In 2001 , actor Rick Schroder voiced dislike of the presentation of the character of Sorenson , claiming writers had changed him to the point that he , Schroder , had lost both sympathy for him and interest in him , and stated a desire to leave the series at the end of season eight . As a result , Sorenson , who was depicted late in season eight as having mentored a homeless drug addict whose addiction ultimately killed him , was shown to enter a state of personal turmoil , becoming inattentive and apathetically disrespectful while on the job , and spending his off-duty hours drinking and carousing . Exactly to what extent this was in fact part of an act was left unresolved , but it was written into the storyline that Sorenson had taken on an assignment that involved pretending to fall from grace with the NYPD and infiltrating organized crime factions within Manhattan . After being reported as missing , Sorenson 's remains were discovered in a shallow grave at the beginning of season nine , with the character 's death being attributed to the mob syndicate he had been attempting to infiltrate just before the September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Danny Sorenson