In the spring of 2011, Vincent 'Vince' Wesselmann, a 75-year-old recent retiree, vanished from his hometown of Breese, Illinois. A man of routine and deep-seated community ties, Vince was well-known and loved by many. He was one of thirteen siblings and an active member of his church, St. Augustine's. His life was filled with volunteering, whether it was building houses with Habitat for Humanity or helping out at Camp Ondessonk. He was also an avid gardener who often shared his produce with family or donated it to a local food pantry. On the evening of April 21, 2011, a neighbor saw Vince walking, possibly near the Breese Grain Company on his way to the post office, a walk he often took. This would be the last known sighting of him. His disappearance went unnoticed for a couple of days, a period that included Holy Week services he was expected to attend.
It was his absence from these church services that first alerted his large family that something was wrong. A few days after he was last seen, his sisters, unable to reach him by phone, went to his home on Saturday, April 23rd, to check on him. What they discovered was unsettling. Vince was gone, but all of his personal belongings, including his car, bicycle, wallet, and money, were still at the house. Laid out neatly on his bed were his good clothes, presumably for the church services he never attended. The scene suggested that he had intended to return home shortly. There were no signs of a struggle or forced entry, and nothing appeared to be missing. The baffling circumstances left his family and the police with a profound sense of unease.
The report of his disappearance triggered an immediate and extensive search by the Breese Police Department, fire departments from surrounding towns, and numerous volunteers from the community. Their efforts were significantly hampered by heavy rain and flooding in the area at the time. Despite their exhaustive work, which included draining a pond, no trace of Vincent Wesselmann was ever found. As years passed with no answers, the mystery of his disappearance deepened. A $10,000 reward was offered for any information that could lead to his whereabouts, but no credible leads emerged. In July 2018, more than seven years after he was last seen, Vincent Wesselmann was declared legally deceased by a Clinton County court. His family held a memorial Mass to celebrate his life, though they were left without closure. The case remains an unsolved mystery, a baffling vanishing that left a permanent void in a close-knit family and community.
Last Seen: Apr 21, 2011
