Wisconsin Woman Missing for Over 60 Years Found Alive, Living Peacefully in Another State

Audrey Backebeger vanished over 60 years ago. She has finally been found and admitted she has 'no regrets' about her disappearance

A woman from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, who disappeared in 1962 and had been missing for more than six decades, has been found alive and well, according to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. Audrey Backeberg, now in her 80s, vanished at the age of 20, leaving behind her husband, Ronald Backeberg, and their two young children. Her disappearance remained an unsolved mystery until a recent breakthrough during a renewed cold case investigation.

Backeberg was last seen on July 7, 1962, when she left her home to collect her paycheck from her job at a local woolen mill. She never returned. At the time, she had recently filed a police report alleging physical abuse by her husband, stating he had beaten her so badly that she sustained head injuries and threatened to kill her. Despite the complaint, Ronald continued living in the family home with her and their children.

Backebeger was 20-years-old and a married mother-of-two when she disappeared from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, in July 1962

The case remained cold for decades despite multiple investigative attempts. It was reopened earlier this year by Detective Isaac Hanson as part of a broader initiative to revisit unresolved missing persons cases. Hanson meticulously re-examined case files, re-interviewed witnesses, and gathered new leads. One of the key breakthroughs came through an Ancestry.com account associated with Backeberg’s sister, which provided valuable data including death records and census reports. This information eventually led to a current address.

After contacting the local sheriff's department in that jurisdiction, Hanson received a call just ten minutes later from Audrey Backeberg herself. He confirmed her identity during a 45-minute phone call, during which she shared that she had left to escape what she described as an abusive and unsafe household. She expressed that she had no regrets and had gone on to lead a happy life.

Reedsburg is about 55 miles northwest of Madison.

Backeberg, who married Ronald at the age of 15, was reportedly confident in her decision to leave and had never been in danger during her decades away. Her location remains undisclosed for privacy reasons, but officials confirmed she is living in another state.

Historical details surrounding the case included witness testimony from the family's 14-year-old babysitter, who claimed at the time that Audrey had hitchhiked to Madison and boarded a bus to Indiana. Years later, as an adult, the same individual recalled that Audrey had ingested pills before leaving and possibly traveled with construction workers. However, these leads never led to concrete findings until the recent investigation.

Detective Isaac Hanson reopened Backeberg's case in March and was able to track her down in another state

Detective Hanson stated that all evidence indicates Backeberg left voluntarily and was not in harm’s way during her time listed as missing. Her discovery brings closure to one of Wisconsin’s longest-standing missing persons cases.