Laurie Jean Depies

Case Information:

Laurie Jean Depies vanished at age 20 from Appleton (Menasha), Wisconsin, on August 19, 1992. She disappeared after finishing a shift at the Fox River Mall and driving to her boyfriend’s apartment on West Wilson Avenue in Menasha.

Her gray 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit was found locked in the complex parking lot with her purse, overnight bag, and a Styrofoam cup of soda left inside or on the car, but Laurie was nowhere to be found.

Case Details:

Before she went missing, Laurie was an artistic free spirit who loved drawing and heavy metal music. She worked at Graffiti, a unique retail store inside the Fox River Mall in Appleton. On August 19, 1992, she finished her retail shift around 9:30 p.m. and began driving to see her boyfriend, Mark Trouten.

She arrived at The Elms Apartments on West Wilson Avenue, where Mark and his friends heard her car pull up and her door slam shut. In those brief moments, she vanished before making it inside. Her boyfriend went outside shortly after and discovered her locked vehicle, but Laurie was completely gone.

Timeline of Events:

• August 19, 1992 (9:30 p.m.): Laurie finishes her shift at Graffiti inside the Fox River Mall and drives to Menasha.
• August 19, 1992 (10:00 p.m.): Her boyfriend and friends hear her vehicle pull into the complex lot and hear her car door slam.
• August 19, 1992 (10:15 p.m.): Loved ones search the parking lot and find her locked car abandoned with her purse missing.
• 1995: Investigators discover a notebook inside suspect Larry Hall’s car listing Laurie’s first name and her workplace mall.
• November 2010: Convicted serial kidnapper Larry Hall confesses to abducting and killing Laurie while in town for a Civil War reenactment.
• May 16, 2011: Local police publicly announce Larry Hall’s confession during a press conference, though no formal charges are filed.

Investigation:

The Menasha Police Department immediately started an intense investigation into the parking lot disappearance alongside state detectives. Tracking dogs were deployed to the complex, but they abruptly lost her scent right in the middle of the lot. This sudden loss of scent strongly indicated she was forced into another vehicle.

The case shifted focus when convicted serial kidnapper Larry DeWayne Hall confessed to her abduction and murder. Hall claimed he followed her from the mall, providing specific details known only to the killer. However, authorities never found her remains, and Hall later recanted his statement.

Community Response:

Laurie’s baffling disappearance deeply shook the Fox Cities community, prompting massive search efforts and local awareness campaigns. Volunteer groups and local businesses worked quickly to distribute flyers across Appleton and Menasha to keep her face visible.

Her unresolved story eventually captured national attention, resulting in prominent features on true crime television programs like Unsolved Mysteries and Disappeared. Local advocacy organizations continue to host regional vigils and digital memorial campaigns to keep a spotlight on her case.

Family Statements:

Her mother, Mary Wegner, has remained entirely relentless in her pursuit of the truth, collaborating closely with missing person networks. She has expressed the deep emotional torment of living with loose ends and navigating a multi-decade cold case.

Her former boyfriend, Mark Trouten, described the mind-numbing shock of receiving the sudden 2011 confession after years of searching. The family continuously emphasizes that true closure cannot happen until Laurie’s physical remains are located and brought home.

Physical Appearance:

At the time of her 1992 disappearance, Laurie was a 20-year-old White female standing 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing roughly 115 pounds. She had blonde hair, green eyes, wore brown-tinted contact lenses, and had her ears pierced three times each.

Laurie possessed a highly unique and recognizable tattoo of a tribal-style squid on the outside of her right ankle. She was last seen wearing a black sleeveless, rib-knit mock turtleneck with white horizontal stripes, matching striped shorts, and black slip-on shoes.

Current Status:

More than three decades later, Laurie’s whereabouts remain a total mystery, and her file is maintained as an open missing persons case. The Wisconsin Department of Justice and local authorities continue to review emerging leads and encourage anyone with information to come forward.

Contact Information:

If you possess any information regarding the disappearance of Laurie Jean Depies, please contact the Menasha Police Department at (920) 967-3500.

The DCI main line: Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation — To contact the local investigator listed in media reports: Special Agent Kyra Schallhorn — (920) 751-4185. NamUs entry for additional case details: 

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