Green Bay, WI – September 23, 1998 – What began as a minor car accident turned into one of Wisconsin’s most haunting missing person cases. Amber Lynn Wilde, a 19-year-old University of Wisconsin–Green Bay student, vanished just one day after a fender bender — and nearly 25 years later, her family is still searching for answers.
What Happened
On Wednesday, September 23, 1998, Amber Wilde was driving to class when she rear-ended another vehicle near her campus in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Though not seriously injured, Amber hit her head hard enough on the windshield to crack the glass. She later called her father, saying she felt fine but had a headache and planned to lie down for the evening.
The following day, Amber never showed up for class — and she never answered her father’s phone calls. Concerned, Steve Wilde drove from Maryville, Wisconsin to his daughter’s apartment that night. Her apartment was locked, her car and purse were missing, but all her other belongings were left behind.
At the time of her disappearance, Amber was five months pregnant. She had recently told Matthew Schneider, the baby’s father, that she intended to keep the child despite his pleas for an abortion. Schneider, who was engaged to another woman, was reportedly furious when Amber told his fiancée about the pregnancy.
One week later, investigators still had no leads. They speculated that Amber might have suffered a head injury from the crash, wandered off, or lost her memory. But as days turned into weeks, the case grew darker.
On September 30, 1998, police discovered Amber’s car parked near Lambeau Field, close to the Fifty-Yard Line Sports Bar. The keys were in the ignition, her purse and phone were in the trunk, and the driver’s seat was pushed back — suggesting someone taller than Amber had driven it. The odometer revealed 600 unexplained miles, and investigators later found unidentified fingerprints inside.
Who Was Amber Wilde?
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Amber Wilde was known for her intelligence, maturity, and determination. She was pursuing a pre-med degree at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, balancing college life with the excitement of preparing for motherhood.
Despite being only 19, Amber was focused and optimistic. Her mother, Julie Ketter, described her as “disappointed, but not depressed” about the pregnancy, saying Amber saw it as a challenge she was ready to meet. “She looked at it as another new challenge — to go to school and be a mother too.”
Amber’s friends described her as grounded and strong-willed, a young woman with her sights set on medical school and a better future. Her sudden disappearance — with no activity on her bank account, no calls, and no confirmed sightings — shattered her family’s world.
The Investigation and Theories
Initially, police treated Amber’s case as a voluntary disappearance, but that changed when her car was found. As evidence mounted, Matthew Schneider became a key figure in the investigation. He denied being the father and refused to cooperate fully with detectives.
In the years following Amber’s disappearance, detectives revisited Schneider multiple times, uncovering inconsistencies in his statements. He worked in road construction near Shawano, Wisconsin at the time — a fact that fueled theories that Amber’s body might be buried beneath Highway 29, which was under construction that fall.
Search efforts included cadaver dogs, ground-penetrating radar, and excavations along construction zones. In 2016, police officially named Matthew Schneider a suspect in Amber’s presumed murder. A friend of his, Nick Petit, was labeled a person of interest.
Despite this progress, no arrests have been made, and Amber’s body has never been found. Detectives say Schneider’s refusal to cooperate remains one of the investigation’s greatest obstacles. As Detective Lee Kingston told reporters, “We’ve been able to eliminate everybody else… he won’t speak to us and answer our questions.”
Public and Social Media Reactions
The case of Amber Wilde continues to draw attention, especially around anniversaries of her disappearance. Online communities and true crime groups regularly share her story using hashtags like #JusticeForAmberWilde and #MissingInWisconsin, keeping her name alive decades later.
Residents in Green Bay and surrounding counties often recall how the community united to search for Amber in 1998 — distributing 10,000 missing flyers at a Green Bay Packers game, posting alerts in rest stops, and volunteering in search teams.
Every year, Amber’s family renews their plea for information, urging the public not to forget her. Her father has remained the family’s steady voice, saying, “We just want to bring her home. Somebody knows something — they’re just not coming forward.”
Official Statements and Ongoing Investigation
The Green Bay Police Department continues to classify Amber’s disappearance as an open and active case. Authorities maintain that it is a probable homicide and that charges are still possible, even without a body.
In a 2020 statement, Brown County District Attorney David Lasee said that while not having a body makes prosecution difficult, it does not make it impossible. “We remain committed to justice for Amber Wilde,” he said.
Amber’s family holds on to hope that new DNA or forensic technologies may one day reveal the truth. For them, the focus is not revenge — it’s closure.
If you have any information about Amber Wilde’s disappearance, contact the Green Bay Police Department at (920) 448-3221 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.
Amber Wilde was 19, five months pregnant, and full of dreams when she vanished. Her family has spent nearly 25 years waiting for the truth.
This story may be updated with more information as it becomes available.
