In an ending that seemingly no one expected, Audrey Backeberg, a Wisconsin mother of two who went missing over 60 years ago, has been found alive and is reportedly living a happy life with no regrets for leaving her family.
In a statement, Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister said Backeberg's disappearance "was by her own choice and not the result of any criminal activity or foul play."
In detail, when the now 82-year-old woman was found by a detective who tracked her down via ancestry.com, Backeberg said she had fled her home for her safety from her allegedly abusive husband, Ronald. They were married when she was 15 years old.
She went missing at 20 years old on July 7, 1962, when a babysitter said she got on a bus bound for Indiana. She'd been living with her husband and their two small children in Reedsburg, a city about 55 miles northwest of Madison.
According to a missing person's advocacy group, she had filed a police report two days before she disappeared saying Ronald had beaten her so badly she had permanent damage. She said he also threatened to kill her. While she was missing, Ronald was questioned and searches were carried out for her remains in a nearby rural area.
When she was found, Backeberg told investigators she left by her own choice and was never unsafe while listed as a missing person for the past six decades.
The sheriff said she was living outside Wisconsin, but did not provide any further details.
Detective Isaac Hanson led the investigation into Backeberg's disappearance and he said they spoke on the phone for 45 minutes.
"I think she just was removed and, you know, moved on from things and kind of did her own thing and led her life," he told WISN. "She sounded happy. Confident in her decision. No regrets."
Per Newsweek, he would not reveal what exactly they discussed, saying, "I told Audrey I'd keep it private. She had her reasons for leaving."