The Disappearance of Robert Joseph Fritz: A 40-Year Mystery from Campbellsport

Author

Benjamin Hayes

Publication Date

August 13, 2025

In the quiet village of Campbellsport, Wisconsin, nestled in Fond du Lac County, the afternoon of May 14, 1983 began like any other spring day. Children played outside, taking advantage of the warming weather, while parents went about their weekend routines. But as the day unfolded, one family's world would be forever altered by a disappearance that has haunted their community for over four decades.

Robert Joseph Fritz, known to his family as "Bobby Joe," was last seen on May 14, 1983, playing in an empty lot in his family's Campbellsport neighborhood. The five-year-old boy had been enjoying the afternoon with his sister and friends, completely unaware that he was about to become the center of one of Wisconsin's most enduring missing child cases.

A Normal Day Turns to Nightmare

Born on August 5, 1977, Robert lived on east Main Street, Highway 67 in Campbellsport with his mother and four of his siblings. His parents had recently gone through a bitter divorce, and following the split, his father and two other siblings had relocated to Illinois. Despite the family upheaval, Robert was described as a typical energetic five-year-old who loved riding his Big Wheel tricycle around the front of his mother's house.

The empty lot where Robert played that afternoon was beside the Mill Pond/Milwaukee River, in the area where the Campbellsport Firehouse now stands. He was with his sister and friends approximately one-half block from the family's residence when he was last seen. The area bordered upon the St. Joseph Convent, making it a familiar and seemingly safe place for children to play.

Sometime between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Robert told his sister he was hungry and began walking home. According to his sister Lora, who was ten years old at the time, they were playing kickball in a friend's backyard when Bobby Joe expressed his desire to go home. She walked him partway down the road until she could see a straight shot to the house, then returned to continue playing. Robert never made it home and has never been seen or heard from since.

Physical Description and Distinguishing Features

At the time of his disappearance, Robert was wearing a red, blue, and gray shirt, blue pants, and boots. Standing at 4 feet tall and weighing approximately 50 pounds, he had straight blonde hair and blue eyes.

Perhaps most notably, Robert had a strawberry birthmark on his outer left thigh above his knee. At the time of his disappearance, the birthmark measured two inches by three inches, or about the size of a cigarette pack, though it may now be larger and lighter in color. Robert also had difficulty pronouncing the letters T, K, and R, a speech pattern that could have been distinctive to those who knew him.

The toy gun Robert had been playing with that afternoon was later recovered, but the boy himself seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The Search Begins

Robert's family and friends immediately began searching for him when he failed to return home. Authorities quickly joined the search effort, initially focusing on the possibility that the young boy might have accidentally drowned. They believed it was possible that Robert had fallen into the Milwaukee River or the Mill Pond, and extensive searches were conducted upstream and downstream from the dam, as well as in the sludge pits for the village's sewer treatment facility.

After Robert's disappearance, an extensive search was made of the Milwaukee River, but no trace of him was ever found. Searches have been conducted multiple times over the years, but Robert's remains have never been discovered. Authorities eventually concluded that he must have been abducted, since their thorough search turned up no sign of him.

Family Dynamics and Initial Investigation

At the time of his disappearance, Robert lived with his mother and six siblings, while his father and some other siblings lived in Illinois. The timing of Robert's disappearance was particularly tragic for the family. A week after Robert vanished, his father remarried, adding another layer of complexity to an already difficult situation.

Authorities looked into the possibility that Robert's father was involved in his disappearance, but could find no evidence to support the theory, and both parents were cleared as suspects. Robert's father has since died and his mother has moved away from the Campbellsport area.

The Michael Scott Menzer Connection

One year after Robert vanished, sex offender Michael Scott Menzer was identified as a suspect in the case. In 1980, he had been convicted of sexually abusing a ten-year-old boy. He lived alone at the Waldo Mill, a historic building fifteen miles outside Sheboygan, Wisconsin and less than twenty miles from Campbellsport.

The investigation into Menzer yielded disturbing evidence. Police excavated his property and found boxes of child sexual abuse images, news clippings about Robert's abduction, decayed remnants of children's clothes, and some small bones. Among the clothing remnants was a blue shirt that was believed to possibly belong to Robert. However, it could not be determined whether the bones were human.

In 1990, Menzer burned down the Waldo Mill, killing his two young stepsons in the process. He had previously been charged with sexually assaulting the boys, but was acquitted. He wasn't indicted for the arson and murders until 1992, but he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to forty years in prison.

Despite the circumstantial evidence linking Menzer to Robert's case, decades later, the FBI determined through advanced DNA testing that several small bone fragments dug up from his yard were not those of Bobby Joe Fritz. This development, while ruling out one potential lead, meant that Robert's family still had no closure.

The Ongoing Investigation and Family's Pain

Investigators continue to believe this is likely a non-family abduction case. Robert's case remains unsolved, and it is currently classified as a non-family abduction.

For Robert's family, the passage of time has not diminished their pain or their hope for answers. Lora Engel, Robert's older sister, expressed her mixed feelings about the DNA results that ruled out Menzer's property: "I was extremely relieved that it wasn't Bobby Joe, but that just means still no closure for our family". She now lives in Michigan but continues to seek answers about her beloved little brother.

Lora remembered Robert as "everyone's favorite" and "the baby" of the family. She described him as a hot wheel riding, stuffed animal loving little brother who carried around a monkey toy, and they called him "BJ and the bear," after a television show that was popular at the time. The family even celebrated his sixth birthday without him and saw his face on milk cartons, while their mother kept his hot wheels toys in front of the house as a symbol of hope for his return.

Current Status and Age Progression

If alive today, Robert would be 47 years old. Age-progressed photos have been created showing what he might look like now. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and various law enforcement agencies continue to maintain his case in their databases, keeping hope alive that someone might recognize him or have information about what happened that spring afternoon in 1983.

The disappearance of Robert Joseph Fritz represents more than just a single missing child case. It embodies the worst fears of every parent and the devastating impact that one moment can have on an entire family and community. For over forty years, his case has remained a haunting reminder of how quickly a normal day can transform into an enduring nightmare.

As investigators continue their work and technology advances, there remains hope that answers may still come. The Fritz family's long wait for closure continues, sustained by love, memory, and the unwavering belief that someday they will learn what happened to their beloved Bobby Joe on that May afternoon when he simply wanted to go home for lunch.

Anyone with information regarding Robert's case is encouraged to contact the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department at (920) 929-3390. Even the smallest detail could be the key to finally solving this decades-old mystery and bringing peace to a family that has waited far too long for answers.

Sources

Benjamin Hayes

Benjamin Hayes is a blogger with a passion for true crime and unresolved mysteries. In his free time, Benjamin is an avid hiker and photographer. He finds solace and inspiration in nature, often trekking through the scenic trails of the Appalachian Mountains.