Over 200 people missing in Wisconsin, remembered at Annual Missing Persons Awareness Event today

BELLEVUE, Wis. (WBAY) - April is Missing Persons Awareness Month. To show support and share resources, the Annual Missing Persons Awareness Event made its in-person return after two years due to COVID at the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.

“We had hoped that we would have some sort of resolution, be able to lay her to rest, and we can’t move forward with that because she’s still missing,” founder and president of Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy, Inc. Marsha Loritz shared.

Related: First Alert Exclusive: Daughter of missing and murdered mom speaks for first time since stepdad’s trial

Loritz founded the non-profit in 2017 after her mom, Victoria Prokopovitz, went missing in 2013. Fellow board member Jackie Kort also lost her mother. She was only four-years-old when her mom was reported missing in 1979 in Muskego, WI.

“You see shows on T.V. of missing people and, I do realize that it’s entertainment for some people but these are real families that are missing their loved ones and are hurting,” Kort said as she started to get choked up.

The Wall of The Missing at Brown County Sheriff’s Department for the event had over 200 people who are currently considered missing in Wisconsin. Seeing their faces and reading information about them is just one way Saturday’s event hoped to raise awareness and bring closure to families who need it.

“Never give up,” Loritz emphasized. “There is always hope and it may take a while but we should never give up.”

One family was not in attendance as planned on Saturday because they found their loved one this week. Brown County Sheriff’s Department recommends calling 911 as early as possible if someone may be missing so they can flood the area quickly to try and find them.

“We do respond to missing persons calls on a pretty regular basis,” Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain said. “As the weather changes, we will respond to missing children.”

While Loritz said the number of people reportedly missing has increased over the years, encouraging messages like “Have Faith” and “Stay Strong” were written on yellow ribbons stuck to The Wall of The Missing. Still keeping these missing peoples’ memories alive, even after so many years.

To get in touch with Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy, Inc. click here.

Copyright 2022 WBAY. All rights reserved.