Willis Derendoff Missing Person Case

Nov 18, 2020

Mar 09, 2024

Willis

Derendoff

39

34

69 inches

160 lbs

American Indian / Alaska Native

Male

In the autumn of 2020, 34-year-old Willis Edwin Derendoff, a resident of Huslia, Alaska, traveled to Fairbanks for a vacation after completing seasonal work with the Taiga Mining Company. An Alaska Native of the Koyukon Athabascan people, he was known as a talented musician, skilled with the guitar, drums, piano, and violin. On November 10, 2020, Willis was last seen in Fairbanks. He had been staying at an Extended Stay America hotel near Old Airport Road. The day before his disappearance, he spoke with his mother by phone, mentioning he felt unwell and planned to get a COVID-19 test. He also told her he needed to replace his lost ID and debit card and get a new cell phone. His sister and father, who were also in Fairbanks, tried to visit him at his hotel that same day but were unable to reach him. On the day he was last seen, a friend visited Willis's hotel room in the early morning but was told by Willis that he couldn't open the door because he had a female guest. Later that day, there were unconfirmed sightings of him at Wrights Air Service and a Fred Meyer grocery store on Airport Way. His family officially reported him missing on November 10th after they were unable to get in contact with him. In the days that followed, there were other reported but unconfirmed sightings of Willis. On November 11, some witnesses claimed to have seen him at the Stone Soup Café and in downtown Fairbanks. Another report on November 12 suggested he was near his hotel with a tall Native Alaskan man with a thick mustache. At the time of his disappearance, Willis was believed to be wearing a black leather jacket, red sleeper fleece pants or blue jeans, red Converse shoes, and possibly a black beanie. He is described as being 5'9" and weighing around 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has several distinct tattoos, including the name "Traci" on one hand, the initials "R.J.W." on the other, and the phrase "sometimes quiet is violent" on his forearm. The months following Willis's disappearance were filled with anguish and uncertainty for his family. His mother traveled from Huslia to Fairbanks and spent eight months organizing extensive search parties, using social media to rally community support. The family also hired a private investigator in 2021, but this did not generate any new leads. Tragically, Willis's father passed away in December 2021 without ever learning what happened to his son. The investigation into his disappearance has been handled by the Alaska State Troopers. While his case was initially classified as a missing person, in 2021, authorities announced they were investigating it as a homicide, though few details about this development have been released publicly. His case remains unsolved, and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are still unclear. Several other people went missing in the Fairbanks area around the same time, but authorities have not indicated that the cases are connected. The family continues to hold out hope for answers and maintains a Facebook page called "Searching for Willis Derendoff" to keep his story alive. The Alaska State Troopers continue to ask anyone with information to contact them at (907) 451-5100.

Nov 10, 2020

Fairbanks

Alaska

Fairbanks North Star Borough

No

95318

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK20086592

2020-11-12

Alaska State Troopers

6855

Black

Brown

Brown

07/10/2026