Bodies believed to be those of missing Missouri couple found on neighboring property

More than six weeks after Leo and Katherine Lindeman vanished from their Anderson, Missouri, home, two bodies believed to be those of the missing couple have been found on a neighboring property, according to a November 2 press release from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office.

A dog was found alive near the bodies, according to the release. The Lindemans’ small dog, Itty Bitty, went missing along with the couple in mid-September.

Dateline featured the Lindemans’ story in its ‘Missing in America’ digital series last week. Investigators believe the couple vanished from their rural property around Sept. 16. They were reported missing to the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office by a family friend on Sept. 24, after they failed to show up for a planned weekly dinner.

The Lindemans’ niece LaShawnda Lindeman told Dateline that on Sept. 28, a private drone operator from Arkansas met up with the family at the property to help search for Leo and Katherine. The search at that time turned up nothing.

On Sept. 29, the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office searched the Lindemans’ 15-acre property but found no sign of the couple, according to LaShawnda.

According to Monday’s press release, a property owner reported finding a body on Nov. 1. When a McDonald County deputy arrived at the scene, the deputy discovered a second body in the area, along with a dog.

“The bodies were located in a heavily wooded area adjacent to the property of a couple who had previously been reported missing from the Dogwood Drive area of Anderson,” the release stated. “Identification is expected to be made later this week, pending autopsy results and confirmation by the appropriate authorities.”

LaShawnda says investigators told her they have not yet determined a cause or manner of death for either individual. The investigation remains ongoing.

Dateline reached out to the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office for further information but has not yet received a response.

Anyone with information regarding Leo and Katherine Lindeman’s case should call the McDonald County Dispatch Center at 417-223-4318.

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