Audrey Backeberg found alive after vanishing for over 60 years
- Audrey Backeberg went missing in Wisconsin in July 1962, after leaving home with her family's babysitter.
- The investigation went cold for decades until a fresh review of the case led to her discovery earlier this year.
- Authorities confirmed she was found alive and well, having made the choice to leave and live away from her family.
In Wisconsin, a significant cold case spanning over six decades has reached a resolution. Audrey Backeberg, who went missing on July 7, 1962, at the age of 20, was located by the Sauk County Sheriff's Office. At the time of her disappearance, she left her home in Reedsburg, hitchhiking with a babysitter to Madison before catching a bus to Indianapolis, Indiana. The babysitter saw Backeberg walk around a corner away from the bus stop, and that was the last time anyone heard from her. Despite numerous leads pursued by law enforcement over the years, the case went cold, and efforts to find Audrey yielded no results. However, earlier this year, the sheriff's office decided to assign Detective Isaac Hanson to reevaluate the case. His focus was on re-examining the existing evidence, interviewing witnesses once more, and searching for new insights that might illuminate her disappearance. Isaac Hanson utilized an online ancestry account belonging to Backeberg’s sister, which proved pivotal in locating the missing woman. He uncovered pertinent records that matched personal details for Backeberg and identified a possible address where she might be living outside Wisconsin. Following this discovery, local authorities were contacted to verify the address. A local deputy visited and reported back to Hanson, leading to a telephone call with Backeberg shortly thereafter. During the call, Hanson was able to speak with Backeberg for 45 minutes. He noted that she expressed confidence in her decision to leave, indicating that it was a conscious choice made by her, rather than the result of any criminal activity. Reports suggest that her troubled marriage, with previous allegations of abuse against her husband, could have influenced her choice to disappear. Det. Hanson acknowledged that while legal matters surrounding her past may have played a role in her decision to remain hidden, the resolution of the case satisfies the law enforcement agency’s dedication to providing answers to families and reaffirming the importance of revisiting cold cases.