Woman who went missing at bus stop more than 60 years ago and not heard from since found ‘alive and well’ by police

On 7 July 1962, 20-year-old Audrey Backeberg was heading to work to pick up her payslip when she vanished, but incredibly, 60 years on, the cold case has been cracked.

Backeberg from Reedsburg, Wisconsin, US was married and had two children when she made the trip to woolen mill, having last been seen walking to a bus stop.

However, she would never return home to her family, leaving husband Ronald and her kids worried sick.

After reaching out to relatives to see if they knew where she could be, they were eventually resigned to the fact that she was gone.

But amazingly, 63 years on, the Sauk County Sheriff's Office announced on Friday (2 May) that she has been found 'alive and well'.

Backeberg was living in Sauk County, Wisconsin, at the time of her disappearance (Getty Stock Image)

Early clues hint at Backeberg's movements that day

Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy revealed that after the mother went missing, a 14-year-old babysitter for the family said that Backeberg had hitchhiked to the city of Madison, before taking a bus to Indianapolis.

The babysitter further added that the then 20-year-old didn't want to come home after arriving in the state of Indiana, and was last seen walking by a bus stop.

Detective Lt. Chris Zunker of the Sauk County Sheriff's Office revealed in the bulletin: “The juvenile (babysitter) was interviewed again as an adult, maybe 15 years ago.

“She stated Audrey had taken a bunch of pills, put them in a Coke can and drank it before taking the bus down to Indianapolis. She reported Audrey potentially hooked up with some construction workers that may have been in the area.”

Despite these findings, Backeberg's relatives at the time claimed she would never leave her children.

Donald passed a polygraph, or lie detector, test and was ruled innocent.

A major breakthrough

In the years following her disappearance, investigators followed a number of leads to dead ends, until a breakthrough this year.

Everything unravelled when the case was given to a detective earlier this year as part of a review which involved looking at cold case files.

The Sheriff's Office stated: “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.”

Backeberg has been found 'alive and well' in a different state (Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy Inc)

Rumours swirl over alleged abuse

Then-Sheriff Randy Stammen revealed that Audrey and Ronald's relationship was troubled with allegations of abuse, as a criminal complaint which was filed days before she vanished reportedly involved details of this.

But the Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy said she chose to remain at home despite this, though authorities now claim that 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 dedication of the Sheriff’s Office to providing answers to families and the community,” thanking investigators who worked on the case over the years.