Audrey Backeberg, 20, went missing on July 7, 1962, while on her way to work to pick up her pay stub; nonetheless, 60 years later, the cold case has been solved.

Backeberg, from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, was married with two children when she went to the woolen factory. She was last seen heading to a bus stop.

However, she would never come home to her family, leaving her husband, Ronald, and their children scared and unwell.

After contacting family to see if they knew where she might be, they came to accept that she was no longer alive.

But, remarkably, 63 years later, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office revealed on Friday (2 May) that she had been discovered ‘living and healthy.’

Early indicators indicate Backeberg’s movements that day.

Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy discovered that when the mother went missing, the family’s 14-year-old babysitter said that Backeberg hitchhiked to Madison before catching a bus to Indianapolis.

The babysitter went on to say that after landing in Indiana, the then-20-year-old refused to return home and was last seen strolling at a bus stop.

Detective Lt. Chris Zunker of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office stated in the alert that the juvenile (babysitter) was interviewed again as an adult, maybe 15 years ago.

“She claimed Audrey had taken a number of pills, poured them into a Coke can, and drank them before taking the bus down to Indianapolis.” She mentioned Audrey maybe hooking up with some construction workers who were in the vicinity.

Despite these discoveries, Backeberg’s relatives at the time stated that she would never abandon her children.

Donald passed a polygraph, or lie detector, exam and was found innocent.

A huge breakthrough.

Investigators pursued a number of clues in the years since her abduction, but none of them led anywhere until this year.

Everything fell apart when the case was assigned to a detective early this year as part of a review that included looking through cold case files.

The department said, “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.”

Audrey and Ronald’s relationship was plagued by charges of violence, according to then-Sheriff Randy Stammen, and a criminal complaint filed days before she vanished detailed this.

However, the Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy says she elected to stay at home despite this, and officials now allege she chose to go missing, with no criminal activity or foul play involved.

Following its news release, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office stated, “Despite the significant challenges that many cold cases present, this resolution underscores both the importance of continued work and the Sheriff’s Office’s dedication to providing answers to families and the community,” while thanking investigators who worked on the case over the years.