Derrick Engebretson

* Living photo
* Age progressed

**Derrick James Engebretson** was a young boy who vanished from the Winema National Forest in 1998.

## Case

Derrick vanished while hiking with his father and grandfather in the Winema National Forest in Klamath County, Oregon on December 5, 1998. The trio had spent most of the day searching the forest for a Christmas tree. At one point at Derrick father walked ahead of the others and Derrick eventually decided that he'd like to join him. His grandfather told him he could run ahead and follow his father's footsteps in the snow until he caught up with him. He hasn't been seen or heard from since and was reported missing after his grandfather notified a passing motorist of the situation at around 4:13 P.M. and they travelled to a nearby resort to seek assistance.

A blizzard hit the area that evening, covering any footprints Derrick may have left behind and delaying the initial search for him. In the following days the temperature fell below zero and it snowed excessively. As such, police believe Derrick could not have survived long and likely succumbed to exposure after getting lost on the mountain. Supporting this theory, a "crude shelter" made of fir boughs was found during the searches, although scent tracking dogs were unable to pick up his scent around it. A candy wrapper and a Bonanza School bookmark were also found near Rocky Point alongside blood of an unknown origin. Although it is unclear if these items were actually linked to Derrick's disappearance.

However, on the day Derrick vanished authorities and his family noticed small footprints in the snow, which made a loop from the location where his father had last seen him to a clearing near the road, where a snow angel was found. However, the tracks leading away from the snow angel had been destroyed by a snow plough.

That day a witness claimed to have seen an unidentified man struggling with a young boy, although at the time he assumed they were father and son so he wasn't concerned by the situation. Authorities are also looking into the possibility that an unidentified man driving a black Honda in the Rocky Point area on December 5 may be involved in Derrick's case.

In 1999, authorities discovered graffiti, the contents of which had never been released, that they believed may have been linked to Derrick's disappearance in a bathroom at the Sagehen Rest Area. A portion of the wall was removed and sent to the state laboratory for analysis. However, it was eventually concluded that the graffiti was written as a "joke".

In 2004, investigators announced Frank J. Milligan, a convicted child rapist, was announced as the prime suspect in Derrick's case. They believe Derrick may have wandered to the roadside and been picked up by Milligan. When Milligan was questioned in relation to Derrick's disappearance, he confessed to killing him although he was unable to lead authorities to Derrick's body. While he has never been charged with Derrick's abduction or murder, he is still considered a suspect in his case.

Derrick was used to walking distances of 20 miles in difficult terrain and according to his parents he was very accustomed to spending time in mountainous areas. His father and grandfather are not considered suspects in his case.

## Characteristics

* Brown hair.
	+ He had a cowlick.
* Hazel eyes.
* He had dog bite scars under his chin, between his nostrils and under his nose.

## Clothing and accessories

* Blue snowmobile suit.
* A size 12 or 14 denim jacket.
* Black sweatshirt.
* An Oakland A's t-shirt.
* Navy blue Route 66 pants.
* A hat.
* Gloves with the Goosebumps logo on them.
* Felt-lined camouflage-print boots.
* He was carrying a small hatchet.

## Sources

* Derrick Engebretson at the *Charley Project*
* Derrick Engebretson at *NamUs*
* Derrick Engebretson at *NCMEC*
* Derrick Engebretson at the *Doe Network*
* Derrick Engebretson on Wikipedia