Wagener woman missing for two weeks; Aiken County Sheriff's Office continues search

Bianca Moorman, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·3 min read

Sep. 7—Police in Aiken County are searching for a missing Wagener woman .

Krystal Channel Anderson, 30, of Wagener was last in contact with her family on Saturday, Aug. 20, according to a report from the Wagener Police Department.

On Aug. 23, police responded to the 230 block of Seivern Road in reference to a missing person and met with Wanda Sumter, who said she hadn't seen her daughter (Anderson) since Aug. 20, according to a report from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Anderson's boyfriend, Tony Lee Berry, 48, of Wagener, told police he last saw her around 1 a.m. Monday, Aug. 22, leaving the residence in a gray Dodge Charger being driven by an unknown Black male, according to a report from the Wagener Police Department.

Sumter told police it wasn't normal for her daughter not to respond and would communicate with family on a daily basis, the report said.

She said she was concerned because Anderson has had a history of violence with Berry, according to the report.

Sumter also told police that Anderson had three of her young children over the weekend and believed the children were not in school, the report said.

Sumter spoke with neighbors, who advised her the three children had gotten on and off the bus Monday, Aug. 22, but they didn't see Anderson or Berry, the report said.

Sumter told police she had spoken with Wagener police several times during the day, the report said.

An officer with the Wagener Police Department told Sumter he had spoken with several people including Berry, the report said.

Berry told police that Anderson goes missing often and didn't want to file a report, and that the three children were with him, the report said.

Police called administrators at a local school to confirm the location of three of Anderson's children and learned the children had been at school on Aug. 22, but were not at school on Aug. 23, according to the report.

School administrators told police they were unaware as to why the children were not at the school, the report said.

Deputies with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office have not been able to reach Anderson and Berry's phones, and both phones go to voicemail when called, the report said.

Police spoke with Anderson's landlord, who said he had last spoken with her on Aug. 20 and hasn't heard anything from her since, the report said.

The Wagener Police Department said it received a complaint on Aug. 23 from Berry who said he was having an ongoing dispute with his girlfriend's family because his girlfriend is missing and the family has been harassing him, according to a report from the Wagener Police Department.

Police completed work requests to the National Crime Information Center and the incident was handed over to the criminal investigation department, the report said.

The Wagener Police Department handed over the case to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Capt. Eric Abdullah with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office said police are working hard to find Anderson, following leads that would lead to her whereabouts and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Abdullah said anyone with any information can contact the Aiken County Sheriff's Office at 803-642-1761.