvement), Craig allowed the authorities to perform their task even if this was done in the middle of the night – according to Craig’s attorney – and the children taken out of their home, and made to sleep in the car while the hour-long search was being conducted.

Although Craig showed that he was cooperative with the investigations and coverage of the event during the first few months of Lisa’s disappearance, he refused to succumb to a polygraph test that Lisa’s close family relations wanted him to undergo.

To reach more people, a website was established by Lisa’s family where photos, info, and the latest news on her case are shown. The reward money is also posted there for anyone who would be able to relate relevant information, and provide closure to the case.

But as the days go on, the family gets more desperate. That was why some close friends and colleagues of Lisa, led by Betty Stubner (who was able to work with Lisa before at Lincoln Elementary School preparing the children’s lunches), even hired a psychic to help with the search to which Melanie Greenberg commented that even though she doesn’t really believe in psychics, she didn’t really oppose what Betty did to facilitate a psychic search for Lisa Stebic. Melanie was open to anything that can show the family what really happened to Lisa that night.

Still, the searches led to nowhere. So, Betty Stubner also made a personal flower ritual in remembrance of Lisa where the flowers are placed at the doorstep of Lisa’s home – where her last presence was seen.

It is clearly noticeable from recent reports, the media, and online coverage, that more efforts have been executed by Lisa’s close family relations.

Some may probably speculate if Craig was indeed innocent after learning of what Glenn Kahn, Lisa’s attorney, had to say about a petition that Lisa mailed to him before she disappeared. In the note, it appears that Lisa does not like to live with her husband anymore, and had even mentioned many attitude problems of her husband. Specifically, it was a petition to evict her husband from the couple’s home.

However, Craig’s attorney denied these things – claiming that Craig wasn’t such, although he is reported to have a criminal record, with two felony counts, for a particular case on the unlawful use of a weapon.

According to Craig, they only had sporadic contact prior to her disappearance, and her staying-out-at-night times weren’t an unusual gesture of Lisa.

Where all these things will go, no one can still say up to now. It’s been a few months already since Lisa Stebic disappeared that evening. But, Lisa’s side of the family, together with those who know her, still keep their hopes intact that someone can point the way, or be able to tell them what really happened. Since Lisa’s side of the family claims that it is so unlike Lisa to just abandon her children, they hope to find more reasons and answers to the questions that continue to come.