They're (The Sun) bringing Michael Bryson's case into this which is in an entirely different area... (same county tho)
A SKULL found in a remote Oregon woodland could finally provide closure for a heartbroken family whose loved one disappeared without a trace. Shane Sprenger, 47, vanished in Blue River, Lane County…
www.the-sun.com
Mystery skull at center of years-long fight for truth about missing-person hotspot where at least five vanished or died
A SKULL found in a remote Oregon woodland could finally provide closure for a heartbroken family whose loved one disappeared without a trace.
Shane Sprenger, 47,
vanished in Blue River, Lane County, Oregon in November 2021 and his devoted sisters, Misty and Stacey, told The U.S. Sun they fear foul play.
The carpenter's arm was found nearby on June 27, 2023, but his body has never been discovered.
A cranium discovered 18 months ago, however, could finally crack the mystery that has remained unsolved for almost four years.
But Sprenger's disappearance isn’t the only one in the mountainous, rural area of Lane County, which has a population of 350,000.
Within an 85-mile radius, there are at least five open investigations, with shattered families still searching for the answers.
Michael Bryson, 26, was last seen in August 2020 after heading to a rave in Dorena, around 84 miles south of Blue River.
The tragic cases of Mekenna Reiley and Chase Robertson add to the mystery.
Mekenna’s body was found in Blue River in August 2023, four months after she was reported missing. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a drowning with no signs of foul play, though her family rejected this conclusion.
"I knew my sister did not do this to herself, and she's been made to look like an addict or someone having a mental health crisis," said her sister, Bevin Stepp, at the time.
"I don’t feel relief that that happened to her, but I feel relief that we’ve been fighting for her, and it wasn’t all in vain."
Private investigator Scott McKee, hired by the family, accused police of making grave mistakes in keeping Mekenna safe after she was seen “naked and frightened” at a construction site on April 5, 2023.
"The police did not take action where I think it was clear she was a danger to herself. She was disoriented; something was wrong," McKee said.
Eric Brazil is another missing person whose case remains open. His car was recovered in Vida, 26 miles away, yet his body has never been found.
The families of Shane and Michael, meanwhile, told The U.S. Sun they feel let down by the Lane County
Police Department.
They accused cops of keeping the skull found in the missing person hotspot "on their shelf for 18 months without doing anything."
While Parrish doesn’t believe the skull belongs to his son given the distance from where he was last seen, Shane’s two sisters remain hopeful.
A potentially 12-week wait has begun. It took a grueling 9 months to confirm the arm was Shane’s — an emotionally indescribable time for his siblings.
Meanwhile, the families of Mekenna and Chase will also be watching developments closely.
In an extensive interview with The U.S. Sun, Lane County Sergeant Timothy Wallace stressed his severely undermanned department is doing everything it can to solve the cases and bring closure to those affected.
Wallace said in the vast and difficult terrain, sometimes only three officers are working daily, with the backlog of cases severely testing resources.
"Our county sheriff’s office has been chronically underfunded for decades," he said.
He was unable to discuss individual cases but assured families that hope remains despite the treacherous geography of Lane County, where large areas of drainage can increase travel time and make places harder to reach.
Some areas have large expanses of vegetation, with 45-degree slopes causing further problems for search and rescue experts.
He recalled past successes, where search teams conducting training in areas where people had previously gone missing managed to solve cases.
A cold case unit in Lane County, staffed by a small group of experienced, retired cops is also on hand to assist.
But the "unforgiving" terrain makes the job much harder. Wallace said some areas are impossible to access without specialized equipment or training.
"It’s not like searching in an open field or even a suburban area," he explained, "It’s really challenging."
Following the discovery of Shane's arm, local police categorically ruled out the disappearances being the work of a serial killer.
Shane's family believes he fell in with the wrong crowd and that there was a disconnect between him and his wife.
"He didn't do this himself," Misty added. "He didn’t end up in the river by himself."
The results of the skull examination could be key.
nbc16.com
