In the winter of 1976, Lisa Staes was trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to do with her life. Like so many 20-year-olds, she’d just moved out of her parents’ house and started classes at a community college. She was embracing her independence as a young adult.
But no one ever got to see how Lisa’s life would unfold. Because that same year she disappeared.
It took nearly two years for investigators to figure out that Lisa had been murdered. But in the 49 years since, they’re still trying to uncover why, and, most importantly… who. And now more than ever, it’s a race against time.
Courtesy of Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators
Episode Info
If you have any information about the murder of Lisa Staes or her whereabouts between Chicago and Wisconsin in January of 1976, please call the Sauk County sheriff’s office at 608-355-4495 and ask for Detective Bulin. Or, if you’d rather remain anonymous, you can call the Sauk County crime stoppers tip line at 1-800-847-7285
A photo of Lisa. Courtesy: John Staes, Lisa’s father.
A photo of Lisa. Courtesy: John Staes, Lisa’s father.
A photo of Lisa taken at her cousin Michelle’s house in Oak Park, Illinois. Courtesy: John Staes, Lisa’s brother.
A childhood photo of Lisa with her two brothers, Grant and Tim, and their dog Toofer. Courtesy: Grant Staes, Lisa’s brother
A composite sketch of Frigid Frida circulated by Sauk County. Courtesy: Sauk County sheriff’s office.
A composite sketch of Frigid Frida’s mushroom tattoo circulated by Sauk County. Courtesy: Sauk County sheriff’s office.
A photo of Poor Nate’s tavern present day. Taken by audiochuck staff.
A photo of the bridge near the crime scene where Lisa’s body was found. Courtesy: Sauk County Sheriff’s Office.
A photo taken of Lisa’s casket during the exhumation process. Courtesy: Sauk County Sheriff’s Office.
A photo of Lisa’s grave present day. Taken by audiochuck staff.
Episode Source Material
Original reporting by Nicole Kagan
- Baraboo News Republic (Baraboo, WI): No ID yet on body found in Dellona via Newspapers.com.
- Baraboo News Republic (Baraboo, WI): Parents are at peace (Letter to editor from Lisa’s Parents) Accessed via Newspapers.com.
- Prison Writers: My friend, a serial killer, is ready to confess.
- Baraboo News Republic (Baraboo, WI): Buried as found: unknown woman, by Richard Maciejewski Accessed via Newspapers.com.
- Olathe News (Olathe, KS): Help identify body of Leawood woman Accessed via Newspapers.com.
- Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI): Mystery woman’s body finally identified by Richard W Jaeger Accessed via Newspapers.com.
- Science Direct: DNA profiling of single sperm cells after whole genome amplification.