When a 13-year-old Wisconsin boy vanishes in the summer of 2023,

investigators learned that he had aspirations of trying to survive off-grid in the wilderness.

Despite the discovery of abandoned campsites and extensive search efforts,

a child remains missing in this episode of Last Seen Live.

Music Live. Thanks for listening to Last Seen Alive. I'm your host, Leah, crime analyst by day and true crime

storyteller by night. And as always, I'm your co-host, Scott. A quick heads up. This episode contains

discussion on the topic of suicide. Please listen with care. Also, this case was recommended to us by a

listener. So thank you very much to the individual who let us know about James Disappearance.

James Yablonski was last seen alive on June 12, 2023. He was 13 years old at the time and lived with his dad,

brothers, and sister in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Reidsburg is a small town located in the southern half of the state.

The Baraboo River runs through it and it's surrounded by designated state wildlife and natural areas, all accessible with just a short drive.

It's a scenic area with lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation and the sort of town that many might consider a safe place to raise a family.

Crime rates in Reedsburg are significantly lower than the national average

and the Wisconsin state average. Violent crimes are comparatively few and far in between. James had grown

up in the area and loved to camp and fish, both activities that there were abundant opportunities to pursue.

He was the second youngest of four children with two older brothers and a little

sister. His dad, Bill, was a single dad. He and the mother of their four kids had divorced five years

before, and according to reporting by WISN 12 News, by the summer of 2023, she wasn't involved in her

kids' lives and had not been for several years. James' dad, Bill,

supported his family via a small local golf cart sale and repair business that he owned and ran.

As for James, he was a student, of course, a rising eighth grader at Jack Young Middle School,

where he was generally regarded as a quiet kid. By June, however, classes were out for the summer.

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