Episode 1: The Body Hunter

John Wisely, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·1 min read
Where Secrets Go To Die podcast
Where Secrets Go To Die podcast

Episode 1: The Body Hunter

Mike Neiger treks through the deep woods stalking dead people. He combines forensic savvy from years of crime lab work with the survival instincts of a decades-long wilderness guide.

In this episode, Mike and a cadaver dog search for the remains of Derrick Henagan, a downstate man who disappeared in 2008 in the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Jess, a human remains detection dog, leads the way followed by retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator, Mike Neiger (left), and Jess’ dog handler, Burt Crawford, as they search for the remains of Derrick Henagan near the North Country Trail in Paradise, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018.
Jess, a human remains detection dog, leads the way followed by retired Michigan State Police forensic investigator, Mike Neiger (left), and Jess’ dog handler, Burt Crawford, as they search for the remains of Derrick Henagan near the North Country Trail in Paradise, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018.

Who’s who: Michael Neiger, the body hunter who has searched several places for Derrick’s remains. Burt Crawford, a dog handler. Jess, an Irish-born springer spaniel trained to detect human remains.

Get the latest episodes here.

Contact us: 248-702-4092 or through encrypted email at wiselyj@proton.me

Sign up for our email updates on this story through our newsletter.

Credits: John Wisely, Darcie Moran, Tad Davis, Garrett Tiedemann, Robin Chan, Kathleen Galligan, Adrienne Roberts, Kathy Kieliszewski, Jim Schaefer and Anjanette Delgado. Nicole Avery Nichols is editor of the Detroit Free Press.

Our theme music is “Abyss,” an original song by Camilla Cantu and Brian Castillo. Outside audio provided by WLUC TV6.

Check back later for a full transcript of this episode.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Where Secrets Go To Die' podcast — Episode 1: The Body Hunter