She Went to a “Cabin Getaway” with a Date — FOUND Frozen to Death in a Locked Freezer

…

She went on a few first dates that went nowhere.

One guy spent the entire dinner talking about his ex-wife.

Another couldn’t stop checking his phone.

Amber was starting to wonder if everyone decent was already taken when she matched with Derek Lancing.

Derek’s profile seemed almost too good to be true.

But Amber tried not to be cynical.

His photos showed a handsome man in his mid30s with an easy smile and kind eyes.

He was posed hiking at what looked like Smith Rock State Park, kayaking on a pristine lake, cooking an elaborate meal in a modern kitchen.

His profile said he was a software developer who loved the outdoors, good food, and meaningful conversations.

He listed his height as 6’2 and said he was looking for someone genuine to explore Oregon with.

When Derek sent her the first message, it wasn’t the usual boring greeting most guys opened with.

Instead, he referenced a detail from her profile about her volunteer work and asked thoughtful questions about why fighting food insecurity mattered to her.

They messaged back and forth for 3 days before Derek suggested meeting for coffee at a popular cafe in the Pearl District.

Amber agreed, making sure to tell both Maya and her best friend Rachel exactly where she would be and when.

That first date exceeded Amber’s expectations.

Derek showed up exactly on time, holding the door for her with old-fashioned courtesy that felt sweet rather than performative.

He was tall and well-dressed in dark jeans and a crisp button-down shirt.

And in person, his smile was even warmer than in his photos.

They talked for 3 hours, the conversation flowing so naturally that Amber forgot to feel nervous.

Derek told her about growing up in Seattle, about his work developing security software for financial institutions, about his love of backpacking and his dream of someday hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

He asked about her marketing work with genuine interest, wanting to know about specific campaigns she had worked on and what made them successful.

He laughed at her jokes and shared funny stories from his own life.

When he walked her to her car, he didn’t try to kiss her or push for another date immediately.

Instead, he said he’d had a really great time and hoped they could do it again soon.

Amber drove home feeling something she hadn’t felt in months.

Hopeful.

Their second date was dinner at a Thai restaurant Amber loved in Southeast Portland.

Derek had remembered that she mentioned Loving Pad Cu during their coffee date and he suggested the restaurant because a c-orker had told him they made the best in the city.

Again, the conversation flowed easily.

Derek seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her, asking about her family, her college years at Portland State, her dreams for the future.

He shared his own stories about working his way through computer science courses while holding down two jobs, about the satisfaction he got from solving complex coding problems, about his close relationship with his parents who still lived in the Seattle area.

By the end of the evening, when Derek walked Amber to her car and finally kissed her good night, she felt like she had known him much longer than 2 weeks, the kiss was gentle and respectful, and when Derek pulled back, he was smiling.

I really like you, Amber, he said simply.

She really liked him, too.

Day three was a Saturday afternoon hike to Molten Noma Falls.

Derek picked Amber up in his Ford F-150 truck, which was clean and well-maintained.

Another green flag in Amber’s mental checklist.

They spent 4 hours hiking the trails, talking about everything and nothing, stopping to take silly photos at the waterfall that Amber later posted to her Instagram with the caption, “Good company makes the best adventures.

” Derek was attentive without being overbearing, offering his hand on steep sections of trail, but never making Amber feel like she needed help.

He had packed sandwiches and apples for a picnic lunch, remembering that Amber was vegetarian and making sure everything was meat-free.

Sitting on a boulder overlooking the gorge, eating turkey-free sandwiches and watching clouds drift across the autumn sky, Amber felt something shifting inside her.

“This could be something real,” she thought.

Derek seemed to sense her mood because he reached over and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

“This is nice,” he said quietly.

“Just being here with you.

” Amber squeezed his hand and smiled.

It was nice.

It was really nice.

Their fourth date was a week later on November 10th.

Derek suggested checking out a new wine bar that had opened in northwest Portland.

And they spent the evening sampling different wines and sharing a cheeseboard while jazz played softly in the background.

It was romantic and grown up in a way that made Amber feel like she was finally dating someone who had his life together.

Derek talked about his work on a new project.

something about encryption protocols that Amber didn’t fully understand but found impressive anyway.

He asked about Amber’s family and she told him about Mia’s recent promotion and about her mom’s ongoing battle to keep squirrels out of her bird feeders.

Derek laughed at her stories and shared his own about his mother’s attempts at gardening.

Everything felt comfortable, familiar, like they had known each other for years instead of weeks.

As the evening wound down, Derek brought up something that made Amber’s heart skip a beat.

“I know we haven’t been seeing each other very long,” he said, reaching across the table to take her hand, “but I’d really like to spend more time with you.

Real time, not just a few hours here and there.

” Derek explained that his family owned a cabin near Mount Hood, a place called Whispering Pines that had been in the family for decades.

It was remote and beautiful, he said, with hiking trails practically outside the door and views of the mountain that would take her breath away.

He wanted to take Amber there for a weekend, just the two of them, to disconnect from the city, and really get to know each other without the distractions of work and everyday life.

They could go hiking, cook meals together, sit by the fire and talk late into the night.

Maybe even see some stars if the weather cooperated.

Derek made it sound like a romantic adventure, the kind of weekend that could take their relationship to the next level.

Amber felt excitement mixed with a touch of nervousness.

A whole weekend alone with someone she’d only known for 6 weeks was a big step.

But Derek had been nothing but respectful and kind.

He’d never pressured her for anything, never made her feel uncomfortable, never showed any red flags that her friends had warned her to watch for.

And honestly, the idea of a cozy cabin weekend sounded wonderful.

November in Portland was gray and rainy, and the thought of escaping to the mountains with a man she was really starting to care about felt like exactly what she needed.

Let me think about it,” Amber said, and Derek nodded immediately.

Of course, no pressure at all.

I just thought it could be really special.

That night, Amber called Maya and told her about the invitation.

Her sister had mixed feelings.

“It sounds romantic,” Maya admitted.

“But you’ve only known this guy for 6 weeks.

Are you sure you’re ready to go away with him to a remote cabin?” Amber understood Maya’s concern, but she pushed back gently.

I’ve been on four dates with him.

He’s been a total gentleman every time.

We’ve video chatted.

I’ve looked him up online and everything checks out.

Plus, I’ll share my location with you and Rachel, and I’ll check in every night.

If anything feels weird, I’ll leave immediately.

Maya made Amber promise to do exactly that and to send screenshots of Derek’s profile and the cabin’s address before she left.

Amber also called her best friend Rachel, who had similar concerns but ultimately supported Amber’s decision.

Just trust your gut, Rachel said.

If anything feels off, don’t second guessess yourself.

Just leave.

Amber promised she would, feeling grateful for friends who cared enough to worry about her safety while also respecting her judgment.

The following day, Amber texted Derek and said yes to the cabin weekend.

His response came back almost immediately, full of excitement and promises about how great it would be.

They settled on November 17th through 19th, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Derek said he would handle all the planning.

All Amber needed to bring was warm clothes and hiking boots.

He sent her the address of the cabin, 44T12 Timberline Road in Government Camp, Oregon, along with photos of the A-frame structure nestled among tall pine trees with Mount Hood visible in the background.

The cabin looked cozy and inviting with a wraparound deck and large windows.

Derek explained that his grandparents had built it in the 1970s as a vacation retreat and that his family still used it regularly for weekend getaways.

The story added another layer of legitimacy in Amber’s mind.

This wasn’t some random rental.

This was his family’s property, a place with history and meaning.

That detail made her feel safer about the whole plan.

As the departure date approached, Amber found herself genuinely excited.

She went shopping for new thermal underwear and treated herself to a soft flannel shirt she thought Derek would like.

She told her co-workers about the upcoming romantic weekend, and they teased her good-naturedly about her new relationship.

Her supervisor even joked that Amber better not come back engaged, which made Amber laugh and blush.

Marriage was definitely not on her mind, but she couldn’t deny that her feelings for Derek were growing stronger.

He was different from the other guys she dated, more mature, more stable, more intentional about building a real relationship.

She could see a future with him.

Maybe not marriage right away, but definitely something serious and committed.

The night before they were supposed to leave, Amber packed her bag carefully, making sure she had everything she might need.

Extra socks, her favorite book, the good coffee she liked to drink in the mornings, a bottle of wine to share with Derek.

She took screenshots of Derek’s Hinge profile and texted them to both Maya and Rachel along with the cabin’s address and her promise to check in every evening.

On Friday, November 17th, 2023, Amber woke up feeling excited and slightly nervous.

She had taken the day off work, and Derek was supposed to pick her up at 4:30 pm She spent the morning doing laundry and cleaning her apartment, tasks that always helped settle her nerves.

She facetimed with Maya around lunchtime, and her sister made her promise one more time to check in that night.

I will.

I promise, Amber said, laughing at her sister’s overprotectiveness.

Derek is a good guy.

Everything’s going to be fine.

She had no way of knowing that those would be the last words she would ever speak to her sister.

At 4:32 pm, Derek’s Ford F-150 pulled up outside Amber’s apartment building.

She grabbed her bag, locked her door, and sent one final text to Maya.

Heading out.

We’ll check in tonight.

The message was sent at exactly 4:47 pm Amber climbed into Derek’s truck and they headed east toward Mount Hood, leaving the city behind as they drove into the mountains where the trees grew thick and the cell phone signal grew weak.

At 6:23 pm, Amber posted an Instagram story showing the view from the truck’s passenger window.

The photo captured the winding mountain road, tall pines on either side, and the last rays of sunset painting the sky orange and purple.

The caption read, “Mountainbound thief,” with a heart emoji.

It was the last thing Amber would ever post to social media.

Her phone last pinged a cell tower near government camp at 7:15 pm, placing her approximately 3 mi from the cabin’s address.

After that, all communication from Amber Sullivan ceased completely.

She sent no more texts.

She posted nothing more to Instagram.

She never checked in with Mia that night like she had promised.

And by midnight on November 17th, Amber Sullivan was already dead, her body cooling rapidly in the sub-zero temperatures of a locked chest freezer in the basement of a cabin that didn’t belong to Derek Lancing’s family at all.

What nobody knew on that Friday evening as Amber drove cheerfully into the mountains was that Derek Lansing had been planning her murder for weeks.

The charming software developer with the warm smile and the family cabin was actually a dangerous predator who had carefully selected Amber as his victim, studied her vulnerabilities, and orchestrated every detail of a plan designed to kill her and dispose of her body without getting caught.

The cabin wasn’t a family property.

Derek had rented it through a private listing website, specifically choosing an isolated location far from neighbors and main roads.

He had paid the entire rental fee in cash, using a false name to avoid creating a paper trail.

He had booked the cabin from November 15th through November 22nd, giving himself a full week to execute his plan.

And in the days before Amber’s arrival, Derek had been very busy preparing.

He purchased a heavyduty padlock from Home Depot, which he installed on the chest freezer in the cabin’s basement.

He bought rope, tarps, and cleaning supplies.

He researched body disposal methods and studied maps of remote areas where a corpse might never be found.

And late at night on November 16th, just hours before he was scheduled to pick Amber up, Derek sat at his laptop and typed searches into Google that revealed the true nature of his intentions.

How long to freeze to death? Locked freezer suffocation time.

Body disposal in wilderness, Oregon.

Can police trace deleted messages? Every search was a glimpse into the mind of a man who had decided that Amber Sullivan was going to die and who was methodically planning exactly how to make it happen.

But why? What had Amber done to deserve this fate? The answer was nothing.

Amber was simply unlucky enough to match with a man whose brain didn’t work like normal people’s brains.

Derek Lancing was not who he appeared to be.

Not even close.

The software developer persona, the family cabin story, the talk of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, all of it was carefully constructed fiction designed to lure women into his trap.

Derek’s real name was Derek Matthew Lancing.

And before moving to Portland in March 2023, he had lived in Spokane, Washington at 8934 South Perry Street.

In Spokane, Derek had left behind a string of damaged women and at least one restraining order.

His ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Hartley, had filed the order in 2022 after Derek’s behavior became increasingly controlling and frightening.

He monitored her phone.

He showed up unannounced at her workplace.

He accused her of cheating whenever she spent time with friends.

When Jennifer finally ended the relationship, Derek stalked her for months, sitting outside her apartment in his truck, following her to the grocery store, sending hundreds of texts that alternated between begging her to come back and threatening to hurt himself if she didn’t.

Jennifer had been terrified, and the restraining order had been her last resort to make him stop.

But a piece of paper couldn’t fix what was wrong with Derek’s brain.

After the restraining order was filed, Derek began planning his escape from Spokane.

He knew Jennifer’s complaints might eventually catch up with him, that other women he had dated might come forward with their own stories, that his carefully constructed image might start to crack.

So Derek made a decision.

He would start over somewhere new.

He would create a fresh identity online, scrubbing his old social media accounts and building new ones that showed only what he wanted people to see.

He would move to a new city where nobody knew his history.

And he would be more careful this time, more strategic, more patient.

In March 2023, Derek moved to Lake Oswiggo, Oregon, a wealthy suburb just outside Portland.

He rented a house at 156 Cedar Ridge Drive, a nice property in a quiet neighborhood where he could play the role of successful professional.

He got a job at a legitimate software company, though his co-workers would later describe him as intense and obsessive.

Someone who didn’t quite fit in socially, but was competent enough at his work to avoid serious scrutiny.

Derek’s LinkedIn profile was created in March 2023, showing a work history that was technically true, but heavily edited to remove gaps and problematic former employers.

His new Instagram account showed a curated version of his life.

All outdoor adventures and home-cooked meals with no trace of the angry, controlling man that Jennifer Hartley had been forced to escape.

And once Derek had his new identity established, he began hunting for his next victim.

He wasn’t looking for a relationship in any real sense.

Derek had no capacity for genuine emotional connection.

What he wanted was control.

And when control wasn’t freely given, he wanted to punish the woman who dared to deny him.

He spent months on dating apps, swiping through hundreds of profiles and looking for specific characteristics that would make a woman vulnerable to his manipulation.

He wanted someone kind, someone who believed in seeing the best in people.

He wanted someone who was single and somewhat isolated without a large social circle that might notice if things went wrong.

He wanted someone emotionally available, ready to fall for his charm because she genuinely wanted to find love.

And when Derek swiped across Amber Sullivan’s profile in early October, he knew immediately that she was exactly what he was looking for.

Amber’s profile revealed everything Derek needed to know.

She was recently single, still healing from a long-term relationship.

She volunteered with a food bank, which told Derek she was compassionate and believed in helping others.

Her photos showed her alone or with one or two friends, suggesting a small social circle rather than a massive network who might ask questions.

And her profile answers revealed that she was optimistic about dating despite past disappointments, which meant she wanted to believe in the possibility of finding someone good.

Derek spent hours studying Amber’s Instagram before he even messaged her.

He learned about her work, her hobbies, her relationship with her sister, her volunteer commitments.

He figured out what kind of man would appeal to her based on the things she posted and liked.

And then Derek created a character designed specifically to be Amber’s perfect match.

the outdoorsy persona, the talk of meaningful conversations, the respectful, unhurried approach to physical intimacy.

Every detail of Derek’s behavior during their first four dates was calculated to make Amber trust him completely, and it worked.

By mid- November, Amber had let her guard down entirely.

She believed Derek was exactly who he claimed to be.

What Amber couldn’t see was the pattern of destruction Derek had left behind him.

Jennifer Hartley wasn’t his only victim.

In July 2023, just 3 months before Derek matched with Amber, another woman named Stephanie Torres had filed a police report against him, Stephanie and Derek had matched on Bumble and gone on three dates before Stephanie decided she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship.

She told Derek politely that she didn’t feel a romantic connection, but wished him well.

Derek’s response was to begin stalking her.

He followed her home from work.

He appeared at the coffee shop where she met friends for breakfast.

He created fake social media accounts to monitor her activity.

After she blocked him, Stephanie filed a police report, but without concrete threats of violence.

The police said there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue charges.

Stephanie eventually moved to a different neighborhood and changed her phone number, desperate to escape Derek’s obsessive attention.

And once Stephanie was gone, Derek simply moved on to his next target.

At least three other women from dating apps had disturbing encounters with Derek that they never formally reported.

One woman, who would only speak to detectives after Dererick’s arrest, said he became angry and aggressive when she wouldn’t invite him up to her apartment after their second date.

Another said Derek showed up at her gym unannounced, claiming he wanted to surprise her, even though she had never told him where she worked out.

A third said Derek’s mood would flip from charming to cold in an instant if she didn’t respond to his texts quickly enough.

All of these women had sensed that something was wrong and had ended contact with Derek before things escalated further.

They were lucky.

Amber Sullivan would not be so fortunate because by November 2023, Derek wasn’t satisfied with just controlling and scaring women anymore.

Something in his twisted psychology had shifted.

Maybe it was the frustration of being rejected over and over.

Maybe it was the paranoia that his past was catching up with him.

Maybe it was simply the inevitable escalation that happens when a dangerous person’s behavior goes unchecked for too long.

Whatever the reason, Derek had decided that his next victim wouldn’t get the chance to reject him.

She wouldn’t get to walk away.

She wouldn’t get to tell him no.

Derek had decided to kill Amber Sullivan.

And the cabin weekend was never meant to be romantic.

It was an execution chamber disguised as a getaway.

The drive to the cabin took just under two hours.

Derek and Amber talked and laughed during the drive, listening to a playlist Derek had made of songs he thought Amber would like.

She was touched by the gesture, not realizing that Derek had simply analyzed her Spotify likes to create the playlist.

Everything Derek did was strategic, designed to deepen Amber’s trust and ensure she would have no reason to suspect danger.

They arrived at the cabin around 7:30 pm Just as full darkness settled over the mountain.

The cabin looked exactly like the photos Derek had shown Amber, a charming A-frame structure with warm light glowing from the windows.

Derek parked both vehicles in the small gravel driveway.

Amber’s Subaru Outback next to his Ford F-150.

He insisted on carrying Amber’s bag inside, playing the role of gentleman, while Amber grabbed the wine and groceries they had stopped to buy on the way.

The cabin’s interior was cozy and rustic with exposed wood beams, a stone fireplace, and furniture that looked comfortable, if slightly worn.

Derek gave Amber a quick tour, showing her the main living area, the loft bedroom upstairs, the small but functional kitchen, and the bathroom.

He didn’t mention the basement.

Not yet.

Derek suggested they start with dinner, and Amber agreed, happy to warm up after the chilly drive.

They worked together in the kitchen, Derek cooking pasta, while Amber prepared a salad and opened the wine.

The scene was domestic and sweet, exactly the romantic evening Amber had hoped for.

They ate at the small dining table near the fireplace, talking about their favorite hiking trails and making tentative plans for where they might explore the next day.

Amber felt relaxed and content, sipping wine and watching fire light flicker across Derek’s face.

She had made the right choice coming here.

She thought this was exactly what she needed.

After dinner, they moved to the couch and Derek suggested watching a movie.

But as Amber scrolled through streaming options on her phone, she noticed something strange.

Her phone had no signal at all, and the cabin’s Wi-Fi was incredibly slow.

Is the internet always this bad out here? She asked Derek.

He shrugged casually.

Yeah, it’s pretty remote.

Sometimes the Wi-Fi barely works.

We could try to boost the signal, but honestly, I kind of like being disconnected for the weekend.

No work emails, no social media, just us.

” Amber nodded, though she felt a small twinge of concern.

She had promised Maya she would check in that night, but maybe she could text from Derek’s phone if hers really wouldn’t work.

Around 9:4 pm, something shifted in the cabin’s atmosphere.

Amber wasn’t sure exactly when it started, but Dererick’s mood seemed to change.

He became quieter, more intense.

When Amber asked if everything was okay, Derek said he was fine, but his tone was short and dismissive.

Amber felt confused and a little hurt.

Had she done something wrong? She tried to make conversation, asking Derek about his family’s history with the cabin, but his answers were vague and irritated.

The romantic warmth from dinner had evaporated, replaced by a tension that made Amber’s stomach clench with anxiety.

And then Derek said something that made Amber’s blood run cold.

“You know, I looked you up online pretty thoroughly before we matched,” Derek said, his voice flat and emotionless.

I know all about your ex-boyfriend, Marcus.

I know where you work.

I know where your sister lives.

I know pretty much everything about you, Amber.

The words weren’t delivered as a compliment or even a confession of interest.

They were delivered as a threat.

Amber felt her heart start to pound.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Why would you say something like that? Derek’s response was to laugh, a cold sound that bore no resemblance to the warm laughter Amber had heard during their previous dates.

Come on, Amber.

You’re not that naive.

You really thought I was just some nice guy who happened to like you? You really thought this weekend was about romance? Amber stood up from the couch, her mind racing.

Something was very, very wrong.

Derek’s entire demeanor had transformed.

The kind eyes had gone flat and predatory.

The warm smile had twisted into something cruel.

This wasn’t the man Amber had spent the last 6 weeks getting to know.

Or maybe it was.

And everything else had been a lie.

I think I should go, Amber said, trying to sound calm even as panic flooded her system.

This doesn’t feel right, Derek.

I’m going to head home.

She started toward the door where she had left her jacket and keys, but Derek moved to block her path.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said quietly.

“We’re going to finish this conversation first.

” What happened next would haunt investigators for months.

According to the timeline reconstructed from physical evidence and forensic analysis, an argument erupted between Amber and Derek around 9:15 pm, neighbors who lived 0.

3 mi away would later report hearing raised voices and what sounded like screaming, though they had dismissed it at the time as wildlife or people having a loud party.

Amber tried desperately to get past Derek to reach the door, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her back.

A wine glass fell from the table and shattered on the floor.

Amber screamed at Derek to let her go.

And for a moment, it seemed like he might, but then Amber made a crucial mistake.

In her panic and confusion, she pulled out her phone and threatened to call the police.

Derek’s response was instant and violent.

He grabbed Amber’s phone and threw it across the room, then shoved her hard enough that she stumbled and fell.

When Amber tried to get up, Derek hit her, a closed fist to the back of her head, hard enough to stun her and send her sprawling.

Amber was dazed and terrified, her head ringing from the blow.

She tried to crawl toward the door, but Derek grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her backward.

That’s when Derek forced Amber down the stairs into the basement.

She fought him every step of the way, scratching at his face and arms, trying to break free from his grip.

But Derek was taller, heavier, and fueled by rage that Amber couldn’t match.

Her blood would later be found on the basement stairs where Derek had dragged her down, leaving a smear on the wooden steps.

The basement was unfinished and cold, lit by a single bare bulb.

And in the corner sat a large chest freezer, the kind used to store bulk food purchases or game meat.

Derek had purchased the padlock for this freezer just 2 days earlier, and he had installed it specifically for this purpose.

As Amber realized what Derek intended to do, her screams became frantic and desperate.

She begged him to stop.

She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened.

She offered him money, cooperation, anything if he would just let her go.

But Derek was beyond reason.

This had always been the plan.

Amber’s please fell on ears that had stopped hearing her as a human being.

To Derek, she was just a problem that needed to be eliminated.

Derek forced Amber into the freezer at approximately 10 soul.

On November 17th, 2023, the freezer was empty except for a layer of frost on the bottom, and it was already running at full power, maintaining a temperature of -15° F.

Amber was fully clothed in the jeans and flannel shirt she had worn for the drive up, but those clothes offered almost no protection against the brutal cold.

As Derek pushed Amber’s head down and forced her body into the freezer’s interior, she fought with everything she had.

Her fingernails caught Derek’s face, leaving deep scratches that would still be visible when police arrested him days later.

She managed to land a kick that bruised Derrick’s ribs.

But ultimately, physics and strength were on Derek’s side.

He shoved Amber fully into the freezer and slammed the lid shut before she could climb out.

The heavy lid hit Amber’s shoulder as she tried to push it back open, sending a spike of pain through her body, and then Derek snapped the padlock into place, and Amber Sullivan was trapped.

The next 4 hours were the most horrific of Amber’s short life.

Inside the freezer, the temperature was already well below zero, and Amber’s body immediately began to lose heat at a catastrophic rate.

The freezer was large enough that Amber could move slightly, but not large enough to sit up or turn around comfortably.

She was forced into a fetal position, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her body in an instinctive attempt to conserve warmth.

The darkness was absolute.

The only sound was her own breathing and the distant hum of the freezer’s motor.

Amber screamed until her throat was roar.

She pounded on the lid of the freezer with her fists until her hands were bruised and bleeding.

She clawed at the inside of the lid, her fingernails breaking and tearing as she desperately tried to find any weakness, any way to escape.

But the freezer was wellb built and the padlock was strong.

There was no escape.

No one could hear her screams and Derek Lancing had left her there to die.

above her.

Derek cleaned the cabin methodically.

He wiped down surfaces.

He picked up the broken wine glass.

He mopped the blood from the basement stairs.

He moved calmly and efficiently as though he had done this before or had at least thought through every step in advance.

Periodically, he could hear Amber’s muffled screams from the basement, but he ignored them.

He made himself a sandwich and ate it while scrolling through his phone.

He took a shower.

He watched television.

And all the while, Amber Sullivan was slowly freezing to death in the basement.

Her body shutting down degree by degree.

Hypothermia is a terrible way to die.

In the first stage, the body starts to shiver violently as it tries to generate heat.

The heart rate increases.

Breathing becomes rapid and shallow.

Amber would have experienced all of this in the first 30 minutes.

her body fighting desperately to stay alive even as the freezing air sucked the warmth from her skin.

In the second stage, as core body temperature drops below 95°, the shivering stops.

Muscles become stiff and uncoordinated.

Thinking becomes confused and irrational.

Victims often experience a phenomenon called paradoxical undressing where they feel irrationally hot and remove their clothing.

But Amber couldn’t remove her clothes even if she wanted to because the freezer was too small to maneuver.

In the final stage of hypothermia, as body temperature drops below 86°, vital organs begin to shut down.

The heart beats irregularly.

breathing slows to almost nothing and eventually mercifully the victim loses consciousness.

Based on the medical examiner’s analysis, Amber Sullivan lost consciousness sometime between midnight and 1 am on November 18th.

She died shortly after, her heart finally stopping as her core temperature dropped to a level incompatible with life.

The official cause of death would be listed as hypothermia and asphyxiation, though determining exactly which killed her first was impossible.

What was clear from the autopsy was that Amber had been alive when Derek locked her in the freezer, and that she had suffered for hours before finally succumbing.

The defensive wounds on her hands and arms, the broken fingernails from clawing at the freezer lid, the bruises and abrasions on her shoulder and head.

All of it pointed to a woman who had fought desperately to survive and who had ultimately lost that fight.

By Saturday morning, Amber Sullivan’s body was frozen solid in the basement of the cabin at 4412 Timberline Road, and Derek Lancing was faced with a problem.

He had successfully killed Amber, but now he needed to dispose of her body and cover his tracks.

Derek spent Saturday researching body disposal methods on his laptop, searching for remote areas in the Oregon wilderness, where a body might never be found.

He looked up information about how long it would take for animals to scatter remains, how deep a grave would need to be to avoid detection, whether bodies could be identified after significant decomposition.

He was methodical and careful, trying to plan every detail.

His intention was to wait until Amber’s body was completely frozen solid, then transport it to a remote location and bury it where no one would ever find it.

If anyone asked about Amber, Derek had already prepared his story.

She had decided to leave early.

They’d had an argument.

She’d called an Uber and gone home.

Derek would play the role of the disappointed boyfriend whose romantic weekend had fallen apart.

With Amber’s body hidden in the wilderness and no physical evidence left at the cabin, Derek believed he could get away with murder.

But Derek had made one critical mistake.

He had underestimated how quickly Amber’s family and friends would notice her absence.

Back in Portland, Maya Sullivan had been trying to reach her sister since Friday night.

When Amber didn’t check in as promised, Maya sent text after text, each one increasingly worried.

Hey, just checking in.

How’s the cabin? Amber, I’m getting worried.

Please text me back.

Seriously, this isn’t funny.

call me.

The texts showed as delivered, but never as read, which was strange.

Amber always had her phone nearby, always checked her messages.

By Saturday afternoon, Maya’s worry had turned to genuine fear.

She called Rachel, Amber’s best friend, to see if Rachel had heard anything.

Rachel hadn’t, and she was equally concerned.

Amber had promised to check in with both of them.

The fact that she hadn’t wasn’t like her at all.

Maya tried calling Amber’s phone repeatedly, but each call went straight to voicemail.

Hi, this is Amber.

Leave me a message and I’ll call you back.

Her sister’s cheerful voice on the recording made Maya want to cry.

By Sunday morning, November 19th, Maya couldn’t wait any longer.

She called her mother, Patricia, and explained the situation.

Amber had gone to a cabin with a man she’d been dating for 6 weeks.

She was supposed to check in Friday night, but never did.

She wasn’t responding to calls or texts.

Something was wrong.

Patricia felt her stomach drop.

She knew her daughter.

Amber was responsible and thoughtful.

She wouldn’t make her family worry like this without a very good reason.

Together, Maya and Patricia made the decision to contact the police.

Maya called the Portland Police Department and explained that her sister was missing.

She provided Derek’s name, his address in Lake Oswiggo, and the cabin’s address near Mount Hood.

She sent the screenshots Amber had shared of Derek’s profile and their text message conversations.

The Portland police took the report seriously, but explained that since the cabin was in Clakamus County, they would need to coordinate with the Clackamus County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a welfare check.

Maya didn’t care which department handled it.

She just wanted someone to check on her sister immediately.

But immediately, in law enforcement terms, still meant paperwork and jurisdictional coordination.

It would be Monday morning before deputies actually made it to the cabin.

Meanwhile, Derek was growing increasingly paranoid.

He knew Amber’s family would eventually start asking questions, but he had hoped to have more time to execute his disposal plan.

Every time he heard a car on the distant main road, Derek’s pulse jumped.

He kept checking the cabin’s perimeter, looking for any signs that someone was coming, but the property was isolated enough that no casual visitors were likely to wander by.

Saturday night, Derek forced himself to eat dinner and tried to watch a movie to calm his nerves, but he couldn’t concentrate.

Downstairs in the basement, Amber’s body was a frozen corpse inside the locked freezer.

Physical evidence of his crime that he still needed to eliminate.

Sunday brought more anxiety.

Derek knew he should move the body that day, but he hadn’t fully committed to a disposal location yet.

He spent hours reviewing satellite maps on his laptop, trying to identify the perfect spot, remote enough that the body wouldn’t be found, but accessible enough that he could actually get there with a heavy frozen corpse.

The indecision paralyzed him and Sunday passed without Derek taking any action.

It was a fatal error in judgment that would ultimately lead to his arrest.

Monday morning, November 20th, arrived cold and clear in the mountains.

At the Clackamus County Sheriff’s Office, deputies Thomas Warren and Jennifer Pierce received their assignment.

Conduct a welfare check at 44412 Timberline Road in Government Camp.

The sister of a missing woman had filed a report concerned that her sister wasn’t responding to communications after going to a cabin with a man she’d been dating.

It was the kind of call that could be nothing.

A simple misunderstanding or a couple who’ decided to extend their trip without telling family, but it could also be something serious.

Deputy Warren and Deputy Pierce took the call seriously and headed up the mountain.

They arrived at the cabin shortly before 11 am Parking their patrol vehicle in the driveway next to two civilian vehicles, a Ford F-150 and a Subaru Outback.

The Subaru matched the description of Amber Sullivan’s car.

The cabin looked peaceful and normal, smoke rising from the chimney, curtains drawn against the morning light.

Deputy Warren knocked on the door while Deputy Pierce walked the perimeter of the property, checking for anything obviously out of place.

Derek answered the door after a few moments, looking calm and slightly confused by the presence of police.

He was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and Deputy Warren noticed scratches on his face that looked fresh.

“Can I help you?” Derek asked politely.

Deputy Warren explained they were conducting a welfare check.

We’re looking for Amber Sullivan.

Her family has reported her missing and said she was supposed to be at this location with Derek Lancing.

Derek nodded immediately.

I’m Derek Lancing.

And yes, Amber was here, but she left yesterday morning.

We had a disagreement and she decided to head back to Portland early.

Deputy Warren asked if he could come inside to ask a few questions, and Derek agreed without hesitation.

This was exactly the scenario Derek had prepared for.

He had his story ready.

He was cooperative and calm.

He invited the deputies inside and offered them coffee, playing the role of innocent man caught up in a misunderstanding.

Inside the cabin, Deputy Warren looked around carefully.

Everything appeared normal.

Clean, tidy, no obvious signs of struggle or violence.

When exactly did Miss Sullivan leave? Deputy Warren asked.

Derek explained that Amber had left around 9 to Guam on Sunday morning.

They’d had an argument the night before about something Derek couldn’t quite remember, relationship stuff, and Amber had decided she wanted to go home.

Derek claimed he offered to drive her, but she refused, saying she wanted space.

She called an Uber, Derek said, and left.

He stayed at the cabin because he’d already paid for the full weekend and wanted time to think.

Deputy Warren asked if Derek had heard from Amber since she left.

Derek shook his head and pulled out his phone to show text messages he claimed to have sent to Amber on Sunday.

I tried to apologize, Derek said, showing messages that appeared to be delivered but not read.

But she’s not responding.

I figured she needed time to cool off.

The messages looked legitimate, though.

Deputy Warren made a mental note that they could easily be faked.

Deputy Pierce returned from her perimeter check and pulled Deputy Warren aside.

“The Subaru is still here,” she said quietly.

if she took an Uber, why is her car still in the driveway? It was a good question, and Deputy Warren asked Derek about it.

Derek had an answer ready.

Amber said she’d come back for her car in a few days when she was ready to talk.

She didn’t want to deal with the mountain roads when she was upset.

It was plausible, though.

Something about Derek’s demeanor was making Deputy Warren uneasy.

the scratches on his face, the way his eyes didn’t quite meet the deputy’s eyes, the overly helpful attitude that felt performative rather than genuine.

Deputy Warren asked if they could look around the cabin more thoroughly, and Derek agreed immediately.

Of course, whatever you need.

I want to help find Amber, too.

Deputy Warren and Deputy Pierce conducted a more detailed search of the main living areas.

The bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen.

Everything was clean and organized.

Too clean, perhaps.

The cabin had the feel of a place that had been recently scrubbed rather than casually occupied.

But the deputies didn’t have a search warrant, which meant they couldn’t force Derek to let them search areas he didn’t want them to see.

and Derek very carefully didn’t offer access to the basement.

When Deputy Pierce asked what was downstairs, Derek said it was just storage and junk left by the property owner.

“Nothing interesting down there,” he said casually.

Without probable cause for a more invasive search, the deputies had limited options.

“The took Derek’s contact information and told him they would be following up.

They advised him not to leave the area while the investigation continued, and Derek agreed readily.

“I’ll be here through Wednesday like I originally planned,” he said.

“Anything I can do to help, just let me know.

” After the deputies left, Derek felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He’d done it.

He’d maintained his composure, told a believable story, and the police had left without finding Amber’s body.

But his relief was premature because even as the deputies drove away from the cabin, they were discussing the inconsistencies in Derek’s story and deciding that something about the situation didn’t feel right.

Back at the sheriff’s office, Deputy Warren called Maya Sullivan to update her on the welfare check.

He explained that Derek Lancing claimed Amber had left the cabin Sunday morning via Uber after an argument, but that Amber’s car was still at the property.

Maya’s response was immediate and forceful.

That’s impossible.

Amber would never leave her car behind like that, and she definitely wouldn’t go this long without contacting me or mom.

Something’s wrong.

You need to go back there and search that cabin properly.

Deputy Warren assured Mia they were taking her concerns seriously but explained they would need more evidence to get a search warrant.

Mia was frustrated but understood.

She hung up and immediately started making calls.

She called the Uber driver database to see if any driver had picked up a fair from that address on Sunday.

She called local taxi companies.

She even called the few nearby businesses in government camp to ask if anyone had seen a blonde woman matching Amber’s description on Sunday morning.

Every single inquiry came back negative.

No Uber driver had been to that address.

No taxi had picked anyone up.

No one had seen Amber Sullivan anywhere in the area on Sunday.

Maya compiled all of this information and called Deputy Warren back.

This evidence, combined with Amber’s continued silence and the suspicious scratches on Derek’s face, was enough to raise serious red flags.

Deputy Warren consulted with his supervisor, who agreed they needed to dig deeper, but they still needed more concrete evidence to justify a search warrant.

That evidence came from an unexpected source.

Judith Martinez, the owner of the cabin at 4412 Timberline Road, had been reviewing security camera footage from the external camera she’d installed on the property to monitor for vandalism and break-ins.

The camera faced the driveway and captured vehicles coming and going.

When Judith heard from a neighbor that police had been at her cabin conducting a welfare check, she got curious and reviewed the footage from the weekend.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

The footage showed Derek’s truck and Amber’s Subaru arriving on Friday evening around 7:30 pm But after that, Amber’s car never moved, not on Saturday, not on Sunday, not Monday.

The car had been parked in the exact same spot for four straight days.

More importantly, the footage showed no Uber or taxi entering the property at any time over the weekend.

Derek’s story about Amber leaving via ride share was demonstrably false.

Judith Martinez called the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning, November 21st, and asked to speak to whoever was handling the Amber Sullivan case.

She explained what she had found and offered to share the security footage.

When detective Sarah Chen, a veteran investigator specializing in missing person’s cases, reviewed the footage, she knew immediately they were dealing with something far more serious than a relationship dispute.

Derek Lancing had lied about Amber leaving the cabin.

Her car was still there 4 days later.

She hadn’t contacted family or friends in all that time, and Derek had visible injuries consistent with a physical altercation.

Detective Chen drafted a search warrant application and presented it to a judge that same afternoon.

The judge agreed there was probable cause to believe a crime had occurred and signed the warrant.

Wednesday morning, November 22nd, Detective Chen assembled a team to execute the search warrant.

She brought multiple deputies, a forensic evidence team, and a K9 unit trained in cadaavver detection.

At 10:00 am, the convoy of law enforcement vehicles rolled up to the cabin on Timberline Road.

Derek Lansing answered the door, looking significantly less calm than he had during the welfare check.

When Detective Chen presented the search warrant, Derek’s face went pale.

“This is ridiculous,” he said, but his voice shook.

“I already told your deputies everything.

Amber left on Sunday.

” Detective Chen ignored Derek’s protests and ordered him to step outside while the search was conducted.

Derek was detained but not arrested, handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car where deputies could keep an eye on him while the search proceeded.

Inside the cabin, the forensic team began methodically documenting and collecting evidence.

They photographed every room.

They swabbed surfaces for blood.

They collected hair and fiber samples, and when they reached the basement stairs, the cadaavver dog immediately alerted, indicating the scent of human remains.

Detective Chen’s heart sank.

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