Overview

Last Seen: September 25, 1987
Location: Burlington, Racine County, Wisconsin
Age: 54
Status: Missing / unresolved
NamUs: MP37975

Main circumstances: Stapleton was staying at the Stepping Stone halfway house in Burlington. Residents were taken bowling on September 25, 1987. Stapleton got off the bus and was never seen again. A social worker later reported him missing. He had relatives in Milwaukee and may have intended to travel there, but no publicly documented evidence confirms that he reached Milwaukee.

Current status: Wisconsin authorities continue to list Stapleton as missing. His case was added to the Doe Network in December 2024, and no publicly announced resolution has been located.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Norbert Michael Stapleton: The 1987 Burlington, Wisconsin Disappearance

Nearly four decades after Norbert Michael Stapleton disappeared in Burlington, Wisconsin, his whereabouts remain unknown. Stapleton was 54 years old when he vanished on September 25, 1987, after an outing involving residents of the halfway house where he was staying.

His disappearance remains listed by Wisconsin authorities, and investigators continue to ask anyone with information to contact the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.

The Disappearance of Norbert Michael Stapleton

Norbert Michael Stapleton was staying at the Stepping Stone, described in missing-person records as a halfway house in Burlington, Racine County, Wisconsin. The facility was associated with substance-abuse treatment.

On September 25, 1987, residents of the facility were taken on a bowling outing. According to the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults, Stapleton got off the bus and was never seen again.

The Charley Project reports that a social worker at the Stepping Stone subsequently reported him missing.

What Happened After the Bowling Trip?

The publicly available descriptions of Stapleton’s disappearance are unusually brief. They do not identify a confirmed destination after he left the bus, nor do they document a verified sighting after September 25, 1987.

According to The Charley Project, Stapleton did not have a known history of disappearing. He had relatives in Milwaukee, and investigators reportedly considered the possibility that he might have attempted to travel there after leaving the Burlington facility. No publicly documented evidence establishes that he actually reached Milwaukee.

That distinction remains important: Milwaukee represents a possible destination mentioned in case information, while Burlington is the documented location from which Stapleton disappeared.

Description of Norbert Stapleton

Stapleton was 54 when he disappeared. Sources describe him as a white male approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 to 165 pounds. He had graying or brownish-gray hair, green eyes and a mustache.

Several physical characteristics could potentially help distinguish him. Stapleton had no natural teeth and wore full dentures. The second toe on his right foot had also been partially amputated.

He was reportedly wearing a knee-length beige or tan overcoat and blue pants around the time of his disappearance.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

As of September 2026, the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults continues to publicly list Norbert Michael Stapleton as missing from Burlington since September 25, 1987. The state’s current listing directs information to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office.

A notable later development occurred on December 10, 2024, when the Doe Network announced that Stapleton’s case had been added to its database as case 6544DMWI. The addition expanded the case’s presence in databases used by missing-person researchers and advocates, but the announcement did not report that Stapleton had been located or that his disappearance had been solved.

Public awareness efforts have continued as well. In 2025, Wisconsin community posts again circulated Stapleton’s case among older unresolved Racine County disappearances, particularly encouraging hunters and people familiar with rural areas to remain aware of missing-person cases. These posts represent community awareness efforts rather than official investigative findings.

No publicly available law-enforcement announcement located through September 2026 identifies a suspect, establishes that Stapleton was the victim of homicide, or explains what happened after he disappeared. The official Wisconsin record continues to present him as a missing adult.

An Unanswered Wisconsin Missing-Person Case

What makes the disappearance of Norbert Michael Stapleton particularly difficult is how little publicly documented information exists about the period immediately after the bowling outing.

There is no publicly documented confirmed sighting after he left the bus. Although Milwaukee has been mentioned as a possible destination because Stapleton had relatives there, that possibility has not provided a publicly known resolution.

Decades later, the fundamental question remains unchanged: What happened to Norbert Michael Stapleton after he disappeared in Burlington on September 25, 1987?

Anyone with information—even information that may have seemed insignificant at the time—can contact the Racine County Sheriff’s Office at 262-886-2300 or the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults at 1-800-843-4673.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: September 25, 1987
Location: Burlington, Racine County, Wisconsin
Age: 54
Status: Missing / unresolved
NamUs: MP37975

Main circumstances: Stapleton was staying at the Stepping Stone halfway house in Burlington. Residents were taken bowling on September 25, 1987. Stapleton got off the bus and was never seen again. A social worker later reported him missing. He had relatives in Milwaukee and may have intended to travel there, but no publicly documented evidence confirms that he reached Milwaukee.

Current status: Wisconsin authorities continue to list Stapleton as missing. His case was added to the Doe Network in December 2024, and no publicly announced resolution has been located.