Midwest
Missing woman found after more than 60 years, sheriff reveals what really happened
A more than 60-year-old cold case out of Wisconsin involving a missing mother has been solved.
Audrey Backeberg, now 82, who disappeared at age 20, has been found “alive and well,” the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release.
“The Sheriff’s Office is now able to report that Audrey Backeberg is alive and well and currently resides out of State,” the sheriff’s office said in a media release. “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.”
Backeberg disappeared from her family’s home on July 7, 1962, the Wisconsin Department of Justice website says. The family’s babysitter told authorities that she and Audrey hitchhiked to Madison, Wisconsin, before taking a Greyhound bus to Indianapolis, Indiana.
WANDA BARZEE, ONE OF ELIZABETH SMART’S CAPTORS, ARRESTED ON ALLEGED SEX OFFENDER VIOLATION
Audrey Jean Backeberg, whose maiden named was Good, went missing in July 1962 when she was 20 years old. (Wisconsin Department of Justice)
There, the babysitter said, she last saw Audrey walk around the corner away from the bus stop. The mother of two never returned home and had not been heard from again, according to the Charley Project, which profiles missing person cold cases.
The Charley Project says Audrey married Ronald Backberg when she was “about fifteen years old” and that their “marriage was troubled and there were allegations of abuse.”
KIDNAPPING HOAXER SHERRI PAPINI INSISTS SHE WAS ‘TORTURED’ FOR WEEKS, IN FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE DISAPPEARANCE
Audrey Backeberg lived with her husband and children in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, seen here. (Google Maps)
The Backeberg’s babysitter said she and Audrey took a Greyhound bus from Madison, Wisconsin to Indianapolis, Indiana. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The babysitter stated Audrey chose to leave of her own accord and said she would not return, but Audrey’s family members insisted she would never have abandoned her children,” The Charley Project said, adding that “Ronald passed a polygraph exam conducted after Audrey’s disappearance.”
The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office assigned the cold case to a detective earlier this year, “which included a thorough re-evaluation of all case files and evidence, combined with re-interviewing witnesses and uncovering new insights,” the media release said.
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STATE POLICE SAY THEY FOUND THIS DRACO WRAPPED IN A T-SHIRT IN OREGON TOWNSHIP.
TROOPERS SAY THEY WERE RESPONDING TO A CALL ABOUT A POSSIBLE ROBBERY – WHEN THEY SAW THE SUSPECT FROM FLINT – WALKING AROUND WITH AMMO IN HIS POCKET.
HE WAS ARRESTED FOR CARRYING A CONCEALED WEAPON – AND HAVING THE GUN WHILE INTOXICATED.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city, Common Ground
MILWAUKEE — Leaking ceilings, cracked walls and big holes are the conditions Carolyn Ferguson has been living in for years at the home she rents from Highgrove Holdings, LLC.
READ ALSO | Milwaukee tenants, Common Ground push city leaders for more landlord accountability over nuisance violations
“It rains in here, it rains in the dining room in there,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson is one of several tenants working with community nonprofit Common Ground and the city of Milwaukee to sue her landlord over alleged neglect, code violations, vacancy and unpaid property taxes.
The mother of 17 is raising her last daughter and is fighting cancer. The condition of her home is another burden.
“I’ve got to worry about that, and worry about the surgery, and all this other stuff and I mean he’s just making it even worse for me than it is,” Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
On Monday, during an unrelated press conference by Common Ground, Highgrove Holdings owner David Tomblin made a surprise appearance and faced questions from TMJ4 chief investigative reporter Jenna Rae. While he didn’t answer many of them, he did say the group has made progress.
Watch: Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued
When asked about the city of Milwaukee’s lawsuit over issues at his properties that he is not addressing, Tomblin responded.
“Well, we are addressing them, but in the proper time,” Tomblin said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
Ferguson said she has not seen any of those fixes.
“He hasn’t fixed anything, like I said, out of the nine years I’ve been here, he’s had at least seven years and nothing, nothing at all,” Ferguson said.
The issues are impacting multiple generations of the Ferguson family. Carolyn’s daughter used to live at the property until she moved out after poor conditions were never addressed. More than a year later, that unit is still boarded up.
“When is he going to fix my momma’s ceiling? When is he going to do something about the roof? When are you going to do something about that basement downstairs? I would ask him a lot of questions,” Edwina Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones called Tomblin Monday night. He picked up and requested to know the names of the tenants who were interviewed. Jones said that information would be available after the story was published, so he declined to answer questions.
While Tomblin said there will be a press conference with tenants soon, he did not commit to a date or time.
Common Ground’s Kevin Solomon said the pressure on Tomblin is working.
“It’s political, and it shows that our pressure is clearly getting under his skin. The lawsuit will play out; Common Ground will stay on it,” Solomon said.
The next court date for the lawsuit is at the end of July.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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