Crime Junkie
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MISSING: Kerry O’Brien-Krueger

August 3, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

On the night of December 5, 1989, 19-year-old Molly O’Brien was watching The Nutcracker in her Milwaukee dorm room when her brother-in-law, Tracy Krueger, called with an odd request. He wanted to know if her 32-year-old sister, Carrie O’Brien-Krueger, had stopped by. Tracy explained that Carrie had told him she was called in at the last minute to fill in at a trade show in Wyoming, leaving before dawn that morning. But when her manager, Jim, tried to reach her, there was no trade show. Carrie had never arrived. It was the last time anyone besides Tracy would claim to have seen her alive.

The Husband’s Story Unravels

Tracy’s account of that night and the morning of December 6 shifted repeatedly. He told police Carrie got a call around 8:15 p.m. about the Wyoming trip, but his own father mentioned the Wyoming story to police a full day before that alleged call. Tracy could not keep straight whether the trade show was in Wyoming or Montana, whether he heard a car leave that morning, or when Carrie was supposed to return. He said she packed a suitcase, but all her luggage was found in the attic. He claimed she took $500 from an emergency stash hidden in a basement air duct—except there was no air duct in that spot. Carrie’s winter coat was still in the closet, with its warm lining left behind. Her wedding ring, briefcase, makeup, and stomach medication were all still

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (02:05) **The Disappearance of Carrie O'Brien-Krueger** - Ashley introduces the case of a Wisconsin woman who vanished in 1989, with the help of a current investigator who needs the public to interpret two key clues.
  • 2 (02:45) **The Last Night and a Suspicious Phone Call** - On December 5th, 1989, Carrie's sister Molly gets an odd call from Carrie's husband, Tracy, asking if Carrie is with her.
  • 3 (05:53) **Early Investigation and a Troubled Marriage** - Police are slow to act until a note about Carrie's depression surfaces, while her family reveals a marriage fraught with lies and financial strain.
  • 4 (09:22) **The House Search Reveals Contradictions** - When Carrie's family searches her home, they find she left behind nearly everything Tracy said she packed, including her winter coat's lining and all her luggage.
  • 5 (12:37) **Tracy's Shifting Story and the Pre-Planned Trip** - Investigators find Tracy's story full of contradictions, most damningly that he told his father about Carrie's Wyoming trip a full day before she supposedly got the call.
  • 6 (14:36) **More Lies: The Car and the Truck** - Detectives uncover a pattern of deception, including Tracy claiming Carrie's car wouldn't start and secretly buying a new truck with what appears to be a forged signature.
  • 7 (16:29) **The Last Day: December 5th, 1989** - Investigators reconstruct Carrie's final day, finding she was upset at work and left late, and that Tracy's detailed timeline of that evening is contradicted by phone records.

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Show Notes

When Kerry O’Brien-Krueger vanished in 1989, her husband claimed she left for a work trip that never existed. Decades later, investigators are still untangling shifting stories, missing evidence and some crucial clues that could help reveal what happened - and they need Crime Junkies’ help.

  • If you know anything about the disappearance of Kerry O’Brien-Krueger, call the Racine County Sheriff's Office directly at (262) 930-8254, or if you’d prefer to remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers of Racine County at (888) 636-9330.

 

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Crime Junkie is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. 

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