Man arrested in woman's disappearance provides no clues to her whereabouts

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) -- A 29-year-old man accused of kidnapping a Wausau mother who hasn't been seen in nearly two weeks has provided no information about her whereabouts, the Marathon County Sheriff said.

Detectives interviewed Dale Milton Robinson within hours of his arrest outside a Pembina, N.D., hotel on Wednesday and asked him about Deanna Scantlin's disappearance, Sheriff Randy Hoenisch said.

"He just did not want to talk about it," Hoenisch said.

Robinson, nicknamed "Dale the Whale" because of his 6-foot-9, 259-pound size, was charged last Friday in Marathon County Circuit Court with kidnapping and theft in Scantlin's disappearance.

Scantlin, a 34-year-old mother of three and part-time bartender, was last seen early July 14 as she closed the Wildlife Refuge tavern at Wildlife Campground near Mayflower Lake in rural Hatley.

Some of Scantlin's belongings, including her purse, her identification and an empty money bag from the bar, were found in a garage at Robinson's rural Antigo home last week, court records say. The tavern owner said $1,500 was missing from the bar.

During a court appearance in Grand Forks, N.D., Wednesday, Robinson agreed to return to Wisconsin, waiving his right to fight extradition, and was expected to be transported back to Wausau Thursday, authorities said.

Scantlin's disappearance is being investigated as a homicide, Hoenisch said.