A woman from Wisconsin, Audrey Backeberg, who vanished over six decades ago, has been discovered alive and well. At just 20 years old, Audrey disappeared in July 1962, leaving her family’s home in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The last person to see her was the family babysitter, who said they both hitchhiked to Madison before taking a bus to Indianapolis. After that, Backeberg was never heard from again.
This long-unsolved mystery was recently revisited by the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. With new investigative efforts, a detective uncovered important details that pointed to Backeberg’s disappearance being a voluntary choice. Officials confirmed there was no foul play involved. Backeberg, now 82 years old, lives outside of Wisconsin, although her exact location remains undisclosed.
Detective Isaac Hanson, who led the investigation, traced Backeberg’s whereabouts through her sister’s ancestry records. This breakthrough led him to an address, and after reaching out, he had a lengthy conversation with Backeberg. She expressed no regrets about her decision to leave, which may have been influenced by an abusive marriage at the time.
The sheriff’s office acknowledged the significant effort made by past and present investigators in solving this case, demonstrating the importance of persistence in bringing closure to cold cases.
