VERNON, Wis. — A Mukwonago family is still out regularly searching for their missing son, one year after he disappeared. Isaiah Cramer was 16 years old when he left a mental health treatment facility and has not been seen since.
"There are still areas that need to be covered,” said Vance Cramer, Isaiah’s dad, when he talks about the search for his missing son.
Vance spends most of his time looking for Isaiah, along with the rest of the family.
“The holidays sucked. They just sucked. There is this absence. You feel this absence. You feel the absence of him everywhere we go,” said Vance.
On February 4, 2024, Isaiah was at the Norris Residential Facility. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office spotted him on a trail camera near the intersection of Maple Avenue and Center Drive in Vernon, just a block from the facility.
His headphones were found in a nearby field, but no one has seen him since. Vance says he, his wife, and Isaiah's two siblings are always out looking to bring him home.
Watch: Keeping Hope Alive: Mukwonago dad won't stop searching for missing son
“Just out looking and searching and going through all the details. That's the biggest question right now: What direction did he go?” asked Vance.
The sheriff's department and family have conducted multiple searches throughout the year, at times with volunteers, dogs, and even horses. Vance recently hired a drone operator to fly the fields and search again this winter.
This past week the Center for Missing and Exploited Children put out a new flyer across the country for Isaiah. It has led to new tips and calls with some claiming to be Isaiah.
“I talked to you that day, the day the sheriff's office told you that someone was calling, claiming to be your son. How was that to listen?”
"It was obviously not him,” answered Vance.
He says it sends the family through both hope and heartbreak in a matter of seconds.
“As soon as the guy starts talking, you realize there is no way that's Isaiah. Just that sinking feeling, because we want him home safe. You want him to be okay. I don’t want to find him in a swamp or woods or whatever in Vernon, because that means he didn’t make it. Any hope that he is still alive is still hope,” said Vance.
If you have any information about Isaiah or have seen him, call the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office at 262-446-5070.
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