this post was submitted on 05 May 2025
71 points (97.3% liked)

Weird News - Things that make you go 'hmmm'

1497 readers
23 users here now

Rules:

  1. News must be from a reliable source. No tabloids or sensationalism, please.

  2. Try to keep it safe for work. Contact a moderator before posting if you have any doubts.

  3. Titles of articles must remain unchanged; however extraneous information like "Watch:" or "Look:" can be removed. Titles with trailing, non-relevant information can also be edited so long as the headline's intent remains intact.

  4. Be nice. If you've got nothing positive to say, don't say it.

Violators will be banned at mod's discretion.

Communities We Like:

-Not the Onion

-And finally...

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 11 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] celeste@kbin.earth 75 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The group said that days before she went missing, Ms Backeberg, now 82, had filed a criminal complaint against her husband, whom she had married at the age of 15, alleging he had beaten her and threatened to kill her.

Glad she escaped. Sucks that in 1962 "disappearing completely" was the only option she saw.

[–] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 40 points 3 weeks ago

I said this in another post on the subject. The woman fled her abusive husband before he killed her, cop finds her 60 years later and says "yep. Guess she just has a free spirit!"

Fuck.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 23 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

What happened to the babysitter?

The couple's 14-year-old babysitter told police she and Ms Backeberg then hitchhiked to Madison, Wisconsin's state capital, and from there caught a bus to Indianapolis, Indiana, about 300 miles (480km) away.

The babysitter then became nervous and wanted to return home, but Ms Backeberg refused and was last seen walking away from the bus stop.

[–] L0rdMathias@sh.itjust.works 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

She's still there to this day, doomed to sit on babies forever while waiting for a train that'll never come.

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

But why did she go with her in the first place? What about the kids, did they go with her? These are the drama elements at the beginning of a movie and now we'll never know.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 10 points 3 weeks ago

Why did the 14 year old babysitter escape with the abused 20 year old mother of two who married at age 15?

I think I have a pretty good idea.

[–] jqubed@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

I’m assuming she went back since she was telling police this at the time

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Alive and well because she ditched that bitch of a husband! Good for her!

[–] celeste@kbin.earth 2 points 3 weeks ago

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5388290/audrey-backeberg-missing-wisconsin-woman-found another article about her with a couple more details. her ex husband died in 2006, at least.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

What happened to the two kids though? That's an angle that needs examining...

She fled with the babysitter, did they bring the kids?