Wisconsin woman missing nearly 63 years was found “alive and well,” police say

A Wisconsin woman who went missing more than 60 years ago was recently found “alive and well,” authorities revealed last week.

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

Backeberg reportedly left her family’s home on July 7, 1962 and the family’s babysitter claimed the two of them hitchhiked to Madison, Wisconsin, before taking a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana, the Wisconsin Department of Justice said.

The babysitter, who was not identified, said she last saw Backeberg, then a mother of two, walking around the corner away from the bus stop.

Backeberg never returned home and was not heard from again — until now.

Earlier this year, a detective assigned to do a comprehensive review of the cold case, and “through diligent investigative work,” they uncovered new insights into the disappearance.

“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 sheriff’s office said, though it did not disclose where she was found.

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.”

Hanson said an abusive husband may have played a role in her initial decision to leave her home.

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.