Chester Co. man still missing after house fire

CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — Authorities continue to search for a man in the ashes that were once his home. A fire destroyed the house on Tuesday, and since then the 79-year-old man is nowhere to be found.

Thursday is the third day authorities have been on the scene looking for homeowner Thomas David Anderson, and even more agencies have joined the search.

Although investigators found a body in the destroyed home, a spokesperson with the TBI said they believe that person is not Anderson. Neighbors said the body belonged to a family member

Authorities have not released the identity of the body that was discovered in the house.

We learned on Thursday that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has joined in the investigation of the blaze.

“ATF’s involvement is solely for the determination of the origin cause and, at this point, does not indicate any suspicion,” ATF spokesman Michael Knight said. “It’s just looking at it from an investigator’s standpoint, from the technical side of the fire site.”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that while the fire is suspicious, the cause has not yet been determined and the case remains active and ongoing.

“Everything you can think of has went through my head,” Roger Vandiver, Anderson’s neighbor, said. “Everything. I mean, from somebody kidnapping him to possibly, you know, maybe he went berserk or something.”

But neighbors say they’re still hoping for the best.

“I hope that they find David somewhere,” Vandiver said. “Maybe he left with somebody, went on a trip or something like that.”

Along with ATF and TBI, a team of agencies has been assisting in the investigation, including state fire investigators, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chester and Madison County fire departments.