Till today, his case remains an unsolved mystery that has haunted Texas.
For decades, Toby's family believed he had simply run away.
But over time, some troubling details about his disappearance came to light.
His family believes that these new details suggest something far darker may have happened to Toby.
Background of the Case: Toby's Early Life and Family Struggles
Toby Eugene Anderson was born on December 18, 1969, in the small town of Bell, Texas.
His parents, Eugene "Jean" Anderson and Nikki Anderson eventually divorced when he was young.
While his younger siblings Marcy and Randy remained with their mother in Northern California, Toby primarily lived with his father.
Sometimes he stayed with his father, other times with an aunt and uncle in Ukiah, California.
Toby didn't really have a permanent home address, so he stayed with different relatives from time to time.
This constant shuffling left him without a true home or consistent adult guidance.
As Toby entered his teenage years, he started getting into a lot of problems, like taking his dad's car without asking.
He developed behavioral issues that likely came from his unstable living situation.
These problems eventually led him to spend time in a juvenile detention center.
According to his Cousin Denise, Toby was allegedly sexually abused by his stepfather.
She believes this also contributed to his "misbehaviour"at the time.
Toby Anderson's Mysterious Disappearance
In early 1986, Toby's family made the decision to send him to live with his uncle Billy Anderson in Selma, Oregon.
This move came after Toby had gotten into trouble while staying with another relative Uncle Randy, his mother's brother, in California.
According to family members, Toby and some neighborhood kids had stolen Christmas presents from a neighbor's home.
Instead of sending Toby back to juvenile detention, the family arranged for him to stay with Billy, his father's half-brother.
They hoped a change of environment might help.
At first, life in Oregon seemed stable.
Toby joined Illinois Valley High School in Cave Junction and attended classes regularly.
School records show he was present through early November 1986.
Then, suddenly, everything changed.
On November 10, 1986, Billy came to the school to withdraw Toby.
He told school administrators the boy was moving back to California to live with his father.
But this was a lie - Toby never returned to California, and his father never saw him again.
In the days following Toby's disappearance, Billy told conflicting stories to different family members.
At first, he said he caught Toby touching one of his daughters inappropriately.
He claimed Toby ran away to avoid going back to juvenile hall.
Later, he changed his story, saying he had dropped him off at a police station.
But investigations showed no record of Toby ever being processed at any nearby police department or juvenile facility.
What makes Toby's disappearance even more suspicious is what happened next in the Anderson family.
Just three months after Toby vanished, Billy abruptly moved his entire family from Oregon to Arkansas in the middle of the night.
He claimed his mother was seriously sick.
In reality, she was in good health and would live for nearly 20 more years.
This sudden move, coming so soon after Toby's disappearance, raised serious questions about whether Billy was hiding something.
The truth about what happened to Toby in November 1986 remains unknown.
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| The house where Toby was last seen |
The Search and Investigation
After Toby vanished in November 1986, his family didn’t immediately realize something was wrong.
At first, they believed Billy’s story that Toby had run away.
Toby had been in trouble before, so Billy’s story made sense.
His father, Jean, called relatives in other states to check if Toby had shown up anywhere, but no one had seen him.
When Jean died in 1990, the search stopped.
For years, the family assumed Toby had chosen to stay away.
Some thought he might have even started a new life.
Others heard rumors he had died in a car crash or been killed in a drug deal.
But no one knew for sure.
Many years later, Toby’s cousin Denise decided to find out what really happened.
She started digging into old records and talking to family members.
What she discovered didn’t add up.
First, she checked school records and found out that Toby had been in class just days before Billy claimed he "ran away."
Then she learned Billy had given different versions of what happened.
During her investigations, Denise also uncovered something disturbing—Billy had a history of abusing children.
In 2001, he was sent to prison for sexually abusing young family members, including a 2-year-old.
This made her wonder: Did Billy abuse Toby too?
In 2019, Denise finally filed an official missing person report with Oregon State Police.
Detectives reopened the case, but without a body or crime scene, progress was slow.
They searched old property records, trying to find where Billy lived in 1986.
They talked to people who knew the family back then but after so many years, memories had faded.
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| Toby Anderson |
Possible Theories About Toby's Disappearance
Several theories have been discussed about what might have happened to Toby Anderson.
Each one raises difficult questions, but none have been proven true.
1. Toby Ran Away and Started a New Life
At first, many family members believed Toby simply left on his own.
He had been in trouble before and didn't have a stable home life.
Some thought he might have gone to another state, changed his name, and built a new identity.
However, there's no evidence Toby ever tried to contact family, get a job, or use his Social Security number after 1986.
After nearly 40 years with no sign of him, this seems unlikely.
2. Toby Was Hurt or Killed By Drug Dealers
Another possibility is that Toby did run away but met with danger afterward.
Some family members heard rumors that Toby might have gotten mixed up with dangerous people.
The theory suggests Toby could have been involved in drug dealings and met with violence.
However, investigators never found any evidence Toby was using or selling drugs.
Also, no local drug-related deaths matched his description.
Without remains or concrete evidence, this theory remains just a guess.
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| Uncle Billy |
3. Billy Harmed Toby to Cover Up Abuse
This is the theory Toby's family believes is most likely true.
Billy had a history of violence and was later convicted of sexually abusing children.
Some family members think Toby may have seen or known something he wasn’t supposed to.
Others wonder if Billy hurt Toby in a fit of anger that night.
The fact that Billy moved his family suddenly to Arkansas just months after Toby vanished makes this theory even more suspicious.
Some investigators have focused on the land where Billy lived in 1986.
The old chicken coop—where Toby was last seen hiding—still stands.
Police have considered searching the property with ground-penetrating radar, but without enough evidence, they haven’t been able to get a warrant.
If Toby was buried there, only Billy knows for sure.
5. Foul Play by Other Family Members.
A few relatives have wondered if someone besides Billy could have been involved.
Toby’s grandmother repeatedly lied about hearing from him after he disappeared.
Billy’s wife and children were in the house that night but have never fully explained what they saw.
Without more information, this remains just another unanswered question.
The hardest part for Toby’s family is not knowing which theory might be true.
Was Toby a runaway who met a bad end?
Was he silenced to hide Billy’s crimes?
Did he die accidentally, and someone panicked?
Until someone comes forward with the truth—or new evidence is found—Toby’s disappearance will remain one of Oregon’s most haunting cold cases.
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| Toby's age progression picture |
Ongoing Efforts
Toby’s siblings have not given up on their quest for answers.
They have submitted their DNA samples to the authorities in case his remains were ever found
The family created a Facebook page to share his story, hoping someone might remember something.
They even reached out to Billy in prison, but his stories kept changing.
Today, the investigation remains open but unsolved.
Police say any small detail—even something that seems unimportant—could be the key to finding out what happened to Toby.
His family still hopes for answers, but after nearly 40 years, time is running out.
If you know anything about Toby Anderson’s disappearance, call Oregon State Police at (541) 776-6236.
Even the smallest clue could help solve this mystery.
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