Overview

Last Seen: December 13, 1982
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age When Missing: 62
Residence: Delafield, Wisconsin
Occupation: Night janitor at Templeton Middle School in Sussex
Status: Missing; foul play suspected

Main circumstances: Lembke disappeared after being seen in the Milwaukee area. He called in sick to work on December 14, failed to report on December 15, and was reported missing by family on December 16. Approximately two weeks later, his abandoned car was found at a Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge in Wauwatosa. Blood and bloodied eyeglasses discovered in the trunk shifted attention toward possible foul play. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Wallace M. Lembke: The 1982 Wisconsin Disappearance and Evidence of Foul Play

More than four decades after 62-year-old Wallace M. Lembke disappeared in Wisconsin, his case remains unresolved. What initially may have appeared to be an unexplained departure took a disturbing turn after Lembke’s abandoned automobile was found and investigators discovered blood and bloodied eyeglasses in its trunk.

Lembke was last seen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on December 13, 1982. He lived in Delafield and worked as a night janitor at Templeton Middle School in Sussex. He was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and approximately 165 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He wore eyeglasses and had a distinctive physical characteristic: his left leg was shorter than his right, requiring him to use a shoe lift.

The Disappearance of Wallace Lembke

Accounts of Lembke’s disappearance state that he had been seen at a tavern on Wells Street in Milwaukee shortly before he vanished. His official missing date is December 13, 1982.

The following day, December 14, Lembke called in sick to his job. He then failed to report for work on December 15. Concern increased when his absence continued, and family members reported him missing on December 16.

Lembke lived alone with his two dogs. Early in the investigation, authorities reportedly considered the possibility that he had simply taken an unannounced vacation. That theory became much more difficult to reconcile with what investigators subsequently discovered.

Wallace Lembke’s Abandoned Car Is Found in Wauwatosa

Approximately two weeks after Lembke disappeared, his abandoned vehicle was discovered in the parking lot of a Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Inside the trunk were traces of blood and bloodied eyeglasses. The discovery caused law enforcement to suspect that Lembke had met with foul play rather than voluntarily leaving the area.

The available public sources do not establish exactly what happened to Lembke, where any violent encounter may have occurred, or how his vehicle came to be abandoned at the motel. His remains have not been publicly reported as recovered.

A Cold Case With Physical Evidence

The physical evidence makes Lembke’s disappearance particularly significant among long-term Wisconsin missing-person cases. According to information posted on Websleuths, investigators originally lacked a known sample of Lembke’s blood that could be used for comparison with the blood recovered from the automobile.

A later update on the same forum provides one of the few publicly available indications of subsequent investigative activity. In December 2024, the thread’s creator reported that law enforcement had said the evidence was still retained and had been submitted to a laboratory in 2011. The poster further stated that authorities were still trying to solve the case. Because this information comes from a forum user’s account of communication with law enforcement rather than a published police statement, it should be treated as a reported investigative update rather than an independently confirmed official announcement.

Family Account of a Possible Person of Interest

In January 2025, a Websleuths user identifying Wallace as a great-uncle posted additional family information about the case. The family member said relatives had long suspected a particular person and had heard that the person made statements while intoxicated shortly after Lembke disappeared and his vehicle was recovered. The post also said that when questioned by police, the individual did not provide information.

This is an unverified family account published on a discussion forum. No publicly available law-enforcement source located for this article confirms the alleged statement, identifies that individual as a suspect, or establishes that the person was responsible for Lembke’s disappearance. Accordingly, the allegation should not be treated as established fact.

Renewed Attention to Wallace Lembke’s Case

Although Lembke disappeared in 1982, his case has received renewed online attention in recent years.

The Doe Network’s 2024 update archive records that Wallace M. Lembke, identified as case 6342DMWI, was added to its database on August 10, 2024.

Lembke is also publicly listed under NamUs case MP127145. CaseTrace, which directs readers to NamUs as its listed source, continues to identify him as missing from Milwaukee since December 13, 1982.

Missing in Wisconsin published a dedicated page about Lembke on March 28, 2025, again describing his disappearance, the recovery of his vehicle and the blood evidence. Missing People in America’s military and veteran database also listed Lembke and showed his record as updated on April 17, 2025.

Latest Publicly Available Investigation Information

As of the latest publicly accessible material located for this article, Wallace Lembke remains listed as missing, and no public source located reports that his remains have been recovered or that anyone has been charged in connection with his disappearance.

The most notable recent investigative information is the December 2024 Websleuths update reporting communication with law enforcement. According to that account, evidence from the case still exists, was submitted to a laboratory in 2011, and authorities were continuing their efforts to solve the disappearance.

Public awareness of the case also increased considerably in 2024 and 2025 through its addition to the Doe Network and publication or updating of listings through NamUs-linked CaseTrace, Missing in Wisconsin, and Missing People in America.

There does not appear to be a publicly announced arrest, identified offender, recovery of Lembke’s remains, or publicly released forensic breakthrough in the sources located for this article.

Very Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: December 13, 1982
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age When Missing: 62
Residence: Delafield, Wisconsin
Occupation: Night janitor at Templeton Middle School in Sussex
Status: Missing; foul play suspected

Main circumstances: Lembke disappeared after being seen in the Milwaukee area. He called in sick to work on December 14, failed to report on December 15, and was reported missing by family on December 16. Approximately two weeks later, his abandoned car was found at a Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge in Wauwatosa. Blood and bloodied eyeglasses discovered in the trunk shifted attention toward possible foul play. His whereabouts remain unknown.