Melissa Beson, 37, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, was last seen the afternoon of March 17, 2025, walking along Indian Village Road near Wayman Lane toward Highway 47 on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in northern Wisconsin. She was wearing red sweatpants, a black sleeveless shirt, and a gray sweatshirt.

Her family reported her missing on March 23 after repeated attempts to contact her failed. The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police Department launched an extensive search that has logged over 1,000 hours and covered more than 824 acres by ground, air, and water. Snowfall of more than six inches shortly after her disappearance complicated early searching. Drones, including submersible models, were used to survey the Bear River and surrounding areas; investigators reviewed footage from more than 360 surveillance cameras and collected license plate data for vehicles in the area on March 17. Reported sightings in the Wausau area were investigated but not substantiated.

Beson is 5 feet 7 inches, medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes, and numerous tattoos on her neck, arms, and legs. Her mother, Winifred Winnie Beson, described her as big-hearted, lovable, and funny. The community has held awareness events and walks in response to her disappearance.

If anyone has information about Melissa Beson’s whereabouts, please contact the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police Department at 588-7717 or the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office at 479-4441.