MURDERED: Stephanie Casberg

The gist

Eighteen-year-old Stephanie Casberg disappeared on July 6, 1969, after finishing her shift at Mark's Big Boy restaurant in Milwaukee. Her dismembered remains were discovered over two weeks scattered across multiple sites in Racine County—by a river, in a box on a farmland, and along rural roads. The killer displayed surgical precision and knowledge of the area, but the case went cold for decades despite multiple suspects and investigative leads.

Key takeaways

• The crime scene evidence: Stephanie's body parts were found wrapped in Milwaukee Sentinel newspapers dated June 24, with cigarette butts and burned matchsticks nearby; a military-style jacket and brown leather purse were also recovered, suggesting the killer moved between Milwaukee and Racine County disposing of evidence
• Initial suspects ruled out: Boyfriend John (Black serviceman Stephanie was secretly dating), her father Charles, and restaurant coworkers were investigated but cleared; her father's odd comment to detectives—"if I had, you never would have found her"—raised eyebrows but proved nothing
• Michael Bartelt's suspicious behavior: The cook claimed he saw Stephanie leave through the back door at 12:30 AM, but his time card showed he wasn't working that night; he lied about taking a planned Hawaii trip (actually went to Las Vegas with a creepy manager); his own sister Pam accused him in 1988 of being the killer with possible family involvement
• DNA complications: Two partial male DNA profiles were found on a towel in the box containing remains, but neither is strong enough for national database matching; Michael Bartelt and other suspects have been excluded through DNA testing
• The earring theory: Stephanie was found with only one earring; rumors circulated that Michael's wife found the missing earring and kept it in a safe deposit box as leverage, but investigators couldn't verify this claim
• Wilbert Mackey lead: Anonymous tip in 2015 claimed this serial killer (deceased 2009) confessed to family members about murdering Stephanie and dismembering her near Root River, forcing his daughter to help dispose of the body; his DNA didn't match the hair evidence
• New suspect emerging: A Crime Junkie episode about Kristin David (1981 Idaho victim found dismembered in newspaper-wrapped bags) prompted Lieutenant Brian VanSock to contact investigators about a military-connected suspect with Midwest ties potentially linked to multiple dismemberment cases
• Current status: Michael Bartelt died of sepsis in June 2024 before detectives could interview him; investigators continue hoping advanced DNA technology will strengthen partial profiles for database matching; the case remains active with no closure yet

Notable quotes

• Michael Bartelt (1969): "I've already quit my job at the restaurant... I don't want you thinking I am guilty of something if I just take off"—deflecting suspicion about his sudden departure
• Charles Casberg (to detectives, 1969): "If I had, you never would have found her"—responding with dark humor when asked if he killed his daughter
• Pam (Bartelt sister, 1988 tip): Claims Michael's mother routinely lied to protect her sons: "Michael doesn't own a gun"—when he did—and corroborated false Hawaii story

Worth a full listen?

Listen to the full episode if you're interested in how cold case investigations evolve with DNA technology, family secrets, and the challenging jurisdictional coordination needed when bodies are scattered across multiple counties—or if you want to hear how a Crime Junkie episode itself became investigative evidence that refocused detectives on an entirely new suspect decades later.