Police in Oregon say they have arrested a suspect they believe killed a man who went missing nearly three years ago.
Murphy Calvin Henry II, 54, was arrested Jan. 9 on charges of murdering 30-year-old Ryan Staggs. Staggs was last seen at his home in Newport, Oregon on January 31, 2022, and was reported missing the following month.
Despite numerous tips in the case, nothing led to Staggs, and the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit “continues to develop new information regarding Staggs’ disappearance since May 2022,” the Newport Police Department said in a statement.
When a search warrant was being executed in the case on Dec. 27, cadaver dogs were “alert to the scent of human remains in soil removed from the backyard,” but no human remains were found. However, investigators were able to obtain additional information and identify additional witnesses.
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The Lincoln County Courthouse and Jail sit side by side in Oregon. Police say Murphy Calvin Henry II, the accused in the murder, is there. (Google Maps)
A shallow grave was located in “remote Lincoln County” on Jan. 8 and is believed to be where Staggs was located. Police say official identification is pending from the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Staggs is still listed on two missing persons websites, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and Missing People in America.
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A missing person flyer for Ryan Staggs, last seen in January 2022. (Missing Persons in America)
His missing poster shared that he was the owner of Happy Motors in Newport. Prior to his disappearance, he was shot in the face while sleeping at his home “by an unknown assailant” in August 2021.
The poster also says Staggs’ vehicle was missing when it disappeared, but “was later recovered and sold at auction.”
Police say they are still investigating the disappearance and murder of Ryan Staggs.
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Henry has been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, police say.
While police did not provide details on a possible motive or cause of death, they said the incident remains under investigation and asked anyone with information about Staggs’ disappearance or murder to contact their tip line at 541-270-1856 or by email. tipline@newportpolice.net.
