DARLINGTON - An investigation into the mysterious 1987 death of a beloved Juneau County teacher has been rejuvenated.
The body of Barb Blackstone was found a month after she went missing in a wooded area of Lafayette County near Paulson Road, just 7 to 8 miles from where she grew up.
Twenty years later, one of her former students, Marc Andreessen, is offering a $25,000 reward in the case. Andreessen is one of the co-founders of the Web browser Netscape.
According to a Lafayette County news release Thursday, 30-year-old Barbara F. Blackstone of Lyndon Station was seen at Scully's International Shell gas station in Lyndon Station around noon on July 9, 1987. She is believed to have disappeared shortly thereafter from her residence on Delmore Road, near County H, in Juneau County.
It appeared as if Blackstone had been mowing her yard in preparation for a family picnic, when she ran out of gas. Her car was found undisturbed at the residence, and there were no signs of a struggle.
On Aug. 5, 1987, a hunter found her body, 80 miles away, about two miles southwest of Blanchardville. The circumstances of her death are indicative of a homicide, according to the news release. The case was never closed, but has been latent.
The Juneau County Sheriff's office, Lafayette County Sheriff's office and the State of Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are investigating the homicide.
The $25,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Blackstone's death. Anyone with information can contact Special Agent James C. Holmes of DCI at (608) 266-1671, Detective Randy Georgeson of Juneau County Sheriff's office at (608) 847-5649, Detective Joe Thompson of Lafayette County Sheriff's office at (608) 776-4870, or Juneau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-826-8477.
The body of Barb Blackstone was found a month after she went missing in a wooded area of Lafayette County near Paulson Road, just 7 to 8 miles from where she grew up.
Twenty years later, one of her former students, Marc Andreessen, is offering a $25,000 reward in the case. Andreessen is one of the co-founders of the Web browser Netscape.
According to a Lafayette County news release Thursday, 30-year-old Barbara F. Blackstone of Lyndon Station was seen at Scully's International Shell gas station in Lyndon Station around noon on July 9, 1987. She is believed to have disappeared shortly thereafter from her residence on Delmore Road, near County H, in Juneau County.
It appeared as if Blackstone had been mowing her yard in preparation for a family picnic, when she ran out of gas. Her car was found undisturbed at the residence, and there were no signs of a struggle.
On Aug. 5, 1987, a hunter found her body, 80 miles away, about two miles southwest of Blanchardville. The circumstances of her death are indicative of a homicide, according to the news release. The case was never closed, but has been latent.
The Juneau County Sheriff's office, Lafayette County Sheriff's office and the State of Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are investigating the homicide.
The $25,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Blackstone's death. Anyone with information can contact Special Agent James C. Holmes of DCI at (608) 266-1671, Detective Randy Georgeson of Juneau County Sheriff's office at (608) 847-5649, Detective Joe Thompson of Lafayette County Sheriff's office at (608) 776-4870, or Juneau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-826-8477.