Overview

Wisconsin’s current missing-person poster describes Thompson as a Native American male who was 38 years old when he disappeared. He had black hair, brown eyes, stood approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 165 pounds. Other databases give a height range of approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches and a weight range of 165 to 175 pounds.

Historical NamUs information reproduced in the Websleuths case discussion also lists a history of broken ribs as a distinguishing medical characteristic and indicates that DNA information is available, while dental and fingerprint information were listed as unavailable.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Timothy Edmund Thompson Missing Person Case: Wisconsin Disappearance Remains Unsolved Decades Later

Brief Case Summary

Last seen: Public records conflict. The Wisconsin Department of Justice lists Timothy E. Thompson as missing since April 15, 1982, from De Soto, Wisconsin. The Charley Project lists his disappearance as May 27, 1983, from De Soto.

Case status: Missing person; no publicly announced resolution has been found.

Main circumstances: Thompson was a Native American man in his late 30s who was known to hitchhike between Wisconsin and California. He disappeared in Wisconsin and has never been heard from again. His case has connections to De Soto and Wood County, and very little information about the circumstances of his disappearance has been publicly released.

The Disappearance of Timothy Edmund Thompson

More than four decades after Timothy Edmund Thompson disappeared in Wisconsin, the circumstances surrounding his case remain unclear. Thompson, a Native American man with black hair and brown eyes, was approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 165 pounds according to the current Wisconsin missing-person poster.

One of the challenges in researching Thompson’s disappearance is a significant conflict in the publicly available dates. The Wisconsin Department of Justice currently lists Timothy E. Thompson as missing from De Soto, Wisconsin, since April 15, 1982. The agency’s current poster also gives April 15, 1982 as his missing date and identifies NamUs case MP14749. The Doe Network similarly places Thompson’s disappearance on April 15, 1982.

The Charley Project, however, lists Timothy Edmund Thompson as having disappeared from De Soto on May 27, 1983, when he was 39 years old. Because Wisconsin’s official state clearinghouse currently uses the 1982 date, April 15, 1982 should be treated as the primary official date unless investigators later clarify or amend the record.

What Happened to Timothy Thompson?

The publicly released circumstances are unusually limited. Wisconsin authorities say Thompson was reported missing in De Soto as well as in Wood County. He was known to hitchhike between Wisconsin and California and had reportedly made the trip several times. After his disappearance, he was never seen or heard from again.

That history raises the possibility that Thompson could have traveled beyond the immediate area, but there is no publicly verified evidence establishing where he went after his last known contact. There is also no official public finding establishing that Thompson was the victim of homicide.

The Charley Project likewise reports his history of hitchhiking between Wisconsin and California and states that few details concerning his disappearance are available.

Physical Description and Identifying Information

Wisconsin’s current missing-person poster describes Thompson as a Native American male who was 38 years old when he disappeared. He had black hair, brown eyes, stood approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 165 pounds. Other databases give a height range of approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches and a weight range of 165 to 175 pounds.

Historical NamUs information reproduced in the Websleuths case discussion also lists a history of broken ribs as a distinguishing medical characteristic and indicates that DNA information is available, while dental and fingerprint information were listed as unavailable.

Conflicting Locations and Dates

Thompson’s case contains inconsistencies beyond the year of disappearance. Wisconsin’s official clearinghouse currently identifies De Soto in Vernon County as the location from which he disappeared. Historical NamUs information reproduced in the Websleuths discussion has identified Wisconsin Rapids in Wood County as the last-seen location while simultaneously stating in the circumstances that Thompson went missing in De Soto and was reported missing in both De Soto and Wood County.

These discrepancies are important because they can complicate searches for decades-old newspaper coverage, witness information and records. They should not be interpreted as evidence of wrongdoing; rather, they show that surviving public databases do not present an entirely consistent chronology.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

The case continues to appear in Wisconsin’s official missing-person system. As of the latest publicly accessible Wisconsin Department of Justice listing, Thompson remains classified as missing, with April 15, 1982 given as the date of disappearance. The state identifies the Ho-Chunk Nation Police Department as the agency to contact with information.

The Doe Network recorded an update to Thompson’s case, number 4775DMWI, in July 2024. Wisconsin Missing Persons subsequently updated its Thompson page in March 2025 with a photograph. The Charley Project added its case file in May 2025.

More recently, an April 2026 news report concerning Wisconsin’s long-term missing-person cases continued to identify Timothy Thompson as missing from De Soto, noting his Wood County ties and history of hitchhiking between Wisconsin and California. No publicly announced recovery, identification, arrest, or resolution of Thompson’s disappearance was located in the sources reviewed.

The current Ho-Chunk Nation website lists its Police Department at 715-284-2658. Wisconsin’s Thompson poster displays 715-248-2658, which appears inconsistent with the department’s current official contact information. People providing information may therefore wish to use the current department number published by the Ho-Chunk Nation.

A Wisconsin Mystery Still Waiting for Answers

Timothy Edmund Thompson’s disappearance has endured for more than four decades with remarkably little information available to the public. What is known is that he had connections to De Soto and Wood County, was accustomed to traveling long distances by hitchhiking, and vanished without any publicly confirmed trace.

The conflicting dates in the surviving records make the case particularly difficult to summarize. Wisconsin authorities currently place the disappearance in 1982, while another established missing-person database uses 1983. Regardless of that discrepancy, Thompson remains listed as missing and investigators continue to seek information that could explain what happened to him.

Anyone with information concerning Timothy Thompson’s disappearance should contact the Ho-Chunk Nation Police Department or the appropriate investigating law-enforcement agency.