"We were surprised:" Missing person case in Wisconsin now being investigated as murder
MILWAUKEE -- Nearly 18 years after her disappearance, police now appear to think a missing college student was murdered. Newly released court documents point to the fact that not only do police believe Amber Wilde was murdered, they have a suspect and even a motive in sight.
Amber Wilde
The court documents released show police share suspicions the Wilde family has had all along.
"We were surprised. Very surprised that they released the name. We know the name, you know we were aware of it all along," said Laurie Ehnert, Amber's aunt.
19-year-old Amber Wilde was a student at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, when she disappeared in September 1998. She was pregnant at the time and the father of the child was pressuring her to get an abortion. Amber refused to do so.
Amber Wilde
Although her body was never found, newly released documents show her case is shifting from a missing person investigation to first degree intentional homicide -- and it appears the police see the father of Amber's unborn child as a person of interest.
"My thought was maybe it will bring somebody forward that knowing the name they may not have realized, you know, something years ago that was either said or something that happened and putting the name and that together may be like oh hey wait a minute," said Ehnert.
FOX6 News is not naming the suspect because he hasn't been charged in the case. But documents show police sought his phone records.
The Wilde family is hoping the release of those documents, and the man's name, will help bring about a break in the case.
Amber Wilde
"I usually tell everybody you know what I really don't care what happens to him. I really don't. I just want to know where she is and be able to you know somehow, you know, either know what happened and be able to put her to rest," said Ehnert.
While the names and information in these newly released documents were not new to the Wilde family, they say they're hopeful that their public release will help police find Amber.