On Andrea Knabel’s 42nd birthday, her father talks about the continued search for her

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - It’s been more than four years since Andrea Knabel disappeared, and her father opened up on her 42nd birthday.

She shares her birthday with her sister Erin, and the Knabel family has used their birthday as sort of an unofficial end to the holiday season.

But ever since Andrea’s disappearance, the holidays have only gotten tougher for the family.

A Christmas tree sits in Mike Knabel’s living room two weeks after Christmas. But there’s a reason for that.

“Jan. 7 has always been a day that the family marked. It’s the day we cherish obviously for the birthday, but we also have it as the end of Christmas, but we keep most of all the decorations up. Especially the tree,” Knabel said.

Erin and Andrea were born on the same day three years a part.

Two daughters sharing the same birthday shortly after Christmas would normally just be a blessing, but for the Knabel family it’s also a tough reminder.

“So about those two, three weeks in there are really kind of sad. And this was the fifth Christmas since anyone we know has seen her,” Knabel said.

No one has seen Andrea since August 13 2019, after she went for a walk in Audobon Park.

Well, no one credible.

Over the last four and half years, tips have come in from people claiming they saw Andrea, but none have been proven.

“You get to a point where you see how even the law enforcement individuals out there that see things that are skeptical of everything they hear and see and you get like that; but as a family member and when it’s your loved one, you’re going to check everything out. And you have to,” Knabel said.

Knabel is getting ready to check out a new tip that came in just a couple days ago. Someone called in saying a woman who answered to Andrea was picked up by an ambulance in Indianapolis.

“We know exactly where this happened. We know that there was an ambulance run. We know the time of it. We know the hospital. We know where this individual is staying,” he said.

Knabel said they understand what they odds say about Andrea being alive, but they still have to try, even if she wants nothing to do with them.

“It’s really important to know that this is an adult. If we find her, she can tell us to get lost. ‘I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to come back to the family.’ And that would have to be honored, but we would do everything we can to convince her otherwise,” Knabel said.

Knabel is going to make some calls on this most recent tip and even go out there himself soon, but first, he celebrated the birthday of his two daughters and the unofficial end of Christmas for the Knabel family.

“It makes me happy to see those things and it’s comforting. We don’t get very many comforting things with this in the background of our lives continuously,” Knabel said.

If you’d like to help find not only Andrea but but other missing people, you can look up her sister Erin’s group on Facebook called Andrea’s Angels.

If you have a tip about Andrea, you can call either 502-574-7120 or 502-806-4840.

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