Overview

Last Seen: October 22, 2023
Location: Maple Ridge Road/Maple Grove Mobile Home Park area, Mercer, Iron County, Wisconsin
Age When Missing: 46
Also Known As: Rudy, Wegahta
Status: Missing; Charley Project classification is endangered missing
NamUs: MP111209
Local Case Reference: 2310-0291

Main Circumstances: Tessema traveled from New York to the Midwest during a spiritual journey. After reaching Mercer, Wisconsin, he reportedly intended to spend several days outdoors. He was last seen walking barefoot near Maple Ridge Road and reportedly entered a wooded area. His vehicle and belongings were left behind. Extensive searches using ground crews, drones and multiple types of search dogs did not locate him. Authorities have worked with state, federal, tribal and out-of-state agencies, and his family supplied DNA for NamUs. He remains missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Namrud Wegahta Tessema Missing From Mercer, Wisconsin: The Search for Rudy

Namrud Wegahta Tessema, also known as “Rudy” or “Wegahta,” disappeared from Mercer, Wisconsin, on October 22, 2023. The New York man was 46 years old when he vanished while visiting northern Wisconsin during what his family described as a spiritual journey. More than two years later, Tessema remains listed as missing by Wisconsin authorities.

The Disappearance of Namrud Tessema

Tessema had traveled from New York to the Midwest while exploring spirituality, nature and Native American cultural traditions. According to later reporting by WSAW, his journey brought him to Minnesota before he arrived in Mercer with a friend. Shortly before reaching Wisconsin, Tessema had undertaken a two-day spiritual journey in Minnesota, temporarily leaving his belongings behind before emerging approximately 10 miles north of the Twin Cities in good health.

He spoke with his sister during that period. Family members later emphasized that nothing about the conversation suggested he intended to permanently separate himself from his family. His close relationships, including with his children and siblings, became one reason relatives found his prolonged disappearance so difficult to reconcile with his normal behavior.

Tessema subsequently traveled to Mercer in Iron County, Wisconsin. According to Chief Deputy Mike Randall of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Tessema indicated that he wanted to undertake another spiritual journey, potentially one lasting several days.

Last Seen Near Maple Ridge Road

On the night of October 22, 2023, Tessema was seen near the Maple Grove Mobile Home Park and Maple Ridge Road in Mercer. He was reportedly wearing blue jeans and a dark-colored flannel shirt and was not wearing shoes.

The most detailed public account of his final reported sighting came from WSAW in 2024. Chief Deputy Randall said a resident returning home shortly before midnight encountered a man matching Tessema’s description walking on Maple Ridge Road. The resident contacted authorities after seeing the man near her home. According to the account provided to investigators, the man eventually walked around the trailer and entered the woods.

Deputies responded to the mobile home park but did not locate anyone. On October 24, Tessema was formally reported missing.

His vehicle and personal belongings were left behind. No confirmed contact with Tessema has been publicly reported since his disappearance.

Extensive Search of the Mercer Area

Authorities mounted extensive searches around Tessema’s last known location. Early efforts included ground searches and drones, while subsequent investigative work involved search-and-rescue dogs, tracking and live-detection dogs, and cadaver dogs.

Chief Deputy Randall told WSAW that search teams had covered approximately 400 acres around the mobile home park. Much of the concentrated search area was east of the park, where forest and marsh terrain complicated efforts on foot. Drones allowed searchers to examine areas that were difficult to access from the ground.

The investigation eventually expanded beyond Iron County. The Iron County Sheriff’s Office worked with the FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice, New York law enforcement and tribal authorities. Members of Tessema’s family also traveled through Wisconsin distributing information at gas stations, houses of worship, truck stops, restaurants and other heavily traveled locations. The family additionally worked with a private investigator and used billboards and social media to generate leads.

Reported Sightings and Investigative Leads

At least one reported sighting drew attention outside the immediate Mercer area. In December 2023, WXPR reported that someone in Plover, Wisconsin, believed they had seen a man resembling Tessema after recognizing him from a billboard. Plover police searched but were unable to locate the individual.

Other reported sightings were investigated as well, but WSAW reported in October 2024 that none had been confirmed.

Investigators also interviewed the people Tessema had been staying with in Mercer. In WSAW’s 2024 report, Randall explained that because they were among the last known people to have seen Tessema, investigators treated them as persons requiring investigative scrutiny. He said their separate interview timelines matched each other and information supplied by Tessema’s sister, and authorities had found no additional evidence suggesting they were responsible for his disappearance.

No publicly available source reviewed for this article establishes that Tessema was the victim of homicide or identifies anyone as having committed a crime against him.

DNA Entered Into NamUs

Tessema’s family provided DNA for inclusion in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, according to Chief Deputy Randall. His NamUs missing-person reference is MP111209.

Another public missing-person database lists the Iron County case/reference number as 2310-0291.

Tessema was approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 150 pounds when he disappeared. He had brown eyes, gray or partially gray hair and a tattoo on his left hand. He may respond to Namrud, Wegahta or Rudy.

Latest Publicly Available Information

The most substantial publicly available investigative update located for this article came from WSAW’s October 3, 2024 investigation. At that point, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office said it continued reviewing the case, maintaining contact with Tessema’s family and considering additional searches after leaves fell, when visibility in the heavily wooded terrain would improve. Investigators said potential leads continued to be checked.

The Charley Project added Tessema’s case to its database and last updated its entry on May 29, 2025, continuing to classify him as an endangered missing person whose case remains unsolved.

Most significantly, the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults continues to list Namrud Tessema among Wisconsin’s missing persons in records retrieved in September 2026. The state listing gives October 22, 2023 as the date he disappeared and Mercer, Iron County, Wisconsin, as his last known location.

No reliable public report located through September 2026 announces that Tessema has been found, confirms his death or reports an arrest in connection with his disappearance.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: October 22, 2023
Location: Maple Ridge Road/Maple Grove Mobile Home Park area, Mercer, Iron County, Wisconsin
Age When Missing: 46
Also Known As: Rudy, Wegahta
Status: Missing; Charley Project classification is endangered missing
NamUs: MP111209
Local Case Reference: 2310-0291

Main Circumstances: Tessema traveled from New York to the Midwest during a spiritual journey. After reaching Mercer, Wisconsin, he reportedly intended to spend several days outdoors. He was last seen walking barefoot near Maple Ridge Road and reportedly entered a wooded area. His vehicle and belongings were left behind. Extensive searches using ground crews, drones and multiple types of search dogs did not locate him. Authorities have worked with state, federal, tribal and out-of-state agencies, and his family supplied DNA for NamUs. He remains missing.