Missing Wisconsin Woman Located After 60 Years – Sheriff Confirms She Left by Choice

After vanishing without a trace in 1962, Audrey Backeberg has finally been found — alive and well.

A decades-old cold case from Wisconsin has come to a surprising conclusion. Audrey Jean Backeberg, who disappeared in 1962 at the age of 20, has been found safe more than 60 years later, according to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office.

In a recent statement, the department confirmed that Backeberg, now 82, is alive and living in another state. “Further investigation has revealed that Ms. Backeberg’s disappearance was by her own choice and not the result of any criminal activity or foul play,” the department said.

Backeberg was last seen on July 7, 1962. At the time, she was a young mother of two living in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. According to investigators, she and the family’s babysitter hitchhiked to Madison and then boarded a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis. From there, she vanished. The babysitter claimed she saw Audrey walk away from the station, never to return.

Her sudden disappearance left family and law enforcement puzzled for decades. Audrey’s family, particularly, refused to believe she would abandon her children voluntarily.

According to The Charley Project, which documents cold cases involving missing persons, Audrey had married young — at just 15 — and had reportedly experienced domestic issues in her marriage. Though her husband Ronald Backeberg was investigated, he passed a polygraph test and no evidence linked him to her disappearance.

In early 2025, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office reopened the case, assigning a detective to reevaluate the decades-old evidence. This included re-interviewing witnesses and following up on new leads. The breakthrough eventually led authorities to confirm her identity and current location.

A spokesperson for the department emphasized that the case is now officially closed and that no criminal charges are being pursued. Audrey’s current location is being kept private to respect her wishes.

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