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Engebretson,Derrick December 5,1998; Bonanza, Oregon
Topic Started: Mar 9 2006, 07:57 AM (759 Views)
idiotslove9
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DERRICK ENGEBRETSON -8yrs old

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOB: Jul 5, 1990
Missing:
Age Now: 14
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 4'6" (137 cm)
Weight: 85 lbs (39 kg)
Missing From: BONANZA, OR
United States
Circumstances:
Derrick's photo is shown age-progressed to 13 years. He became separated from his father and grandfather while they were looking for a Christmas tree in the Rocky Point area of the Winema National Forest in Klamath County, Oregon on December 5, 1998. He has a scar from a dog bite on his chin, between the nostrils and under the nose.
Klamath County authorities Saturday confirmed a report that a man serving a prison sentence for attempted murder is a suspect in the disappearance of a young Bonanza boy nearly six years ago during a family Christmas tree hunt near Rocky Point.

The Oregonian reported Saturday that Frank J. Milligan, convicted of raping a 10-year-old boy then slashing the boy's throat and leaving him for dead, may have been in-volved in the disappearance of 8-year-old Derrick Engebretson on Dec. 5, 1998.

The possible link between Milligan and Derrick was made two years ago said Ed Caleb, Klamath County District Attorney. It was made public only this weekend after it was uncovered by an Oregonian reporter working on a story about sex abuse.

In 2002, Milligan confessed to killing Derrick, only to later retract his confession.

"Now the question is whether he is telling the truth or not telling the truth," Caleb said.

A confession is not enough to convict a suspect, Caleb said. It is not even enough for the filing of charges. Evidence that backs up someone's confession is needed, he said.

After the confession State Police investigators tried to find evidence that Milligan had come in contact with Derrick or had been near Klamath Falls at the time of the boy's disappearance.

"No one at this point has been able to do that," Caleb said.

Without the evidence there is no grounds to charge Milligan with a crime, he said.

Derrick, who was a third-grader and known to family as "Bear Boy," was searching for a Christmas tree with his father, Robert, and grandfather Bob Engebretson when he wandered away in a snow storm near Pelican Butte. His disappearance led to a massive search with dogs, snowmobiles and hundreds of volunteers that lasted for weeks.

"For 18 days and 18 nights we never quit," said Ben Davis, Derrick's other grandfather.

Eventually the Air National Guard and the U.S. Forest Service were brought in to aid in the search, but the boy wasn't found.

Over the years authorities have looked into multiple leads and have had other suspects and people of interest, but none of the leads have panned out, said Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger, who inherited the case from former sheriff Carl Burkhart. The case is still classified as a missing person.

"There has been no new information for investigators recently," Evinger said. He said they are still trying to put enough of the pieces of the puzzle together.

Davis said the investigators told Derrick's family about Milligan's confession about two years ago. The family was kept abreast of the developments in the case and brought up to the Willamette Valley when Milligan told authorities he killed the boy and he would show them where he buried Derrick's body.

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/ser...earchLang=en_US
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monkalup
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Derrick Engebretson, his father and grandfather were looking for a Christmas tree in the Rocky Point area of the Winema National Forest in Klamath County on December 5, 1998. He became separated from them and has not been seen since. He has a scar from a dog bite on his chin, between the nostrils and under the nose. The Klamath County Sheriff´s Office is handling the investigation.

Birth Date 07/05/90
Missing Date 12/05/98
Race White
Sex Male
Current Age 15
Hair Color Brown
Hair Type Straight
Eyes Hazel
Height 4´6"
Weight 85 lbs
Missing From Bonanza, Oregon, USA
Type of Abduction Endangered Missing

A Toll-Free Hotline: (1-800-282-7155) is maintained by the Clearinghouse to receive any information on missing children.

Clearinghouse business number 503-378-3725, Ext. 4412

http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/MCC/engebretson_derrick.shtml
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/e/enge...on_derrick.html
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oldies4mari2004
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Derrick James Engebretson


Left and Center: Engebretson, circa 1998
Right: Age-progression to 15 (circa 2005)


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: December 5, 1998 from Bonanza, Oregon
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: July 5, 1990
Age: 8 years old
Height and Weight: 4'6, 85 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Engebretson has dog bite scars on his chin, between his nostrils and under his nose. His nickname is Bear Boy due to his love of the outdoors.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blue snowmobile suit and possibly a jacket, a hat, felt-lined boots, and gloves with a Goosebumps logo.


Details of Disappearance

Engebretson was looking for a Christmas tree in the Rocky Point area of Winema National Forest in Klamath County, Oregon on December 5, 1998. He wandered away from his father and grandfather during the day and apparently became lost. Engebretson has never been seen again.
Extensive air and ground searches yielded few clues as to Engebretson's whereabouts. A blizzard hit the area the evening he was reported missing and obliterated any tracks that might have been there; the weather also hampered search efforts.
Volunteers discovered a candy wrapper and a Bonanza School bookmark near Rocky Point several days after Engebretson disappeared. Blood of an unknown origin was also located at the scene. It is not known if the materials were connected to Engebretson's case, although he was enrolled at the school in 1998. Also found on the mountain were shoestrings, a tag torn off a t-shirt, and eyeglasses. It is not thought that these particular items are connected to Engebretson. A crude shelter made of fir boughs under several fallen logs are located on the mountain, but tracker dogs at the site did not seem to detect Engebretson's scent. In the days following his disappearance the temperature dipped below zero and there was a great deal of snow and wind; police are of the opinion that Engebretson could not have survived long on the mountain.

Authorities investigated Engebretson's case as a possible abduction shortly after he disappeared. An unidentified adult male was driving a black Honda in the Rocky Point area on December 5. A photo of a vehicle similar to the man's car is posted below this case summary. The individual reportedly asked for directions while in the forest. A witness allegedly saw an unidentified individual struggling with a young boy near the area later in the day. The witness did not stop because he assumed the man was the boy's father. Investigators do not know if the incident is related to Engebretson's case. Authorities also speculated that he succumbed to the elements in the forest. Engebretson's father and grandfather have both taken polygraphs and are not considered suspects.

In 1999, police discovered graffiti scrawled on the wall of a public restroom that they thought might have a connection to Engebretson's disappearance. They never released the wording of the graffiti, but a portion of the wall was removed and sent to a state laboratory for analysis. Investigators eventually concluded that the writing was a cruel joke.
Investigators in Salem, Oregon announced that they identified a 'person of interst' in Engebretson's case in November 2002. The individual's name was not disclosed at the time of the announcement. Engebretson's mother believes that her son was abducted in December 1998, and she has criticized law enforcement for not acting quickly enough to find him. The Engebretson family has filed a lawsuit against the Klamath County Search Team for not finding the child.

In 2004, investigators announced that convicted child rapist Frank J. Milligan is the prime suspect in Engebretson's disappearance. Milligan, a former aide in a children's psychiatric ward, is serving a sixty-year prison sentence for kidnapping a ten-year-old boy in 2000, raping him, and slashing his throat. The ten-year-old survived. Milligan also was convicted of sexually abusing an eleven-year-old boy.

Authorities theorize that Engebretson made it to the roadside on the day of his disappearance and was picked up by Milligan. An inmate of Milligan's told police and Engebretson's family that he bragged about killing the missing boy while in prison. When authorities confronted him, he confessed to killing the child. He said he would plead guilty to the murder if he was spared the death penalty. He offered to lead investigators to his body, but a search turned up nothing and Milligan later recanted his confession. He has not been charged in connection with Engebretson's case but is still considered a strong suspect.

Engebretson carried a small hatchet at the time of his disappearance. His father says he is accustomed to mountain terrain and routinely walked distances up to twenty miles through the southern Oregon countryside. Engebretson enjoyed reading R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books series at the time he went missing. His case is unoslved.



Above: Vehicle similar to the model reportedly driven by an
unidentified male on the day of Engebretson's disappearance


Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Klamath County Sheriff's Office
541-883-5130



Source Information
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
The Columbian
The Oregonian
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Oregon State Police
The Medford Mail Tribune
Better a Millstone
Chat Area



Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004.

Last updated February 22, 2006; age-progression updated.

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Still missing: 10 years later, questions linger about boy


In this photo from 1998, searchers pass a tree tied with a yellow ribbon and a photo of Derrick Engebretson as they search the Pelican Butte area where the 8-year-old Klamath County boy disappeared.
1999 file photo
December 05, 2008

By Chris Conrad
Mail Tribune
It's been a decade since 8-year-old Derrick Engebretson disappeared in the woods near Klamath Falls while Christmas tree hunting with his family.

Police hope another 10 years won't go by before closure is brought to Lori and Robert Engebretson, who continue to hold onto a shred of hope their son made it off Pelican Butte alive that night.

"We don't know anymore," Lori Engebretson said. "For a while I thought maybe we would find him on the mountain. We also wonder if someone may have taken him."

The couple, who live in Bonanza, still search Pelican Butte on occasion, but the steep, rugged terrain near the northern end of Upper Klamath Lake has become an impediment. The couple used to spend much of their time combing the mountain in the years after a massive search effort by several police agencies failed to turn up any sign of Derrick.

"I am not as young as I used to be," Lori Engebretson said.

Derrick was on the hunt for a Christmas tree with his parents and grandfather when he wandered off and disappeared into the snowy woods about 30 miles from Klamath Falls.

His family attempted a hasty search immediately after it became clear the boy had become separated from his grandfather. They called authorities, who descended on the area over the next few weeks with hundreds of volunteers, snowmobiles and search dogs.

Eventually, the search teams drifted away, leaving the Engebretsons without answers.

A Christmas tree decorated with teddy bears and ornaments remains near the spot where the family pickup was parked that day. The spot could hold some clues about what happened to Derrick, Lori Engebretson said.

"We know he made it back to the truck because we found some wood he had chopped with his little hatchet near there," she said. "We also found a snow angel he had made near the road, so we know he made it out of the woods at some point."



The mystery took a turn six years ago, when Lori Engebretson received word from Salem police saying a man lodged in the Marion County Jail had bragged to a cellmate that he had kidnapped and murdered the boy, according to stories in The Oregonian.

Jack Milligan, who is serving 36 years in prison for raping and assaulting a 10-year-old boy in Dallas, Ore., continues to be a suspect in Derrick's disappearance, Lori Engebretson said.

Klamath County Sheriff's Office Det. Jeff Lord would not comment on whether he has singled out Milligan as a suspect. Lord said the case remains open and he is working with Oregon State Police to solve Derrick's case.

"We won't give up," said Lord, who has a picture of Derrick near his desk. "You don't give up on these cases."

Lord has hiked the terrain surrounding Pelican Butte several times, saying the area has become more difficult to search as the brush has thickened over the decade.

The Engebretsons are organizing a large-scale search of the area this summer. In the meantime, they remain in contact with police to keep abreast of possible changes in the investigation.

"Hopefully, someone will remember something and call us or the police so we can have Derrick back," Lori Engebretson said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Klamath County Sheriff's Department at 541-883-5130.

Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail cconrad@mailtribune.com.

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../NEWS/812050327
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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monkalup
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http://kdrv.com/page/69654

Friday marks 10-year anniversary of Engebretson's disappearance


By Emily Wood

December 5, 2008

NEAR CRATER LAKE, Ore. -- Friday marks the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of an eight-year-old Klamath County boy.

Derrick Engebretson was searching for a Christmas tree with his father and grandfather when he wandered off and then disappeared. Hundreds of volunteers, family members, and investigators with the Klamath County Sheriff's Office searched for Derrick for weeks.

Investigators say he may have been picked up by Frank J. Milligan, who plead guilty in July 2001 in the attempted murder and sexual abuse of a 10-year-old boy from Dallas, Oregon. Police say Milligan confessed to kidnapping Derrick, then recanted his statement. OSP investigators have said Milligan is still the lead suspect in the case.

Derrick's other grandfather, Ben Davis, who wasn't with Derrick the day he disappeared, believes Derrick made it out of the woods and onto the side of the road.

"I knew my grandson was picked up. I knew that in my heart, and we haven't proved anything," says Davis.

Derrick's sister, Amy Creveling, who was 17 at the time of his disappearance, says she's suffered from anxiety and depression since that day.

"He's still constantly there, he's still in my thoughts, he's in my prayers, he's still in our lives... even though he's not," says Creveling.

Klamath County sheriff's say the case is active and being revisited by a different investigator.


Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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http://www.ncmec.org/missingkids/servlet/P...earchLang=en_US

Endangered Missing
DERRICK ENGEBRETSON
DOB: Jul 5, 1990
Missing: Dec 5, 1998
Age Now: 20
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 4'6" (137 cm)
Weight: 85 lbs (39 kg)
Missing From:
BONANZA
OR
United States
Age Progressed

Derrick's photo is shown age-progressed to 18 years. He became separated from his father and grandfather while they were looking for a Christmas tree in the Rocky Point area of the Winema National Forest in Klamath County, Oregon on December 5, 1998. He has a scar from a dog bite on his chin, between the nostrils and under the nose.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Klamath County Sheriff's Office (Oregon) - 1-541-883-5130 or 1-541-883-7479

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monkalup
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Derrick James Engebretson
Missing since December 5, 1998 from Bonanza, Klamath County, Oregon
Classification: Lost, Injured, Missing

Vital Statistics

* Date Of Birth: July 5, 1990
* Age at Time of Disappearance: 8 years old
* Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 4'6" (137 cm); 85 lbs (39 kg)
* Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair with a cowlick; hazel eyes.
* Marks, Scars: Dog bite scars on his chin, between his nostrils and under his nose.
* Clothing: Blue snowmobile suit, denim jacket size 12-14,Rt 66 pants in navy blue, Oakland A's sweatshirt, and a black sweatshirt, a hat, felt-lined boots, and gloves with a Goosebumps logo. He was carrying a small hatchet.
* DNA: Available
* Dentals: Available
* AKA: Bear Boy

Circumstances of Disappearance
Engebretson became separated from his father and grandfather while they were looking for a Christmas tree in the Rocky Point area of the Winema National Forest in Klamath County, Oregon on December 5, 1998.
The three were walking together most of the time that day and were never very far from the paved road. But, at one point, Robert walked ahead of Derrick and his grandfather.
A little later, Derrick wanted to catch up with his father, just up the snowy hill and out of sight. The grandfather told Derrick to follow his father's footsteps in the snow. The boy has been unreported since.
Extensive air and ground searches yielded few clues as to Engebretson's whereabouts. A blizzard hit the area the evening Derrick was reported missing which destroyed any tracks that may have been left.

Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Klamath County Sheriff's Office
541-883-5130

Local Case Number: 98-3506

NCMEC #: NCMC857924
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/3332dmor.html
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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monkalup
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http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/region...orylist=orlocal

Oregon boy still missing after 10 years

12/8/2008, 12:02 a.m. PST
The Associated Press

BONANZA, Ore. (AP) -- A tree decorated with teddy bears and ornaments remains near the spot where the family pickup was parked the day 8-year-old Derrick Engebretson disappeared in December 1998.

The boy was last seen by his grandfather, who sent Derrick up a hill with a hatchet to help his father cut down a Christmas tree on the flanks of Pelican Butte on the Winema National Forest.

Ten years have passed, but Lori and Robert Engebretson of Bonanza continue to hope that Derrick somehow made it off Pelican Butte alive. The couple still searches on occasion, but the steep, rugged terrain near the northern end of Upper Klamath Lake has become an impediment.

"I am not as young as I used to be," Lori Engebretson said.

Derrick's disappearance led to a massive search with dogs, snowmobiles and hundreds of volunteers. The boy was never found and was presumed to have frozen to death in a snowstorm.

That theory came into question when an inmate claimed that Frank J. Milligan had bragged about abducting and killing the boy, sources close to the case told The Oregonian in 2004.

When confronted, Milligan, who had been sentenced to 36 years in prison for raping and assaulting a 10-year-old boy in Dallas, Ore., confessed to killing Derrick and agreed to lead detectives to the place where he claimed to have buried the boy's body. But nothing was found, and Milligan later recanted the confession, according to police and Engebretson's family.

Lori Engebretson says Milligan continues to be a suspect.

Detective Jeff Lord of the Klamath County Sheriff's Office declined to comment when asked if he has singled out Milligan as a suspect. Lord has hiked the terrain surrounding Pelican Butte several times. He says the area has become more difficult to search as the brush has thickened.

The detective, who keeps a picture of Derrick near his desk, said the case remains open. "We won't give up," Lord said. "You don't give up on these cases."
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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