Kriti Mehrotra
When Andreen Nicole Anderson McDonald suddenly disappeared without a trace left behind in early 2019, it honestly baffled not just her loved ones but also the entire nation to their very core. That’s because, as carefully explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Andreen McDonald: A Millionaire Vanishes,’ it wasn’t like her to just up and scoot — she was a creature of habit and a proud family woman. It was thus theorized by many that something terrible must’ve happened, yet nothing could’ve ever prepared them for the whole truth of what she endured, as later indicated by her clan too.
Who is Andreen McDonald’s Family?
It was on September 23, 1989, when Andreen was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, to Hyacinth Ferron Smith and Paul Anderson as one of their two daughters, with her sister being Cindy Johnson. They hence grew up happy and cozy, that is, until she came across Andrea around the early 2000s and then eventually relocated to the United States alongside him. He enrolled in the Army and actually helped her get through college too, following which they decided to tie the knot, welcome a beautiful daughter to this world, and then ultimately kickstart a business together.
Their daughter Alayna is actually autistic, but the McDonalds were still considered a normal, idyllic couple in their affluent San Antonio, Texas, community. After all, despite their success, financial security, and comfort, they were active in society, kind, humble, as well as generous with everything they had, per the episode. However, the reality behind closed doors was much different – according to Hyacinth, she’d noticed Andre had a temper over the years, but she was never worried because she knew her girl was a fighter, plus the couple always worked things out.
The night of February 28, 2019, though, didn’t pan out this way – Andreen and Andre were arguing over a business venture she was hoping to start in her own name when he became blinded by rage. Her family actually knows this because he’d called his former sister-in-law Cindy two days before his trial in January 2023 to concede every little detail – she’d been with her mother at the time. The worst part for them though is the fact they couldn’t protect Alayna from it all – she actually witnessed part of their argument on the fateful night and told an acquaintance she’d seen her father hurt/stomp on her mother until she was struggling to breathe.
On the other hand, Andre still maintains that although he had hurt his wife, he’d stopped when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes, following which he left Andreen alive on the floor to put his little girl back to sleep. When he returned around half an hour later, his wife was long gone, so he decided to dispose of her in fear – he actually told Cindy he initially planned to chop Andreen’s body to get rid of the evidence but later changed his mind. What’s worse is that when her remains were found more than 100 days later, buried in a private property upon being burned, she was so charred only a few bones could properly be recovered.
Where is Andreen McDonald’s Family Now?
Andreen’s family not only attended every court proceeding to show their support for her as well as any other victim of domestic abuse, but they also took the stands to testify against him. All of this ultimately resulted in him being found guilty and getting sentenced to 20 years behind bars, which her loved ones honestly weren’t pleased about since they were hoping for the maximum penalty, but they were glad at least some form of justice was served. Throughout this entire matter, though, the most heartwrenching statements were made by Alayna, who’d written a letter to her father that was read aloud in court by her aunt Cindy.
“To Andre McDonald,” Alayna had penned, “You killed my mother. You took away my life and you broke my heart. And you hurt my feelings. And you will pay for what you did. You will be punished forever.” Therefore, having lost both her parents one way or another, this now-12-year-old is currently in the care of her maternal family, who’re willing as well as glad to provide her the life her mother had planned for her.
Coming to their own personal standings, from what we can tell, Hyacinth, Cindy, as well as James are now all based in Texas, where they’re doing their best to move on from the past. James has long been re-married but he’s still part of the clan, so they all remain close to this day and are doing their best to keep Andreen’s memories legacy through not just her daughter but also her work as the owner-operator of old age homes. Her death still hangs over them like a dark cloud, but they’re glad they’ve at least had some sort of closure.
Read More: Where is Andre Johnson Now?
