A Wisconsin mom of two — who had been lacking for greater than 60 years — has been discovered alive after investigators reopened her chilly case and is reportedly residing a “happy” life with “no regrets” for leaving her household.
Audrey Backeberg was 20 years previous, residing along with her husband, Ronald Backeberg, and their two youngsters in Reedsburg, a metropolis about 55 miles northwest of Madison, when she vanished from her residence on July 7, 1962.
For years, investigators with the Sauk County Sheriff’s Workplace had adopted leads making an attempt to piece collectively the younger mom’s disappearance till the case ultimately went chilly.
Nevertheless, the sheriff’s workplace made a startling announcement Thursday that, regardless of all of the a long time which have handed, Backeberg was discovered “alive and well” residing in one other state.
“Through diligent investigative work, which included a thorough re-evaluation of all case files and evidence, combined with re-interviewing witnesses and uncovering new insights, the Sheriff’s Office is now able to report that Audrey Backeberg is alive and well and currently resides out of State,” cops wrote in a press launch.
Detective Isaac Hanson led the investigation after the chilly case was assigned to him in March as a part of the sheriff’s workplace’s “comprehensive review as part of an ongoing examination of cold case files.”
Hanson spent weeks re-interviewing witnesses, re-evaluating previous proof, and looking down new results in resolve Backeberg’s disappearance.
“The sister actually had an Ancestry.com account, and I was able to use that. That was pretty key in locating death records, census reports, all kinds of data,” the detective instructed WISN Friday.
“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.”
Hanson mentioned he spoke with Backeberg for 45 minutes and instructed him she fled from her residence for her personal security from her allegedly abusive husband.
“I think she just was removed and, you know, moved on from things and kind of did her own thing and led her life,” he mentioned.
“She sounded happy. Confident in her decision. No regrets.”
Days earlier than the then 20-year-old mother of two had gone lacking in 1962, she filed a prison grievance claiming Ronald had overwhelmed her so severely that she had head accidents. He additionally allegedly threatened to homicide her and had entry to firearms, in keeping with Wisconsin Lacking Individuals Advocacy.
Regardless of reporting the alleged abuse to the authorities, Ronald — whom she married when she was solely 15 years previous — remained in the home along with her and the youngsters.
She left residence to get her paycheck from her job on the woolen mill on July 7, however then vanished.
Ronald chased after leads looking for his lacking spouse, and her household insisted the younger mom would by no means abandon her youngsters.
Following her disappearance, the household’s 14-year-old babysitter claimed Backeberg hitchhiked to Madison, then received on a bus to Indiana.
Nevertheless, when police tried interviewing the teenager concerning the declare, she received nervous and refused to talk to them.
“The juvenile was interviewed again as an adult, maybe 15 years ago,” Sauk County Sheriff’s Workplace Det. Chris Zunker mentioned in 2020, in keeping with Wisconsin Lacking Individuals Advocacy.
“She stated Audrey had taken a bunch of pills, put them in a Coke can and drank it before taking the bus down to Indianapolis. She reported Audrey potentially hooked up with some construction workers that may have been in the area.”
Henson mentioned the division can confidently report that Backeberg left by her personal selection and was by no means unsafe whereas being listed as a lacking individual for the previous six a long time. He wouldn’t reveal what state she was now residing in.
When you or somebody you realize is affected by any of the problems raised on this story, name the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or textual content START to 88788.
