Adrian
A 60-year-old cold case involving a missing Wisconsin mother has been resolved, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office announced. AUDREY BACKEBERG, now 82, who vanished at the age of 20, has been located alive and well, residing out of state. The investigation confirmed that her disappearance was a personal choice and not linked to any criminal activity or foul play.
AUDREY BACKEBERG disappeared from her family’s home on July 7, 1962, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. A family babysitter reported that she and AUDREY hitchhiked to Madison, Wisconsin, before boarding a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana. The babysitter stated that she last saw AUDREY walking away from the bus stop, never to return home or be heard from again, as detailed by the Charley Project, a platform dedicated to missing persons cases.
The Charley Project revealed that AUDREY married RONALD BACKBERG at the age of 15, and their marriage was reportedly troubled, with allegations of abuse. The babysitter claimed that AUDREY chose to leave voluntarily and expressed her intention not to return. However, family members maintained that she would never have abandoned her children. Notably, RONALD BACKBERG passed a polygraph test conducted after AUDREY’s disappearance.
Earlier this year, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office assigned the case to a detective, who conducted a comprehensive review of all case files and evidence. This included re-interviewing witnesses and uncovering new insights, ultimately leading to the resolution of the decades-old mystery.
For more details, visit the [Wisconsin Department of Justice](https://www.doj.state.wi.us) and the [Charley Project](https://www.charleyproject.org).
