Body found in car belonging to missing person hundreds of miles away, NE cops say

A body was found inside a car as troopers discovered the vehicle was tied to a missing person’s investigation hundreds of miles away, Nebraska authorities say.

During the early-morning hours of July 16, troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol attempted to pull over the car, which investigators said belonged to 67-year-old Dorinda Segebrecht.

An endangered missing person advisory had been issued in multiple states for Segebrecht, who was last seen in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, on July 14.

Her Hyundai Kona was spotted in Peru, Illinois, on July 15, hours before Nebraska authorities attempted to pull over the driver.

When troopers attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Lincoln, the driver did not stop, state patrol said. In heavy rain in a construction zone, he began driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of the interstate before crashing into a median, officials said.

Troopers said the driver fled on foot, leading authorities to a grim discovery inside the Hyundai. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin said a woman was found dead in the vehicle’s back seat.

The victim has not been positively identified as Segebrecht, but deputies said she matches her physical and age descriptions.

A four-hour search involving multiple agencies began for the driver, who was located and taken into custody about 4 miles from where he crashed, according to state patrol.

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Gavin Thompson, of Dodgeville, was charged with driving-related offenses, Nebraska authorities said. Additional charges are pending out of Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Deputies in Wisconsin said the victim was killed in a “random act of violence.” There is no known relationship between Thompson and the woman.

Segebrecht was described by a loved one as a “mother, aunt, sister & grandmother to so many.”

“She did not deserve this!!! She was 100% about her family!” Jenny Smillie said in a Facebook post. “She loved spending time with all of them. This was a senseless & tragic act.”

Dodgeville is about a 125-mile drive west from Milwaukee. The town is about a 430-mile drive to Lincoln, where the woman’s body was found.

This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Body found in car belonging to missing person hundreds of miles away, NE cops say."