WOMAN MISSING SINCE 1962 FOUND ALIVE AND WELL IN U.S

CHICAGO, USA - In a remarkable turn of events, a woman who vanished nearly 63 years ago has been discovered alive and well, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin has confirmed.

Audrey Backeberg was just 20 years old when she disappeared from her hometown of Reedsburg on 7th July 1962. At the time, she was married with two children. According to reports from Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy, Audrey had filed a criminal complaint against her husband, whom she married at 15. Accusing him of abuse and threats shortly before she went missing.

On the day of her disappearance, she had left to collect her pay cheque from a local woollen mill. A 14 year old babysitter later told police that she and Ms Backeberg hitchhiked to Madison and boarded a bus to Indianapolis. The babysitter eventually returned home, but Ms Backeberg was last seen walking away from the Indianapolis bus stop never to be heard from again.

Sheriff Chip Meister confirmed there was no foul play involved, saying Audrey left “by her own choice”. She is now 82 years old and living outside Wisconsin. No further details about her current location have been disclosed to respect her privacy.

The case, long considered cold, was reopened earlier this year. Detective Isaac Hanson, who led the renewed investigation, traced Audrey with the help of an ancestry website connected to her sister. After contacting local authorities in her current location, he spoke directly to her in what he described as a “happy” and “confident” 45 minute conversation.

“She sounded happy. Confident in her decision. No regrets,” said Det. Hanson in an interview with WISN, a local news station.

This extraordinary case sheds light on the complexity of missing persons reports, and the resilience of those who choose to start life anew.

PC: Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy
Source: BBC News