It was the crime that froze Marathon County in time. A story of a beauty queen, a belt, and a high school sweetheart that felt more like a dark thriller than a small-town Wisconsin reality. Even decades later, people are still asking the same question: where does Lori Esker live now?
Public interest in Esker has never really fizzled out. It’s the nature of the case. In 1989, Lori Esker was the Marathon County Dairy Princess, a title that carried weight in a community built on agriculture and wholesome values. But that image shattered when she was convicted of murdering Lisa Cihaski, her former boyfriend's new fiancée.
The Current Status of Lori Esker
Honestly, the answer to where she is today is simpler than the conspiracy theories suggest. Lori Esker was released from prison on July 16, 2019. After serving nearly 30 years of a life sentence, she walked out of the Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Since her release, Esker has maintained a remarkably low profile. You won't find her on TikTok or posting life updates on a public Facebook page. She isn't doing the "true crime circuit" or sitting down for flashy Netflix documentaries.
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Basically, she has disappeared into the fabric of everyday life. Following her release, she was under the supervision of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. While the state doesn't typically publish the exact home addresses of parolees to the general public for safety and privacy reasons, records indicated she was intended to reside in the central Wisconsin area initially to be near family.
Family has always been a cornerstone for her. During her decades behind bars, her parents and siblings remained her most vocal supporters. It makes sense that she’d head back toward her roots, even if the town of Edgar or the surrounding Marathon County areas might feel very different after three decades away.
Why the World Won’t Let the Story Go
It's about the contrast. You have a "Dairy Princess"—the literal face of innocence in Wisconsin—committing a crime of intense passion and premeditation.
Lisa Cihaski was 21. She was strangled in her own car in the parking lot of a motel where she worked. The weapon? A belt. The motive? Bill Erickson, a man both women had loved.
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The trial was a media circus long before the era of 24-hour news cycles. People in the courtroom described Esker as stoic. That perceived lack of emotion became a narrative in itself. When you look at where Lori Esker lives now, you have to look at the shadow that follows her. In a digital age, her past is only a Google search away, which makes living a "normal" life in 2026 incredibly difficult.
Life After Taycheedah
Life in prison for 30 years changes a person. Esker entered the system in the early 90s. When she left in 2019, the world was a different planet.
- Technology shock: She went in before the internet was a household staple and came out to a world of smartphones and AI.
- Employment: Finding work with a conviction of that magnitude is a massive hurdle.
- Parole restrictions: She didn't just walk free. Her release came with strict conditions, including regular check-ins and travel restrictions.
Most reports from those who have crossed paths with her since 2019 suggest she is living a quiet, industrious life. She’s reportedly worked in clerical or labor roles where she can keep her head down. She isn't looking for fame. She's looking for the one thing she hasn't had since she was a teenager: anonymity.
Addressing the Rumors
Is she still in Wisconsin? Most likely. While some high-profile parolees eventually move out of state to escape their reputation, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections usually requires a solid housing and support plan before granting parole. For Esker, that support system is firmly rooted in the Midwest.
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There have been occasional "sightings" discussed on true crime forums, but most are unverified. She has stayed away from the media. No tell-all books. No "my side of the story" interviews. That silence is perhaps the most telling part of where she is mentally. She seems content to let the past stay in the past, even if the public isn't.
The Realities of Her Parole
Esker's release wasn't a guarantee. She had been denied parole multiple times before the 2019 decision. The parole board eventually determined that she had reached a point of low risk to the community.
- She completed numerous programs while incarcerated.
- She had an exemplary disciplinary record for most of her sentence.
- She had a stable place to live upon release.
Moving Forward
If you are looking for Lori Esker today, you won't find a map to her front door. And that’s probably for the best. The case of the Dairy Princess remains a tragic chapter in Wisconsin history, serving as a reminder of how quickly a life can pivot from a crown to a cell.
For those interested in the legal and social implications of her case, the best path is to look at the court transcripts and the historical reporting from the Wausau Daily Herald, which covered every beat of the trial.
Practical Next Steps for Researchers:
If you're digging deeper into this case or the current status of the participants, consider these avenues:
- Check the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Offender Registry: While specific addresses aren't public, you can verify if an individual is still under active supervision.
- Review the 2019 Parole Board Findings: These documents provide the most professional insight into her rehabilitation and the state's reasoning for her release.
- Local Archives: The Marathon County Public Library holds the most extensive collection of original reporting from 1989 and 1990, providing a context that modern summaries often miss.
The story of Lori Esker isn't just about a location on a map. It’s about the long, slow process of a person trying to exist in a world that primarily remembers them for the worst thing they ever did.