GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Despite the decades, Deanie Peters’ family and friends, investigators and the community believe answers about her disappearance are still out there. But answers will have to come with action.
FOX 17 sat down with Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir, who has been with the department for 25 years. He’s seen cases come and close. Deanie’s hasn’t, but it’s not for lack of effort.
“We've dug up property, we've drained ponds, we've traveled the United States, you know, talking to witnesses,” Muir said.
During his time in the detective bureau, he remembers working alongside the investigators assigned to Deanie’s case.
“They would ask questions about it. They'd ask for outside opinions from other detectives," Muir said. "What else can we do? [Where] else can we go? Read this statement. What do you think? Who do you think is responsible?”
"Those detectives assigned to this case always wanted input," he said. "They always wanted to do the best work they could."
WATCH: Kent County Undersheriff pleads for tips in disappearance of Deanie Peters
The sheriff’s office continues to dedicate detectives to investigate Deanie’s disappearance. Detective Paul VanRhee has been on the case for the last six years, but Muir acknowledges a decades-old case comes with challenges.
"I'd be lying to say that time isn't difficult," he said. "Memories fade, information is no longer available to us, and quite frankly, the longer Deanie is gone, the fewer and farther apart are people who actually remember her or had relationships with her or were there around the time she disappeared.”
This is why Muir sees what VanRhee sees, a need for help from the public.
“[VanRhee] felt it was time for us to stop guarding information that may be relevant to this case and that it was worth the risk to share that information with the community,” Muir said.
With the sheriff’s office releasing new information and evidence about Deanie’s last steps before her disappearance, officials hope this will help jog someone’s memory.
There were a lot of activities happening at Forest Hills Central Middle School on the evening of February 5, 1981. VanRhee believes there were people at the school who deputies didn’t talk to, who may have information relevant to this investigation.
That information could be a car, a person, a gut feeling, even photos at the school from that day.
Where is Deanie?
New timeline details in Deanie Peters cold case
“No matter how old information may seem, no matter how many times you may have told us, if you have new information, if you have information you really believe is important to this case, reach back out to our detective bureau,” Muir said. “Let them know what that information is, even if you feel it's not significant. It truly may be that last puzzle piece that we need to bridge and connect to help us get to a closure on this case.”
This isn’t just a plea from law enforcement, but parents.
“If my child went missing, I would do everything I could find them. That's what we're doing here,” Muir said.
Submit a tip
The Kent County Sheriff's Office is actively pursuing any information in the disappearance of Deanie Peters. If you have a tip, you are encouraged to contact detectives through the methods below.
- Call: (616) 632-6125
- Online form
- Silent Observer: (616) 774-2345 or online form
WATCH: FOX 17's full report on Deanie Peter's 1981 disappearance
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