MILWAUKEE, WI — Advocacy groups in Wisconsin are working alongside police and families as the number of missing persons cases continues to stretch on across the state. Wisconsin currently lists 171 people in its missing persons database, and hundreds of families are still looking for answers.
One recent case has drawn renewed attention in Dodge County, where Alexis Nelson was reported missing and investigators later say evidence pointed to a death. Authorities are still searching for her remains.
Recent Dodge County Case
Beaver Dam police and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office asked the public earlier this year for help finding 42-year-old Alexis Nelson. Last week, Dodge County prosecutors charged 43-year-old Aaron Nelson with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse.
Court filings say Alexis Nelson was last seen alive with Aaron Nelson at a Beaver Dam Kwik Trip in March 2025. Prosecutors say evidence recovered in the case, including blood and human decomposition, suggests she is no longer alive.
Search Efforts Keep Going
The Nelson case is one example of the larger burden missing persons cases place on Wisconsin families. Heather Vancil, who co-founded Wisconsin Rapids-based Rapid Search and Rescue more than 10 years ago, says her group helps law enforcement with searches.
Vancil said the work is about keeping attention on people who might otherwise fade from public view. She said getting names back out there matters even when active searches are not underway.
Statewide Numbers Matter
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the state’s database includes 171 missing people. Among the better-known cases are Milwaukee-area disappearances involving Isaiah Cramer and Alexis Patterson.
Vancil said many other missing people do not remain in the public eye as long, even though their families continue to wait and hope for news.
Families Face Ongoing Pain
Vancil said the wait can feel like a daily emotional roller coaster for loved ones. Families often have to keep moving through ordinary life while carrying the uncertainty of not knowing what happened.
She also said the pain can return sharply when someone is found or when an arrest is made, because that moment can reopen the hardest parts of the case for the people left behind.
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