Police in Oregon say they have apprehended a suspect they believe murdered a man who went missing almost exactly three years ago.
Murphy Calvin Henry II, aged 54, was taken into custody on January 9 for the alleged killing of Ryan Staggs, aged 30. Staggs was last spotted at his residence in Newport, Oregon, at the end of January 2022 and was declared missing the next month.
Despite receiving several tips about the case, none of them led to locating Staggs. The Lincoln County District Attorney Cold Case Unit has been actively pursuing leads and acquiring new details about Staggs’ disappearance since May 2022, according to a statement from the Newport Police Department.
During the execution of a search warrant on December 27, cadaver dogs indicated the presence of human remains in the soil that had been extracted from the backyard, yet no human remains were discovered. Nevertheless, investigators managed to gather more information and identify additional witnesses.
The missing person flyer for Ryan Staggs, who was last seen in January 2022. (Missing People in America)
His missing poster shared says that he was the owner of Happy Motors in Newport. Prior to his disappearance, he was shot in the face while sleeping in his home in August 2021 “by an unknown assailant.”
The poster also says Staggs’ vehicle was missing when he disappeared, but was “later recovered and sold at auction.”
Police say they are still investigating the disappearance and murder of Ryan Staggs.
Henry has been charged with murder in the second degree, abuse of a corpse in the second degree and tampering with evidence, police say.
While police did not give details about a potential motive or cause of death, they did say the incident remains under investigation and asked anyone with information about the disappearance or murder of Staggs to contact their tip line at 541-270-1856 or by email at [email protected].
