MI MI - Roger Heacock, 29, Kalamazoo, 4 January 1979

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On 4th of January , 1979, Roger Heacock disappeared from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and has not been seen or heard from since.

On the evening of January 4th, Heacock ate dinner with his wife and son, and then dropped his son off at his mother in-law’s residence. He left from there to meet an acquaintance, and simply vanished.

The 29 year-old Heacock was an avid trapper and outdoorsman. The acquaintance he was to meet with was a coworker and fellow trapper, and was thought to be involved in the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of pelts from Heacock’s garage.

Later, the acquaintance agreed to meet with police for questioning about the disappearance on January 15th, but died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, just hours before his interview was supposed to take place.

Heacock’s 1974 green International Scout was later found at the Kalamazoo Municipal Airport, having been there since January 5th. Human and animal blood were discovered inside the vehicle and tested at the Holland Crime Lab, but no useful information was revealed.

http://www.michiganmysteries.com/#/roger-heacock/4581761080
 
This case is so bizarre. There is nothing online at all but the above link?

Going through some old cases, you are right, there is very little online. I did find more info though from an old newspaper article from The Battle Creek Enquirer of 17 January 1979. It has some more information than the blog in the opening post and even names the acquaintance who Roger was going to meet, who then killed himself. I don't have a subscription to newspapers.com, but managed to grab this from the text only version.

KALAMAZOO (AP) Gary DeRyke and Roger Heacock were buddies who hunted and trapped together, but when Heacock disappeared, DeRyke was wanted for questioning. DeRyke was found shot to death, apparently a suicide victim, before detectives could get any answers. "There are definitely some strange circumstances," said Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Inspector Neil Anderson. "We are satisfied that the wound (a gunshot wound to the head) was self-inflicted." , ,. Detectives went to the Kalamazoo post office Thursday to ask DeRyke about the theft of $7,000 in fox pelts from Heacock's garage in November, two months before Heacock, 29, vanished.

The detectives left when DeRyke, 27; offered to drop by the Sheriffs Department after work to discuss the events leading up to Heacock's disappearance Jan. 4. "He (DeRyke) mentioned he hadn't seen Heacock since Jan. 3 and said be would come down and talk with us," said Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Detective Mike Brown. . "He later phoned and said he was going to talk to his attorney first"

About 90 minutes before DeRyke's scheduled appointment the 12-year-old son of DeRyke's fiancee found his body, a .22-calIber rifle clutched in his hand, outside his house trailer north of Vicksburg. The two men shared common interests in hunting and trapping, according to Kalamazoo Postmaster John Van Eck.

Gene York, a state Department of Natural Resources conservation officer, launched a taxidermy investigation involving the two trappers in 1973. Heacock set traps in Kalamazoo, Allegan, Branch, Calhoun and Van Buren counties. He and DeRyke were fined in 1973 for illegal possession of birds and . animals protected by federal law.

Heacock, a part-time letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, lived at 7300 E. ON Ave. He was last was seen by his estranged wife, Connie, when the couple met for dinner Jan. 4. She said he was responsible, reliable and would not just disappear.

DeRyke, a former Eagle Scout, kept about 30 foxes, quail and pheasants on his property. Stuffed antelope, bear and rattlesnake also were found at his home, detectives said. Brown said DeRyke denied any connection with Heacock's stolen fox pelts when detectives questioned him Thursday. On Tuesday, sheriff's deputies said they planned to intensify a search for Heacock.

A link to the cached text only version is here - Battle Creek Enquirer from Battle Creek, Michigan on January 17, 1979 · Page 1
 
Thank you @ctaylor for sharing the article, it makes this case even more puzzling and bizarre.... Have any Michigan John Does been DNA tested/traced to family recently?

The victim's vehicle abandoned at the airport, discovered with human and animal blood sounds awfully suspicious- this needs to be re-examined if possible. Im sure it wouldve provided plenty more leads if inspected properly...
 
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Hello, I am Rogers daughter. Thank you for your concern on this post. I turned 9 years old a week after my dad disappeared. I was told all that is reported here and not much more. My family said this was investigated as much as possible at the time. We had a couple family friends on the local police force. Most of people I've discussed this investigation with believe Gary killed dad and buried him somewhere in MI dense forest they trapped in. At the time I was living with my mom in Southern Indiana. I had just visited my dad, stepmom and younger brother in MI at Christmas, literally 2 weeks prior to his disappearance. This still haunts me to this day... Not knowing is so tough. I am hopeful some day someone can give us answers.
 

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