Missing Green Bay man found dead in Ozaukee County

Listen to this article

On Wednesday, at or around 4:25 a.m., 37-year-old Benjamin Berendsen, a missing person from Green Bay was located deceased in a heavily wooded area east of I-43 and north of Silver Beach Rd. in the Town of Belgium, according to Ozaukee County officials.

An extensive search for Berendsen had been conducted since Friday, when his vehicle was located unoccupied on the shoulder of I-43 Northbound, just north of Silver Beach Road. The investigation began when a citizen reported seeing a disabled vehicle, which was later linked to a missing person case involving Berendsen, whose disappearance had been posted on social media, according to authorities.

Over the course of five days, various search efforts were conducted, including: a search of his vehicle, K9 tracking, drone searches, searches conducted by foot, inspections of hunting blinds and outbuildings in the surrounding area, canvasing of area residences and businesses, tracking phone pings, and identifying and contacting individuals with whom Berendsen had recently been in contact with, officials said.

On Wednesday morning, another K9 track and foot search took place in the area where Berendsen’s vehicle was located. The search led deputies to a remote, swampy, and heavily wooded area east of I43 and north of Silver Beach Road that was difficult to access. Berendsen was located, deceased, in the wooded area, authorities noted.

The investigation is ongoing with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. No additional information is available, according to law enforcement officials.

The Ozaukee County Drone Team, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Green Bay Police Department, Milwaukee Police Department, Franklin Police Department, West Allis Police Department, and Belgium Fire Department assisted with the incident.