Depies Case Gets Another Look By UW-Oshkosh Professor

Laurie Depies was working at the Fox River Mall back in August of 1992. She was last seen in the parking lot of her boyfriend’s apartment complex in Menasha.

Investigators and family members have looked for the answers surrounding her disappearance for 30 years, but now a UW-Oshkosh Professor is looking to tackle the cold case in hopes of solving the case.

Jordan Kasten is Associate Professor of Anthropology at UW-Oshkosh, and along with students and Matt Hiskes, his podcasting partner, are bringing back Cold Case Frozen Tundra this spring.

The group worked together last year to bring closure regarding the 1982 disappearance of Starkie Swenson of Neenah.

Karsten hopes they are able to spark new interest and trigger a memory for someone to bring new information to law enforcement officials.

The effort has received permission from the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation and the Depies’ family.

According to the FBI website, on August 19, 1992, a co-worker walked Laurie Jean Depies to her vehicle after work at the Fox River Mall in Appleton, Wisconsin. Her vehicle was heard coming into the parking lot of her boyfriend’s apartment complex, located at 310 West Wilson Avenue in Appleton, Wisconsin; however, Depies never entered the apartment. Depies’ boyfriend’s sister and her friend searched for Depies in the parking lot to no avail.  They found her vehicle locked, with a Styrofoam cup of soda on top of it.  Foul play is suspected in Depies’ disappearance.