Overview

Missing: April 4, 2022
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 36
NamUs #: MP91279
Current status: Missing

Ryan was last known to be in the south side of Milwaukee. Wisconsin’s official missing-person record identifies the vicinity of 3100 S. 8th Street as his last known location, while other case sources document him leaving a residence in the 3600 block of S. 14th Street earlier in the sequence of events.

Ryan’s backpack was subsequently found outside the residence where he had been staying, while his cell phone was reportedly discovered in an alley near S. 8th Street and W. Oklahoma Avenue.

Messages were also sent through Ryan’s Facebook account in the early hours of April 5, including a message indicating that he needed help. It has not been publicly established whether Ryan himself sent every message.

Despite searches, reported sightings, police follow-ups and the collection of identifying evidence, Ryan has not been located.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Ryan Christopher Withee Missing Person Case: What Happened to the Milwaukee Man Who Vanished in 2022?

Ryan Christopher Withee was 36 years old when he disappeared from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in April 2022. More than four years later, Wisconsin authorities continue to list him as missing.

Ryan’s disappearance left investigators and his family with an unusual collection of clues: surveillance footage, an abandoned backpack, a cell phone found in an alley, Facebook messages indicating that someone using his account needed help, and several reported sightings. None has publicly provided a definitive answer to what happened to him.

Brief Case Summary

Missing: April 4, 2022
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age when missing: 36
NamUs #: MP91279
Current status: Missing

Ryan was last known to be in the south side of Milwaukee. Wisconsin’s official missing-person record identifies the vicinity of 3100 S. 8th Street as his last known location, while other case sources document him leaving a residence in the 3600 block of S. 14th Street earlier in the sequence of events.

Ryan’s backpack was subsequently found outside the residence where he had been staying, while his cell phone was reportedly discovered in an alley near S. 8th Street and W. Oklahoma Avenue.

Messages were also sent through Ryan’s Facebook account in the early hours of April 5, including a message indicating that he needed help. It has not been publicly established whether Ryan himself sent every message.

Despite searches, reported sightings, police follow-ups and the collection of identifying evidence, Ryan has not been located.

Ryan Withee’s Disappearance

Before disappearing, Ryan had been staying at a sober-living residence in Milwaukee. According to case reporting based on Milwaukee police records, Ryan had recently relapsed and was being discharged from the residence.

Accounts of the exact sequence vary somewhat among published sources. The Charley Project states that Ryan was seen on foot in the 3600 block of South 14th Street on April 4. Missing People in America reports that an ex-roommate saw him at approximately 3:30 p.m. at 3650 S. 14th Street.

Surveillance information cited by Missing People in America places Ryan at 3132 S. 8th Street multiple times, with a reported camera sighting at approximately 4:30 p.m. on April 4.

Wisconsin’s official missing-person listing now identifies the vicinity of 3100 S. 8th Street as his last known location.

The Backpack, Cell Phone and Facebook Messages

Some of the most significant evidence surfaced almost immediately.

According to police-report-based reporting, a resident of the sober-living home said Ryan returned on the morning of April 5 and asked for his belongings. He was reportedly given a backpack and two sets of clothing and said he intended to take a bus to the Dewey Center for treatment.

The backpack was later found empty outside the residence.

Ryan’s cell phone was reportedly found in an alley near South 8th Street and West Oklahoma Avenue. An unknown man was said to have answered the phone when one of Ryan’s former housemates called it and later returned the device.

At the same time, unusual communications were appearing through Ryan’s Facebook account.

Wisconsin Right Now reported, based on Milwaukee police records, that a message from Ryan’s account at approximately 1:10 a.m. on April 5 said that he needed help. Additional fragmented communications followed.

The existence of messages establishes activity on Ryan’s account, but it does not independently establish who was physically operating the account at every point.

Police Begin Searching for Ryan

Ryan’s disappearance was reported to Milwaukee police, and officers subsequently checked several possible locations.

Police contacted the Dewey Center and learned that Ryan had previously received treatment there in March, but investigators did not find him there after his disappearance. Hospitals and the jail were also checked.

Investigators additionally explored the possibility that Ryan was staying at a homeless encampment.

Police reports obtained by Wisconsin Right Now document continued follow-up through 2022, including checks of surveillance footage, possible sightings, databases and locations Ryan might have visited.

Reported Sightings Complicate the Timeline

One notable complication is that April 4 is the official missing date but was not necessarily the last date on which authorities received information suggesting Ryan might still have been alive.

Wisconsin Right Now reported that police documented a verified sighting on April 14, 2022.

FOX6 Milwaukee later reported in August 2022 that Milwaukee police described Ryan as having been last seen on April 17. Public sources therefore contain differing dates and descriptions of Ryan’s final confirmed or reported movements.

Another lead emerged in May after police received information that Ryan might have visited a Speedway. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage showing a person who potentially resembled him, but the individual’s face and features were too obscured for police to determine whether the person was Ryan.

These differing records are important when examining the case: April 4 remains the date used by Wisconsin DOJ and NamUs for his disappearance, while subsequent investigative leads extended the possible sighting timeline.

Anonymous Tip Leads to Pond Search

A particularly serious lead surfaced in August 2022.

On August 4, Greenfield police received an anonymous tip claiming Ryan’s body was in a small pond at Pondview Park.

Authorities investigated.

According to Wisconsin Right Now’s reporting from police records, officers searched the area, a drone was used, the Milwaukee Police Department dive team became involved, and cadaver dogs were deployed.

Nothing was found.

The unsuccessful search did not establish that Ryan had been killed, and his official classification remains missing.

Investigators Collect DNA and Fingerprints

The investigation continued into the fall of 2022.

Police obtained Ryan’s fingerprints and entered identifying information into NamUs. DNA was also collected for the investigation.

Ryan’s mother additionally provided investigators with information concerning IP addresses reportedly associated with his final Facebook activity.

These investigative steps could help authorities compare Ryan’s identifying information with unidentified-person cases and evaluate digital evidence.

Latest Information on the Ryan Withee Investigation

As of the latest publicly accessible information reviewed for this article, Ryan Christopher Withee remains listed as missing.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults continues to maintain an active public listing for Ryan. The state currently lists his age as 40, his missing date as April 4, 2022, and his last known location as the vicinity of 3100 S. 8th Street in Milwaukee.

The state’s current missing-person poster also continues to identify NamUs MP91279.

The Charley Project added a detailed case file and lists its most recent update as May 29, 2025. Missing People in America’s Ryan Withee record was updated April 5, 2025.

No reliable public source located for this article reports that Ryan has been found, identifies a suspect, announces an arrest, or establishes that Ryan was the victim of homicide.

For that reason, theories about foul play, an accidental death, voluntary disappearance, or other possible outcomes should be treated as theories unless authorities release evidence establishing what happened.

What Happened to Ryan Christopher Withee?

Ryan’s case remains unresolved.

The known circumstances provide investigators with multiple avenues of inquiry—the locations where Ryan was seen, his abandoned belongings, his phone, surveillance footage, digital communications and subsequent reported sightings—but the publicly available record does not explain where he ultimately went.

Ryan was 5 feet 10 inches tall and approximately 165 pounds when he disappeared. He has blue eyes and a distinctive tattoo on his upper left arm containing the words “Long hard road of struggle and pain.”

Anyone with information about Ryan Christopher Withee’s disappearance is encouraged to contact the Milwaukee Police Department or the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults.