Search group from Louisiana joins crews looking for missing Louisville mother

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A group from Louisiana has joined the search for a Louisville mother who disappeared months ago.

Andrea Knabel has been missing since August. Her family says they last saw her at her mother's house after an argument with her sister.

On Nov. 3, Cajun Coast Search and Rescue -- a professional K-9 unit out of Louisiana -- arrived in Louisville to begin helping with the search. The group searched most of Sunday afternoon, and started again around 9:30 Monday morning. Andrea's family members and other volunteers were also taking part.

"Right now the dog is basically looking for any human scent, whether it's living or deceased," said Cajun Coast Search and Rescue's commander Toney Wade.

Wade has been in Kentucky several times before for other cases, including the search for Savannah Spurlock.

"The location she (Spurlock) was found was a location we wanted to target but we couldn't get a search warrant at the time," said Wade.

On Monday, he and his K-9 were focusing their search for Knabel on a wooded area near Audubon Hospital.

The Finding Andrea Facebook page says the group is funded solely by donations, and is working together with the family's private investigator, Tracy Leonard, who recently received tips that Knabel was spotted at the Youngstown Shopping Center on Tenth Street in Jeffersonville.

Despite receiving that tip, the family said Monday they do not believe investigators have any credible leads, but they're thankful Cajun Coast Search and Rescue decided to help.

"From what we know, there are no leads," said Knabel's father, Michael Knable. "There are none as far as we know that are credible and we're hoping that she's still around -- in town here or out of town -- either way we'd be very happy to reconnect with her and bring her back home."

The K-9 unit says the job isn't easy, but they hope to find some answers for the family.

"I really beat myself up over cases if we don't find anything," said Wade. "People ask me all the time 'how do you deal with finding human remains?' It's the ones I don't find that irritate me because I beat myself up. Did I miss something? Did I always second guess?"

The family is hoping enough money can be raised to allow the K-9 group to continue searching for another few days. Click here if you'd like to make a donation.

A $5,000 reward is now being offered for information that leads to Knabel.

If you think you have seen Knabel, you are asked to call 502-574-LMPD, Tracy Leonard at 502-618-9337 or dial 911. If possible, please take a picture as well.