Family of missing Nolanville man concerned for his safety

AUSTIN, Texas - Police are searching for a man from Nolanville, which is near Killeen, who was last seen in Austin. Ernest Anderson, 39, was last seen on April 11.

His family says he normally goes to Austin to drive for Uber before going back home. He had stopped at a relative's house in Del Valle, which is not out of the ordinary.

"When he left my cousin's home, my cousin even expected him to go take this fare or, however it's explained, and then return to Nolanville. That was everybody's expectation," his sister, LaRonda Anderson said.

He was believed to be doing an Uber pickup in the Riverside Drive area, but was not heard from after that. The SIM card for his phone was sold. 

Ernest Anderson

"An unidentified male answered the phone, and he identified himself as Matt. We don't know who he is. He said that he purchased my brother's SIM card from another gentleman at the game room," LaRonda said.

It's not clear which game room the individual was referring to. 

Ernest's family says not hearing from him is unusual. 

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"He's a good father. He likes to fish and barbecue," James Kestner, his brother-in-law, said. "He only hung out really with members of his family, so it's not like he had extended friends. This isn't normal, not to hear from him."

"A quiet, laid-back guy," LaRonda said.

They hope somebody with information can help bring him home safely.

"It's emotional. It's tough. You want to just stay positive and keep your hopes up, but then the reality creeps in sometimes. What that reality is, you don't know," LaRonda said.

"It's kind of surreal. I mean, I can't really explain it. It kind of feels like a dream, like it's not really happening, but we're here," Kestner said.

"We're just reaching out for any help. If anybody sees something or knows something, we just want help," LaRonda said. "What's really small to you could be really big to this situation. If you've seen something that you just got this really weird vibe off of it, just say something."

Anderson is described as 6' tall and about 135 pounds. He drives a 2016 black Mitsubishi Outlander with the rear windshield wiper broken off and the Texas license plate number of JWG 2606. His family says the car hasn't been located.

If you have any information that can help, you're asked to call Nolanville PD at 254-698-6334.