Dad who vanished before Thanksgiving found dead in woods 80 miles from home, WI cops say
A 37-year-old man missing since just before Thanksgiving has been found dead in a heavily wooded area of Wisconsin, authorities said.
The body of Benjamin Berendsen of Green Bay was found just before 4:30 a.m. Dec. 4 in woods in the town of Belgium, according to a news release from the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said they had been searching for Berendsen since Nov. 29, when his car was found abandoned on the shoulder of Interstate 43.
Berendsen’s sister Hannah Canales said the family was unsuccessful in getting him officially listed as a missing person in Brown County until Dec. 3, according to a Facebook post.
Canales said the family was told Berendsen did not initially meet the criteria for a missing person but did not specify why in the post.
A news release from the Brown County Sheriff’s Office said Berendsen was last seen on Nov. 26.
Canales told WISN that the family grew concerned when he stopped contacting his three children.
“He was calling the kids every night and wasn’t — didn’t call that night,” Canales told the outlet.
Tyler Berendsen, Benjamin’s brother, told the outlet they had plans to go to a Packers game together on Thanksgiving, but he couldn’t reach him to confirm their plans.
Authorities said they used many strategies in the search for Berendsen, including K9 tracking, drones, cellphone pings, and canvassing areas of interest on foot.
On Dec. 4 after another round of K9 tracking and a search on foot, Ozaukee County deputies found Berendsen dead in “a remote, swampy, and heavily wooded area” that was difficult to access, authorities said.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate Berendsen’s death, according to the release.
Belgium is about an 80-mile drive south from Green Bay.
This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Dad who vanished before Thanksgiving found dead in woods 80 miles from home, WI cops say."
