On Oct. 4, 1983, a hiker found the torso of 18-year-old Eric Hansen in a plastic trash bag in Petrifying Springs County Park in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The rest of his body was never found.

Hansen, formerly of St. Francis, Wisconsin, was described by newspapers as a “prototype of the troubled youth”: a child of divorce, an occasional runaway, an “emotionally disabled” high school dropout and “alienated” from his classmates. When he last left home, Eric told his mother he was moving to Indiana.

As the homicide investigation continued, authorities revealed Hansen was also a sex worker, well known to the local gay community, and was last seen outside an adult bookstore in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.

Police initially suspected Hansen had been the victim of anti-gay violence. Despite numerous false leads — including possible links to serial killers Larry Eyler, Joachim Dressler and Jeffrey Dahmer — Eric’s murder has never been solved. Kenosha County Cold Case No. 83-13716 remains open.

Now, the case has drawn the attention of Clark Williams, whose work on the Billy Newton cold case is chronicled in the 2026 documentary “My Brother’s Killer.” Williams is revisiting the Hansen case through a modern, victim-centered lens, hoping to uncover new leads that could bring justice.

“As I have come to know Eric, my heart breaks for him,” Williams said. “He was so young to have already lived through so much. We are the same age. That kid could have been me.”

While in Milwaukee for the April 18 premiere of “My Brother’s Killer,” Williams plans to retrace Hansen’s final days, including walking the route he may have taken before disappearing on Sept. 27, 1983. He has already begun independent research and may interview Hansen’s surviving friends and family.

Williams has launched an online campaign asking anyone who knew Hansen, frequented Walker’s Point bars or heard information about the case in the 1980s to come forward.

“My hope is to rule in or rule out suspects in Eric’s murder,” Williams said. “I’m hoping to uncover previously unknown persons of interest. But my ultimate goal is to better understand who Eric was as a person.”

As part of building a detailed victim profile, Williams has worked with the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. Michail Takach, the organization’s president and chair, has served as a key resource and adviser in the investigation.

“Eric Hansen has been a cautionary tale for young gay men for nearly 45 years,” Takach said. “We need to know who he was as a human being so we can better support people like Eric living in the world today. Eric Hansen deserves justice — and together, we can find it.”

Anyone with information about Hansen’s life or death is encouraged to contact Clark Williams at [email protected] or 408-829-0375. Confidentiality is assured.