New search efforts underway for missing Waukesha County teen

MUKWONAGO, Wis. (CBS 58) — New search efforts are underway for a Waukesha County teen who has been missing for four months.

Isaiah Cramer turned 17 years old this past Sunday, and his parents tell CBS 58 News they are doing everything they can to bring their son back home.

“We’re trying not to have it turn into a cold case,” said Kim Cramer, the teen’s mother. “It’s very strange that we haven’t heard from him and it’s very strange that we haven’t had any contact from him.”

Isaiah Cramer was last seen on Sunday, Feb. 4, leaving the Norris Mental Health Center in Mukwonago.

His parents, Kim and Vance Cramer, said the facility is not like a detention center. They have an open-door policy where patients are able to leave at their own discretion.

The Cramers opened up to CBS 58 News saying their youngest son is a good kid who occasionally lashes out due to mental health issues.

“He’s more like a 9-year-old, emotionally, in a 17-year-old body, unfortunately. We adopted him, he comes with some alcohol fetal syndrome,” said Kim Cramer.

The family shared that Isaiah also suffers from epilepsy and they have been worried about him not having his daily medication.

Isaiah Cramer is described as having black hair, brown eyes, measures about 5’10” in height and weighs about 220 pounds.

For months, friends and family have been actively looking to bring the teen back home.

His parents say a trail camera captured him not far from the facility's location.

They've also handed out flyers with a now $10,000 reward for anyone with credible information that leads them to their son.

"The police have kind of... (said) 'this is what we’ve searched,' you know, 'we’ve done what we can,' they’re checking it off," said Vance Cramer. "But this is our son," added Kim. "We can’t check our son off.”

For the first time in Wisconsin history, a group called Equusearch Midwest will assist alongside the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department in looking for the teen boy.

"We look for a lot of people that are on drugs, homicides..." said David Rader, the director of Equusearch Midwest.

Starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday June 8, a search party will meet at Big Bend Elementary School and then head over to the wooded area located near where Isaiah was last seen. They're hoping more than 50 people will volunteer.

“The drone technology we will definitely be using, because we can pick out colors with that all the way down to the size of a half-dollar from about 1,605-feet in the air,” explained Rader.

The Cramers will not stop looking until they get closure.

“We will never give up looking for you, you are an incredible human being that we have always loved. And if we have done anything to make you think differently…that will be the goal to, like, heal,” said Kim Cramer with tears in her eyes.