Woman Missing for Over 60 Years Found Alive and Well

A woman from Wisconsin who vanished over six decades ago has been discovered alive and in good health.

Audrey Backeberg was just 20 years old when she disappeared from her home in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, in July 1962, according to a news release from the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office.

On July 7, 1962, Backeberg reportedly left home with the family’s babysitter. The babysitter later told authorities that they hitchhiked to Madison, Wisconsin, and then boarded a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana. She claimed she last saw Backeberg, a mother of two at the time, walking away from the bus stop—and after that, she vanished without a trace.

For more than 60 years, there were no updates on Backeberg’s whereabouts—until recently. Earlier this year, a detective revisiting the cold case uncovered critical new information through thorough investigative efforts.

Now 82 years old, Backeberg is living outside of Wisconsin, officials revealed.

Detective Isaac Hanson, who made the discovery, told ABC affiliate WSIN that he was able to track her down with the help of her sister’s ancestry.com account.

Backeberg, now 82, lives outside of Wisconsin, officials said

Speaking to ABC affiliate WSIN, Detective Isaac Hanson, who found Backeberg, said he was able to locate her through her sister’s ancestry.com account.

“That was pretty key in locating death records, census reports, all kinds of data,” he said. “Ultimately, we came up with an address … So I called the local sheriff’s department, said ‘Hey, there’s this lady living at this address. Do you guys have somebody, you can just go pop in?’ … Ten minutes later, she called me, and we talked for 45 minutes.”

He said Backeberg sounded “happy. Confident in her decision, no regrets.”

“The Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of Investigators, both past and present,” it said in a news release. “Despite the significant challenges that many cold cases present, this resolution underscores both the importance of continued work and the dedication of the Sheriff’s Office to providing answers to families and the community.