In November of 2021, 47-year-old Shane Sprenger of Blue River, went missing under suspicious circumstances.  He was last believed to be in the area of Blue River Reservoir. Deputies began investigating, and Lane County Sheriff Search & Rescue began searching, along with Sprenger’s friends and family. 

In June of 2023, partial human remains were discovered in the McKenzie River drainage area. These were later confirmed to belong to Sprenger. Subsequent searches of the area did not locate additional evidence. 

In September of 2023, another bone fragment was located in the McKenzie River and sent to the Oregon State Police crime lab. After significant delays, the family of Sprenger was assisted with fundraising by Dylan’s Legacy, a non-profit that assists families of missing people. The family had the bone fragment tested for DNA at Bode Technology in Virginia. 

The Virgina lab confirmed the bone belonged to Sprenger and his family was notified. 

November 5th, 2026, marks five years since Shane Sprenger went missing under suspicious circumstances.  Lane County Sheriff’s Office detectives continue to investigate this case, which is still considered active. Anyone with any information pertaining to this investigation is asked to contact the Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4141 and reference case 21-6268.