Overview

Last seen: February 11, 2022
Location: Bowler/Shawano County, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 36
Current status: Missing
NamUs: MP93991

Main circumstances: Dickenson was living on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation before his disappearance. The vehicle he had been using was later located on a logging road on the Menominee Reservation. Multiple law-enforcement agencies, tribal agencies, family members and volunteers have participated in searches. Human remains discovered on the Menominee Reservation were determined not to be Dickenson. A major search was conducted north of Keshena in May 2024, and Wisconsin authorities continue to list him as missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Justin Lee Dickenson Missing Person Case: What Happened in Wisconsin?

Justin Lee Dickenson disappeared from the Bowler/Shawano County area of Wisconsin on February 11, 2022. More than four years later, his whereabouts remain unknown, and his case continues to be listed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an active missing-person case.

Dickenson was 36 years old when he disappeared. He is Native American and was described at the time as approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 157 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Identifying features include a “JD” tattoo on his left hand, a scar near his right eye, and a reported three-inch scar on his abdomen.

Justin Dickenson’s Last Known Location

Dickenson was last seen on February 11, 2022, in the Bowler area of Shawano County, Wisconsin. He was known to be living on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation.

One of the most significant publicly reported developments came when the vehicle Dickenson had been using was located on a logging road on the neighboring Menominee Reservation.

The discovery shifted considerable attention toward the Menominee Reservation and the wooded areas surrounding the location where the vehicle was found. Publicly available information has not established exactly how Dickenson’s vehicle arrived there or what happened to him afterward.

Searches for Justin Dickenson

The search for Dickenson has involved multiple agencies and members of the community.

According to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s 2022 annual report, Menominee Tribal Emergency Management assisted the Menominee Tribal Police Department with searches connected to Dickenson’s disappearance. Participating organizations included Menominee Tribal Enterprise, Menominee Tribal Forestry, the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, Menominee Tribal Police, Menominee Tribal Conservation and county and tribal emergency-management personnel.

Dickenson’s family and community volunteers also participated in search efforts.

Family Continues Seeking Answers

Dickenson’s disappearance has remained a concern within the area’s Indigenous communities.

In September 2022 reporting about missing and murdered Indigenous people, family member Camay Lyons described the continuing emotional impact of his disappearance and expressed the family’s belief that people may have information that could help explain what happened.

Despite the attention surrounding the case, relatively few details about Dickenson’s final known movements have been publicly released.

Reward Offered for Information

In May 2023, the Menominee Tribal Legislature authorized a $5,000 reward in connection with information about Dickenson.

The announcement was made as tribal leaders took action related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/Persons awareness. Authorities continued encouraging anyone with relevant information to contact law enforcement.

Human Remains Found on Menominee Reservation

Another development brought renewed attention to Dickenson’s disappearance when human skeletal remains were discovered in a forested area of the Menominee Reservation.

Because both Dickenson and Robert Lyons were missing from the area, investigators considered whether the remains could belong to either man.

Dental comparisons determined that the remains were not Justin Dickenson and were not Robert Lyons. FBI forensic specialists subsequently continued work to identify the unidentified remains.

The finding therefore did not resolve Dickenson’s disappearance.

Major Search Conducted in 2024

Authorities and Dickenson’s family continued searching years after he disappeared.

On May 3, 2024, Menominee Tribal Police, Menominee Tribal Conservation, the FBI, family members and other participants conducted another organized search.

Searchers concentrated on a swampy area around Max Martin Road and County Road VV, north of Keshena. The terrain was described as wet, thick and difficult to search.

The renewed operation demonstrated that investigators and Dickenson’s family were still actively pursuing answers more than two years after his disappearance.

Latest Information on Justin Dickenson’s Disappearance

The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to list Justin L. Dickenson as a missing adult. Its current listing identifies his missing date as February 11, 2022, his missing location as Shawano County and his investigating contact as the Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department.

A more recent review of missing-person cases in north-central Wisconsin also continued to list Dickenson as missing and noted that his vehicle had been found on a logging road on the Menominee Reservation.

No reliable public information located for this article establishes that Dickenson has been found, that anyone has been arrested in connection with his disappearance, or that authorities have officially classified the case as a homicide.

The central unanswered questions therefore remain the same: what happened to Justin Dickenson after February 11, 2022, why was the vehicle he had been using left on the Menominee Reservation, and where is he now?

Anyone with information—even information that may have seemed insignificant at the time—is encouraged to provide it directly to investigators.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last seen: February 11, 2022
Location: Bowler/Shawano County, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 36
Current status: Missing
NamUs: MP93991

Main circumstances: Dickenson was living on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation before his disappearance. The vehicle he had been using was later located on a logging road on the Menominee Reservation. Multiple law-enforcement agencies, tribal agencies, family members and volunteers have participated in searches. Human remains discovered on the Menominee Reservation were determined not to be Dickenson. A major search was conducted north of Keshena in May 2024, and Wisconsin authorities continue to list him as missing.