Missing man's remains found

BLUE RIVER: In a Facebook posting on Monday, a relative reported that “We, as Shane Sprenger’s family, can finally let you know that some bones were found a while ago and identified through DNA as Shane’s. W will not comment any further as it’s an ongoing active investigation. Thank you all.”

The 47-year-old Blue River man’s abandoned silver 2009 GMC Sierra was found near U.S. Forest Service Rd. 15 east of Blue River Reservoir on November 4th of 2021. Cellphone pings seemed to show Sprenger had been near the reservoir, but his phone had been turned off.

On the day he was reported missing, Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams, deputies, and Search & Rescue volunteers began looking in areas where Sprenger was believed to be. The search included areas off of U.S. Forest Service Road 15, as well as the Blue River Saddle Dam. They also searched extensively behind the former Lazy Days Mobile Home Park in the 52000 block of McKenzie Hwy. and at a location generated earlier by phone ping.

At that time, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office advised it was thought Sprenger might have been picking mushrooms in the Blue River Reservoir area. Later reports seemed to indicate he could have been returning to his job to meet with a subcontractor when it was discovered that his tools were still plugged in at the work site.

The Sheriff’s Office has not responded to a request for confirmation of the DNA identification.