Why we launched a true crime podcast

Good morning,

I’m John Wisely, host of the Free Press' latest podcast, “Where Secrets Go to Die: The Disappearance of Derrick Henagan.” The entire series is available to subscribers at freep.com/secrets .

To tell that story, I took a deep dive into law enforcement in the Upper Peninsula for a project that became years in the making, especially with delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We chose to tell this story in serial podcast form because of the voices we heard while reporting it. The emotion, the candor, the recorded phone calls from outside sources all tell the story in ways that words alone cannot.

The Free Press has been growing its audio content with sport podcasts and other shows in recent years, but this was the first time we tackled an investigative project in this form.

We got onto the story of Derrick Henagan from a tip that came in after the Free Press published a story in 2015 about a triple murder in Manistique.

Our investigation examined the Michigan State Police handling of the Henagan case, especially amid concerns that Trooper David Moeggenborg could be involved.

Spoiler alert – the next few lines reveal details from the podcast.

The thing that stunned me most was a report showing the Michigan State Police sent cadaver dogs to Moeggenborg’s home to search for Henagan's remains. They later lab tested another piece of potential evidence found inside his house.

There were other surprises along the way as well, like a bed with what were thought to be blood stains on it and claims that there are so many places in the U.P. to hide a body.

You can read about some of our other findings here . Free Press subscribers can listen now to all 8 episodes at freep.com/secrets . Episodes 1-3 are available to the public on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes every Tuesday. Sign up for the “ Where Secrets Go to Die” newsletter for updates on the story.

Thank you for subscribing to the Detroit Free Press. This kind of journalism depends on your support.

— John Wisely

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why we launched a true crime podcast