Overview

Last Seen: November 20, 2023
Location: Wrangell, Alaska, near Mile 11 of Zimovia Highway
Age When Missing: 12
Case Status: Missing
NamUs: MP112321
Alaska State Troopers Case: AK23121256

Derek David Heller disappeared during the catastrophic November 20, 2023 landslide outside Wrangell, Alaska. The slide destroyed homes along Zimovia Highway and killed Derek’s parents, Timothy and Beth Heller, his sisters Mara and Kara Heller, and neighboring resident Otto Florschutz. Derek was the only person from the disaster who remained missing after the recovery operation ended.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Derek David Heller Missing After the 2023 Wrangell, Alaska Landslide

Brief Case Summary

Last Seen: November 20, 2023
Location: Wrangell, Alaska, near Mile 11 of Zimovia Highway
Age When Missing: 12
Case Status: Missing
NamUs: MP112321
Alaska State Troopers Case: AK23121256

Derek David Heller disappeared during the catastrophic November 20, 2023 landslide outside Wrangell, Alaska. The slide destroyed homes along Zimovia Highway and killed Derek’s parents, Timothy and Beth Heller, his sisters Mara and Kara Heller, and neighboring resident Otto Florschutz. Derek was the only person from the disaster who remained missing after the recovery operation ended.

A Deadly Landslide Strikes Wrangell

On the evening of November 20, 2023, a massive landslide swept down a mountainside near Mile 11 of Zimovia Highway, south of Wrangell in Southeast Alaska. The slide crossed the highway, destroyed three homes and continued toward the water. Officials said two of the homes were occupied when the disaster occurred.

The Heller family’s home was among those struck.

Derek David Heller, who was 12 years old, disappeared in the landslide along with several members of his family and neighboring residents. In the first days following the disaster, search teams worked through an enormous debris field while unstable ground, mud, clay and the slide’s extension into the intertidal area complicated recovery efforts.

Derek’s Family Members Are Recovered

Authorities recovered the bodies of Derek’s parents, 44-year-old Timothy Heller and 36-year-old Beth Heller, as well as his 16-year-old sister Mara Heller during the initial days following the landslide.

Derek’s 11-year-old sister, Kara Heller, remained missing for several days. On November 25, a scent-detection K9 alerted searchers to an area of debris, and Kara’s body was recovered with the assistance of excavation equipment.

Neighbor Otto Florschutz, 65, was later recovered from the landslide debris as well. His wife, Christina Florschutz, was the only person found alive after being caught in the disaster.

That left Derek as the sole remaining missing person from the landslide.

Search Teams Focus on Finding Derek Heller

The search for Derek involved personnel and resources from multiple agencies and organizations, including the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, Alaska State Troopers, search-and-rescue volunteers, scent-detection K9 teams and local equipment operators. Aircraft, boats, drones and heavy machinery were also used during different phases of the response.

As roads were cleared and equipment gained better access to the site, search efforts increasingly focused on debris on the ocean side of Zimovia Highway. Officials said K9 teams were used to identify locations where crews could concentrate more intensive searches.

The physical conditions remained unusually difficult. The slide stretched approximately 4,000 feet and was roughly 450 feet wide around the destroyed homes. Portions of the debris field extended into the water, while searchers encountered deep clay and slippery, unstable terrain.

Search for Derek Suspended After 15 Days

On December 6, 2023, the City and Borough of Wrangell announced that the active search for Derek had been suspended after approximately 15 days of searching.

Officials said accessible areas of the slide had been thoroughly examined, including areas that had already been searched more than once.

Suspending the search did not mean authorities would ignore new information. Officials said search-and-rescue volunteers and a scent-detection K9 team could be mobilized again if new evidence or information identified a specific location that warranted another search.

Derek was never recovered during the original search operation.

Derek Heller Remains Listed as Missing

Derek’s disappearance continues to be carried as a missing-person case.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety’s current missing-person records continue to list HELLER, DEREK with Alaska State Troopers case number AK23121256.

A NamUs record was also created for Derek on May 7, 2026, assigning him missing-person number MP112321. The NamUs entry identifies him as missing from Wrangell, Alaska, with a last-contact date of November 20, 2023.

The NamUs listing provides Alaska State Troopers contact information associated with the case, including the agency telephone number (907) 269-5511.

Latest Publicly Available Case Information

As of August 19, 2026, Derek remains included in Alaska’s missing-person records and has an active NamUs missing-person profile.

The most recent major publicly documented search decision remains the December 2023 suspension of the large-scale physical search. Authorities stated at that time that search teams could return if new information or evidence provided a specific area to examine.

A review of publicly available reporting and official missing-person records did not identify a subsequent announcement that Derek had been located or that a comparable large-scale active search had resumed. His current listings therefore continue to reflect an unresolved missing-person case rather than a confirmed recovery or homicide investigation.

A Crime Solvers Central case profile, last updated August 9, 2026, likewise continues to list Derek as missing and identifies Alaska State Troopers case number AK23121256. That site is a public case-awareness resource rather than the investigating authority.

What Happened to Derek David Heller?

The evidence publicly released by authorities places Derek’s disappearance directly within the catastrophic Wrangell landslide. His parents and sisters were recovered from the disaster area, and investigators and search teams spent approximately two weeks systematically examining accessible portions of the debris field.

No publicly released information reviewed for this article indicates that authorities suspect Derek disappeared voluntarily, was abducted or became the victim of a criminal homicide.

The unresolved question is instead where Derek’s remains or other evidence may have been carried within the enormous landslide debris field, portions of which extended toward and into the water. That possibility helps explain why authorities left open the option of conducting additional targeted searches if new evidence identifies a specific location.

More than two years after the landslide, Derek David Heller remains officially listed as missing.