Mother Charged With Food Stamp Fraud Nine Years After Daughter Went Missing

Police arrested Shannon Anderson on Wednesday and charged her with felony food stamp fraud for allegedly continuing to collect benefits for her daughter after the daughter was reported missing in 2018. Anderson, 51, is listed as homeless and is a registered sex offender. Court records show she has a criminal history dating back to 2013.

The daughter, identified as Jodie “Brooke” Anderson, was reported missing in August 2018 after last being seen at a Nashville restaurant in June 2018. Police said the mother was the last person to see her daughter before the disappearance. The mother had not reported the daughter missing until August 2018, at which point she was already incarcerated, according to statements from the daughter’s aunt.

Anderson faces seven charges total, including food stamp fraud, violating sex offender registration requirements, and failure to appear. She remains in custody on a $22,000 bond. The aunt told WSMV that she hopes the arrest will draw renewed attention to the missing persons case, which she believes may involve homicide given the circumstances.