Audrey Backeberg, who vanished in 1962 at the age of 20, was found alive in 2025, aged 82, after more than six decades. Authorities confirmed her disappearance was "by her own choice" and "not the result of any criminal activity or foul play."
Vanishing act in 1962
On the day she disappeared, Audrey left home to collect her wages from the woollen mill where she worked. Her family's 14-year-old babysitter told authorities she had caught a lift with Audrey to Madison, Wisconsin, where the duo caught a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Upon arriving there, the babysitter developed second thoughts, but Audrey refused to return. She walked around the corner from the bus station and disappeared without trace, reports the Daily Star.
Discovery through Ancestry.com
The case was reopened when Sauk County Sheriff's Office assigned Detective Isaac Hanson to review the cold case. He combed through case files and evidence while re-interviewing key witnesses. It was her sister's Ancestry.com account that ultimately led him to her.
Hanson told local news station WISN: "That was pretty key in locating death records, census reports, all kinds of data. 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."
No regrets
When found, Audrey reportedly told them she had "no regrets." Hanson said: "I think she just was removed and, you know, moved on from things and kind of did her own thing and led her life. She sounded happy. Confident in her decision. No regrets."
According to the Audrey Project, an organisation which catalogues over 16,000 "cold case" missing persons reports in the US, Audrey had wed her husband Ronald Backberg when she was "about fifteen years old" but had suffered through a "troubled" marriage surrounded by "allegations of abuse."
The childminder claimed Audrey had disappeared in Indianapolis of her own accord, however this triggered a dispute amongst her family members, who "insisted she would never have abandoned her children."
A statement from Sheriff Chip Meister read: "Earlier this year, the case was assigned to a Sheriff's Office Detective for a comprehensive review as part of an ongoing examination of cold case files. 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. 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 would like to acknowledge the work of Investigators, both past and present. 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.
