The Disappearance of Derrick Engebretson
On the afternoon of December 5th, 1998, eight‑year‑old Derrick Engebretson was hunting for a Christmas tree with his father and grandfather in the Pelican Butte area of the Winema National Forest, Oregon. It was a tradition, and Derrick was excited to pick out a tree himself. The family arrived around 2–2:30 PM along West Side Road.
Derrick carried a small hatchet and, like any energetic child, swung it at trees as he walked, leaving marks along the way. His father, Robert, was 50–100 yards ahead, out of sight in the dense woods. Derrick repeatedly asked his grandfather, Bob, to let him run ahead and catch up. Eventually, Bob agreed.
This was the point of separation.
Derrick ran forward into the trees. He was never seen again.
Derrick Goes Missing
Around 3 PM, Bob caught up with Robert — but Derrick wasn’t with him. Each thought the boy was with the other. Panic set in immediately.
The men searched for an hour in worsening snow before flagging down a passing motorist at 4 PM to call 911. Unfortunately, the local Search and Rescue team had been at their annual banquet, and it took two hours for responders to arrive.
Derrick’s mother, Lori, rushed to the scene as hundreds of volunteers, snowmobilers, and SAR personnel began searching the forest.
The Search for Derrick
Bob, an experienced tracker, followed Derrick’s hatchet marks and footprints. They found:
- a snow angel at the top of a hill
- tracks heading toward Robert’s truck
But a snowplough had passed through and destroyed the remaining trail. No more hatchet marks were found.
Searchers later discovered:
- a makeshift shelter
- a candy wrapper
- a school bookmark
However, there were no reports that Derrick had a book or bookmark with him, and investigators could not confirm these items were connected to him.
Both Robert and Bob were questioned and given polygraph tests. They passed.
After eight days, the official search ended. Volunteers continued until December 18th, when the family made the heartbreaking decision to stop.
A witness later reported seeing a man struggling with a child in the forest that day, but the sighting could not be linked to Derrick.
Bob passed away in 2012, never knowing what happened to his grandson. Lori and Robert — now grandparents themselves — still hold onto hope.
It’s Been 23 Years
Twenty‑three Christmases have passed since Derrick vanished. No remains. No clothing. No hatchet. No trace.
The case shares unsettling similarities with the disappearance of Sammy Boehlke, who vanished 28 miles away in 2006:
- Both boys were 8.
- Both disappeared suddenly.
- Neither has ever been found.
Two children, two families, two mysteries.
The Frank James Milligan Angle
In 2002, a prison inmate claimed that Frank James Milligan, a convicted sex offender, had confessed to killing Derrick. Milligan had a documented history of violent offences against children, including:
- A 1997 molestation case
- A 2000 attack on a 10‑year‑old boy who survived
- Multiple charges of kidnapping, sex abuse, and attempted aggravated murder
Milligan allegedly provided a location where Derrick’s remains could be found. Police searched the area extensively but found nothing. Milligan later recanted the confession.
The inmate who reported the confession said he did so in hopes of reducing his sentence — a common motivation in prison informant cases — but the claim was never corroborated.
Milligan has never been charged in connection with Derrick’s disappearance. He remains incarcerated and is not eligible for release until 2077.
Vanished.us Says
The Milligan lead is one of the few concrete investigative threads in this case, but without physical evidence, it remains just that — a lead, not a conclusion.
What we do know is this:
- Derrick vanished within minutes.
- His tracks were partially destroyed by a snowplough.
- A witness reported seeing a man and a child struggling, but it was never confirmed.
- No remains or belongings have ever been found.
Whether Derrick was abducted, became lost, or met with an accident that left no trace, the truth has never surfaced.
This is one of those cases that stays with you. A child running ahead to catch up with his dad — and then gone. A family searching the woods until their bodies gave out. A grandfather who died without answers. Parents who still hope.
Some disappearances feel impossible. This is one of them.