Inkster woman's disappearance remains a mystery after four years; brother says 'somebody knows where she is'

Oct. 4—NELSON COUNTY — Before Anne Fitszimonds became a missing person, she was best known for being a loving mother, sister and friend, as well as a great cook and avid collector.

It's been four years since Fitzsimonds was last seen, and though it may be painful to think of her — where she could be, what could have happened — George Niece feels it's important to talk about his sister.

"Anne was a great cook, and a very welcoming person," Niece said. "For anything, she would not only whip up a feast, but she would invite friends who were less fortunate over. Anybody was welcome to come over and have dinner for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for any holiday."

No matter the occasion, Fitzsimonds was ready to host, serving classic, tasty meals, Niece said. Her specialties were roast dinners — turkey, chicken or pot roast with sides of potatoes and gravy, vegetables and breads.

Another of Fitzsimonds' passions was collecting all kinds of trinkets, from Hummel figurines to Avon bottles.

"From the fancy to the regular, she liked all of it," Niece said.

In the years since Fitzsimonds has gone missing, holding onto items from her extensive collection has allowed Niece to keep his sister's memory close.

"I want to remember her," Niece said. "My kid sister was a super, super good person. Inside, she had a lot of mental health issues, and the drugs just did not help at all. But she wasn't mean. She just was not a mean person at all. She was very kind."

Fitzsimonds, of Inkster, North Dakota, disappeared Oct. 4, 2020, after a night spent with friends at a farmstead approximately four miles north of Petersburg.

"Last they heard she was going out for a smoke, and then went missing," Nelson County Chief Deputy Jesse Madche said.

Fitzsimonds was known to leave without notice, Madche said, but it was abnormal when she didn't contact her children or the friends she'd been with that night.

Many resources were put to use in the early days of Fitzsimonds' disappearance, including Red River Valley Search and Rescue Team cadaver dogs and a Civil Air Patrol airplane. The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and surrounding sheriff's offices — Walsh, Grand Forks and Ramsey counties — also came forward to offer assistance.

The entire area from Michigan to Mountain to Inkster has been searched by either a person, drone, plane or dog, Madche said.

"The folks in Nelson County, the sheriff's department, they really stepped up," Niece said. "Tons of people helped."

There have been no new leads

in the year since the Herald last covered Fitzsimonds' disappearance,

though a few tips have come in regarding people to talk to and places to search.

"None of them have panned out to be credible," Madche said.

No charges have ever been filed in connection with Fitzsimonds' disappearance.

"We ran down everybody that we could," Madche said. "We just never came up with enough (to charge anyone). Nobody's ever been ruled out."

For Niece, Fitzsimonds' failure to reach her two kids in all this time has made him believe she must no longer be alive.

"She really loved her kids," he said. "That's one of the things that pretty much convinced me that she must be gone, because she would've come back for them. If she could've, she would've come back for them."

When Fitzsimonds was last seen, she was wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans, estimated to be 5'2" and around 155 lbs, with red hair and brown eyes. If alive, she is now 51 years old.

Anyone who believes they may have information about Fitzsimond's disappearance can contact the Nelson County Sheriff's Office at (701) 247-2474 or send an anonymous tip by texting "NELSONTIP" to 847411.

"Somebody knows where she is," Niece said. "We just want to find her, and we want to give everybody some closure and put her to rest."