She Was A High School Freshman When She Vanished From Her Wisconsin Home In 2015, And It Was Later Uncovered That She’d Allegedly Been Messaging Strangers Online Before Her Disappearance
There are a lot of teenagers who are sitting at home and wishing they could get out of their small towns.
One young teenager had expressed those feelings to her friends, so when she first went missing in 2015, they weren’t too alarmed. But as more time had passed without her returning home, they couldn’t help but suspect something more serious happened to her.
Mackenzie Marken was 14-years-old when she went missing from her home in Wisconsin in 2015, and even after eight years, her loved ones haven’t heard from her.
Mackenzie is remembered by her friends for having an infectious laugh and lighting up a room with her kind energy. She was a freshman at Mosinee High School the year she went missing and enjoyed hanging out with her friends and spending time online.
October 11th, 2015, was the last day anyone saw Mackenzie at her home in Weston, Wisconsin, where she lived with her mom and stepdad. After not seeing Mackenzie for a while, her parents reportedly contacted her closest friends to see if they knew where she was. When they didn’t, Mackenzie’s parents reported her missing the next day.
Police have vaguely hinted at treating Mackenzie’s case as if she were a runaway, stating in interviews that if she hadn’t left on her own free will, Amber Alerts would’ve been put out. But in her case, they weren’t.
While there are many details on Mackenzie’s case that authorities haven’t released during their investigation, her parents have allegedly mentioned that they discovered Mackenzie had been messaging strangers and older boys online without their knowledge or permission, using the screenname ‘Mackenzie Doll.’
In interviews, Mackenzie’s friends have mentioned that, like a typical teenager, she often expressed wanting to leave her hometown and move on with her life. Mackenzie had allegedly run away from home for one night before, but after she had been missing for over two weeks that October, her friends knew something must’ve gone wrong.
Mackenzie’s friends have theorized she may have expressed her feelings of wanting to leave home to someone online who ended up having dangerous intentions, and she may have potentially been trafficked.
Facebook – pictured above is Mackenzie
Police have not confirmed these theories and have stated that Mackenzie’s disappearance is still very much an ongoing investigation. They’ve conducted searches, looked closely into areas that are popular with local teenagers, and investigated her online activity prior to her vanishing.
Although it’s officially been eight years since Mackenzie’s loved ones have seen her, they’re still hoping to see her again someday and that she’ll return home safely.
They have created a Facebook page for her that you can check out here.
At the time of Mackenzie’s disappearance, she was five foot seven, weighed 150 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. She also had scars on her wrist and wore purple eyeglasses. She would be 22 years old today.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Everest Metro Police Department at (715) 359-4202.
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