Name: Derrick Ray Henagan
Nicknames: De, Dork, Hollywood
Age: 35 years old
Last Seen: August 4, 2008
Location: Newberry, Michigan
Status: Still missing
Case Information
35 year old Derrick Henagan was last seen in Newberry, Michigan on August 4, 2008. He disappeared after walking into the woods across from a neighbor’s house off M-135.
Background
Derrick Henagan was born on August 19, 1972. He grew up in Hartford, Michigan and graduated from Hartford High School in 1991.
At the time of his disappearance, Derrick was in a relationship with Dyanna Maddox. The couple were living together in a residence off North Manistique lake Road in Newberry, Michigan, a village in the Upper Peninsula.
When he moved to the Upper Peninsula he left behind a daughter and son, who lived with their mother in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He spoke with his son on the phone every night.
Derrick worked as a traveling car salesman and enjoyed sports, fishing, and camping. He had several misdemeanor warrants for his arrest at the time of his disappearance, but his family says he had always cooperated with law enforcement before, and had never took off trying to avoid arrest.
Disappearance
Three days prior to his disappearance, Derrick Henagan reportedly had a fight with his live-in girlfriend, Dyanna Maddox, which led him to temporarily stay with a neighbor, Denny Murdock.
Derrick Henagan was last seen at 4:30 pm on August 4, 2008, walking across M-135 and heading into the woods across from a neighbor’s home.
He was supposed to meet Maddox at a deer blind in the woods, but never showed up. Derrick hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Derrick was reported missing to the State Police on August 7, 2008.
Investigation
Three days before he disappeared, Derrick made several calls to Hartford, Michigan, where he had grown up. He was asking friends and family for a ride back home since he did not have a car. His father ending up sending him a bus ticket so he could come back home.
Authorities initially believed Derrick was hiding from law enforcement due to a few outstanding misdemeanor warrants, however his family states he’d always been cooperate with law enforcement in the past.
About nine months after Derrick disappeared, Mike Neiger, a retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator who started his own search and rescue team, was given permission to search the home Derrick was living in with Maddox.
A cadaver dog reportedly hit on an area of drywall and carpet in the home, which Neiger sealed and gave to the State Police for testing. The carpet sample was bagged in May 2009, and given to the crime lab in October 2010, 17 months later.
There are no records indicating State Police ever searched Maddox’s home, nor that they ever searched the neighbor’s home where Derrick was temporarily staying.
In 2016, Derrick was declared legally dead with his case being ruled a homicide.
According to a years long review of the case by the Detroit Free Press, State Police sent cadaver dogs to the home of David Moeggenborg, a former state trooper, to search for Derrick’s remains. An axe taken from Moeggenborg’s home was submitted for blood and fingerprint testing, though neither of enough quality was found to be properly analyzed.
Moeggenborg responded to a break in complaint at Maddox’s home on the day Derrick was reported missing. She said her and Derrick had fought a few days earlier, leading him to stay with friends down the road. She assumed he had broken in and taken her guns while she was away.
According to the Free Press investigation, state police waited months to examine evidence, and waited years to interview friends and family of Moeggenborg. Once they were finally interviewed many had forgotten timeline details.
“I don’t have reason to question the integrity of the investigation, based on the people that I believe were involved in that,” said retired Captain Clint Michelin, who responded when the Free Press inquired about the handling of the case.
Moeggenborg had a troubled history, with reports of domestic abuse, child abuse, and stalking against him, though it’s unclear exactly what evidence led authorities to look into him regarding Derrick’s disappearance.
Moeggenborg died of cancer in 2015.
Whereabouts
The location of Derrick Henagan, as well as the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, remains unknown.
Foul play is suspected in Derrick’s disappearance, with his case being ruled a homicide in 2016, though his body has never been found and no one has been charged in connection with his disappearance.
Appearance
White male born on August 19, 1972. Derrick has brown hair, brown eyes, stands 6’1, and weights 170 pounds. He had short spoky hair and had a goatee at the time of his disappearance.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Derrick has a fractured vertebrae in neck, fractured & deformed index, middle, and ring fingers on his right hand, a fractured & deformed right thumb, bone lumps near each eyebrow, and a bone lump on center of rear of head. He has bunions and spurs on both of his big toes, as well as callouses and spurs on both heels.
Both of Derrick’s ears are pierced, as well as his left nipple. He has a scar on the lower side of his torso, a “Rayce + Dy” tribal tattoo on his upper left arm, a 4-6 inch scar on his shin, and a wizard tattoo on the left side of his back.
Clothing & Accessories:
Derrick was last seen wearing a size medium black cotton Monster t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, medium/large Nike brand basketball style shorts with an elastic waistband, ankle high white cotton socks, and size 10 or 11 Sketchers gum shoes. He was also known to wear a silver wedding band like ring and small hoop gold earrings.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Derrick Henagan please contact the Michigan State Police Newberry Post at (905) 293-5152.
Resources & Further Information
Where’s Derrick Henagan – Facebook
Derrick Ray Henagan – NamUs
Derrick Ray Henagan – The Charley Project
Derrick Henagan – CUE Center
The Missing Man – Where Secrets Go To Die
Media Links
What Happened to Derrick Ray Henagan? – Upper Michigan Source
Michigan State Police Face Suspicion For Handling of Cold Case Murder – Detroit Free Press
New Podcast Explores Mysterious Disappearance of West Michigan Man – WGRD
Missing Newberry man Declared Dead – Upper Michigan Source
Videos & Flyers
My god who writes these, high school dropouts? At least use grammar check.