WSAW: Forgotten Wisconsin Cold Cases — Who Killed Deidre Harm? Authorities Believe Killer Is Known but Still Free
More than 18 years have passed since the brutal killing of Deidre Harm, a young woman whose life was tragically cut short in the prime of her youth. While the small Wisconsin communities of Marshfield and nearby towns like Forgotten still remember her smile and mourn her death, a chilling truth continues to haunt investigators: they believe they know who killed Deidre Harm — but that person, or persons, remains free.
Deidre Harm, a 21-year-old college student from Marshfield, vanished on June 10, 2006. She had been out with friends at a local bar and was last seen walking in the early morning hours. Her disappearance triggered an immediate search effort that drew volunteers from across the region. Despite tireless community involvement, weeks passed before any answers came.
Tragically, her body was discovered two months later in a remote wooded area outside Marshfield. The autopsy confirmed what many feared: Deidre had been murdered. However, despite a wealth of local suspicion and unrelenting efforts from law enforcement, no one has ever been charged in her death.
Investigators, both past and present, have publicly acknowledged that they have a strong theory about who was responsible for Deidre’s murder — but due to lack of conclusive physical evidence, the case remains officially unsolved.
“There is someone out there who has lived with this secret for nearly two decades,” said a retired Marshfield police officer who worked on the original case. “And there are people who know what happened. We believe the killer is known to the community, and to law enforcement — but without that final piece of the puzzle, our hands have been tied.
The case has never officially gone cold, and in recent years, it has been taken up again by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Cold Case Unit. Advances in DNA technology and new forensic tools offer fresh hope that justice may finally be within reach. Authorities have reexamined old evidence, interviewed former suspects, and reached out again to people who were around Deidre at the time of her disappearance.
We are committed to bringing Deidre’s killer to justice,” said a spokesperson for the DOJ. “We are pursuing every possible lead, and we urge anyone with information — no matter how small — to come forward.
In the town of Forgotten, where Deidre once spent summers with extended family, residents still talk about her with reverence and heartbreak. Her story is shared not only in sorrow but as a reminder of the justice still owed. “She had her whole life ahead of her,” said one local. “We all know someone out there knows what really happened that night.
Deidre’s family has continued to fight for answers. Her mother, in particular, has remained vocal about the need for renewed attention to the case. “I believe someone out there has the key,” she said in a recent interview. “I believe they know, and they’ve been carrying this burden for too long. It’s time to speak.
Vigils have been held annually, and her loved ones continue to post tributes and pleas for information on social media. The pain of unanswered questions still lingers, but so does hope — hope that someone will come forward, that a breakthrough in technology will bring new evidence, or that a moment of conscience will finally shatter the silence.
If you have any information regarding the death of Deidre Harm, you are urged to contact the Wisconsin DOJ Cold Case Tip Line or the Marshfield Police Department. Justice may be delayed, but for Deidre’s family, friends, and a community still seeking closure, it is never too late.
