Shelly was 23 years old when she disappeared on November 12, 1987. She was pregnant at the time and had been working at Marquip Inc. in Phillips. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Shelly was last seen leaving the company at approximately 8:00 p.m. at the end of her work shift.

She was reported missing five days later after she failed to show up for her part-time job at the local IGA grocery store.

Shelly was born May 23, 1964, according to the Charley Project, and was 23 years old when she disappeared. She was described as a white female with brown hair, hazel eyes, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. Her nickname was Shelly.

She was one of seven children and had grown up in Random Lake, Wisconsin, before moving with her mother to northern Wisconsin following her parents' divorce.

At the time of her disappearance, Shelly was working multiple jobs. 

According to reporting on the case, Shelly had recently learned she was expecting a child and was reportedly happy about the pregnancy. She had begun thinking about names for the baby and had shared the news with people close to her.

On November 12, 1987, Shelly had an ultrasound at Flambeau Hospital in Park Falls. Later that day, she was seen in the Phillips area before going to work at Marquip. At approximately 8:00 p.m., she left Marquip at the end of her shift. She was never confirmed to have been seen again. Five days later, when Shelly failed to appear for work at the IGA, her disappearance was reported to authorities. Her vehicle was subsequently located at the Lake 10 Resort, approximately 11 miles south of Phillips. Authorities initially reported that there were no obvious signs of foul play inside the vehicle or at Shelly's residence.

She was not the only person who disappeared that night. Her unborn child disappeared with her.

In June 2026, Wisconsin Watch reported on newly obtained court records that shed additional light on the investigation.

According to a 2008 search-warrant affidavit, investigators had identified Michael D. Raskie, Shelly's supervisor at Marquip, as a lead suspect. The records also identified him as the likely father of Shelly's unborn child. The records indicate that investigators obtained a warrant in 2008 to collect Raskie's DNA.

Raskie was never charged in connection with Shelly's disappearance. He died in 2015.

It is important to distinguish between being identified by investigators as a suspect and being charged or convicted of a crime. No criminal conviction has established what happened to Shelly Hansen.

The newly released records nevertheless provide important insight into how investigators viewed the case and raise additional questions about an investigation that had remained largely out of public view for decades.

Anyone with information concerning the disappearance of Marchelle “Shelly” Hansen is asked to contact the Price County Sheriff's Department at 715-339-3011. Shelly's Wisconsin Department of Justice missing-person record identifies the Price County Sheriff's Department as the investigating agency. Her NamUs case number is MP11870.