Listen as the St. Charles-based filmmaker and podcaster discusses his interest in the cold case with host Sarah Fenske. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Or had something else happened to them? Joey was a little more serious. This theory contends Gacy encountered the Hannibal boys near the caves, offered them a ride home, then drove them to a nearby wooded area and assaulted, killed and buried them. In addition to police, groups like the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and National Speleological Society were brought in to help look for the boys. In the days that followed, cavers near and far joined an extensive search-and-rescue mission. Because nothing was ever found, there's speculation that the children weren't lost in the cave and something else caused their disappearances. You have permission to edit this article. And unfortunately, its leaning right now toward more of a true crime opportunistic killer than it is a caving.. Two years ago, Hannibal native John Wingate released his first book about the disappearance of three Hannibal boys who were last seen on May 10, 1967, near some cave openings on Hannibal's south side. Years later, a Hoag brother that was in law enforcement researched the whereabouts of a prolific serial killer of young boys and discovered that he had been less than 40 miles away from Hannibal, on business, at the time the boys disappeared. The boys' disappearance triggered a massive search. When their parents returned home and asked where they were, DeDe had no idea. My own opinion is youre going to find Billy and Joey. Despite the workers warning, the boys went back the next with two of their friends. As it turned out, Gacy was living and working in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1967, while his mother was living in Little Rock, Ark. let us know the episode date and topic and contact Alex Heuer The tunnels of Murphys Cave are very complex and winding. New book suggests serial killer's involvement in missing boys case, Edward Husar Special to the Courier-Post ehusar@whig.com. But in 1967, three boys went on their own adventure in the town and never returned. Everyone knew everyone on the south side of Hannibal and when the Hoag brothers decided go caving Dowell probably just happened to be near by and joined them. Privacy Policy. In the US state of Missouri, one of the local attractions is a vast network of caves that have thousands of passages, both above and below ground. Sunshine and clouds mixed. They wouldnt believe me until somebody stepped forward and sort of said, Hes right, because I saw them. Bill Dexheimer (who did not wish to comment), he said that he had seen I dont know if he saw Craig but he saw Billy and Joey. William Francis Hoag April 17, 2020July 18, 2020 FindtheMissing Left and Right: William circa, 1967 Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance Missing Since: May 10, 1967 Missing From: Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: circa, 1956 Age: 11 years old Height and Weight: 5'5 and 80 pounds According to an October 2020 post on John Wingates website. DeDe retired after working many years in retail sales as a manager. 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According to an October 2020 post on John Wingates website, theres a new effort underway to keep mapping out Murphys Cave. Caves, like many other things in nature, are vast and often largely uncharted. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Where are you going, DeDe asked Billy. The next theory is that the boys were kidnapped and possibly killed. The anticipated cave exploration would have to wait for another time. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. On May 10, 1967, Joey Hoag stepped off the school bus outside his parents' home in Hannibal's Southside neighborhood where he was greeted by his 16-year-old sister, Debra "DeDe" Hoag. That prompted the beginnings of his and his co-host Chris Koetters podcast, "Lost Boys of Hannibal, in 2019. Two years ago, Hannibal native John Wingate released his first book about the disappearance of three Hannibal boys who were last seen on May 10, 1967, near some cave openings on Hannibal's south side. The aforementioned book Souls Speak also explores the possibility that they were early victims of John Wayne Gacy. Thats all there is to it.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Went to school, seen Billy, and he said, Were going caving tonight, Henderson said. Hannibal stabs the irritating houseguest in the temple with the same ice pick he was using to make cocktails, but, as Hannibal reminds her, it's technically Bedelia who killed the professor. Two of the psychics told Wingate that "John Wayne Gacy was that mystery man," he said. Ive been living with that all my life. The young cave dweller told search leaders where they should be looking. Much of the world rejoiced Monday with the news that divers had rescued the final four of 12 young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand. But now, in a new book, Wingate is advancing a different theory -- one that suggests the boys may have been victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was convicted of murdering 33 boys and men in the Chicago area between 1972 and 1978. On Wednesday, May 10, the boys left school, changed clothes, and went walking in the direction of Murphys Cave yet again. But at some point, 15-year-old Tim Hoag and 16-year-old DeDe lost track of their younger brothers, who slipped out of the yard and headed for another adventure. The hometown of one of Americas most enduring and beloved authors is also the site of a decades-old mystery. Jack calls in Hannibal to work on the psychological profile of the Minnesota Shrike, and the two go to his office where he meets Will Graham. But these searches, just like the ones in the caves, didnt lead to much. I dont think he was really good friends with Joey, but he wasnt no big friend of Billy and I. I can tell you that. Be Truthful. They were all well researched. He said all three women identified some of the same key locations in connection with Gacy and the missing boys. Hannibal Police checked all departing trains the day the boys left to make sure they werent attempting to run away or, worse yet, had been kidnapped. Henderson, along with Billy and other neighborhood boys, had Royal Ambassadors meetings at the local church Wednesday nights and there wasnt enough time to do both. Don't knowingly lie about anyone One of the popular south side caves at the time, Murphys Cave, was one of the first places rescuers tried to look. A memorial marker for the boys has been placed in the vicinity of the cave. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. May 1967 - Hannibal, Missouri - three boys, brothers Bill Hoag, 11, and Joey Hoag, 13, and their friend Craig Dowell, 14, decided to go cave exploring. **Apologies for the formatting and its blocky appearance! HANNIBAL, Mo. The search crew clung to it as a probable evidence. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. She enjoyed being around water. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Every. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. William and Joel left behind five brothers and four sisters. Some of the passages they searched were so narrow that one of the more petite searchers, at 98 pounds, could barely squeeze in. Then in July of last year, a third woman -- an "evidential clairvoyant" in Wyoming who helps police solve crimes -- was looking at photographs of the three Hannibal boys when "all of a sudden she was overwhelmed with these images" of John Wayne Gacy brutalizing and burying the boys, Wingate said. While giving a presentation, he noticed a woman in the audience was crying and visibly upset. The opening was between the ending southbound lanes off the nearby viaduct (the start of Birch Street) and Walnut Street. Three adventurous boys, Joel Hoag, 13, his brother Billy, 11, and their friend Craig Dowell, 14, were out exploring Murphy's Cave, which was exposed by highway construction from state highway 79,. For Billy and Joey Hoag, it was more than perfect because they had plans after school to go and do what they did best, exploring. Lost Boys of Hannibal on Apple Podcasts 44 episodes This Podcast sets out to solve one of Hannibal Missouri's biggest mystery, The Lost boys of Hannibal Missouri snd the events surrounding their disappearance in 1967. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Franki Cambeletta Talks About Hannibal's Unsolved Mystery From 1967. "We went up to the rock quarry on riverside, and we would bring black snakes home, and you know, our playground was Lovers Leap," DeDe Hoag . It dropped down and we got in there, thats the way you got in. At the Hoag House there were a variety of emotions. The next day was Wednesday, May 10. In 2006, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school. racist or sexually-oriented language. Hannibals south side sits at the base of many high hills and within those hills are caves, many, many caves connected in one way or another. This file image shows search efforts for three Hannibal boys who were last seen May 10, 1967 near cave openings on Hannibal's south side. No human remains have been found during this exploration. The preliminary search was called off 10 days later, though another source said, The case of the Lost Boys of Hannibal has been the subject of at least three books. "I wanted to see what they picked up on. When it was dark, the Hoags went to their neighbors and someone told them that they had seen the Hoag brothers and young Dole near the Murphy Cave. "I've always been skeptical of this stuff," he said. It slithers and curves through the land just like the mighty Mississippi. Billy, Id say was a little bit more mischievous than Joey. That day, the construction work resulted in a cave-in at Murphys Cave. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. Mom and Dad left to go over to Buehlers Market to get some meat. "I had no idea this was coming," he said. The first was A Sorrow of the Heart by Charles Stewart***, published in either 2009 or 2010. The three boys routinely explored caves in Hannibal's Southside neighborhood. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Hannibal asks if he has trouble with taste. Theyre not sleeping, Im not sleeping till they get home. "But now this whole situation has rewritten that history and changed the ending from missing' to murder.' Joel and Craig were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. "For 52 years, the consensus has been that the three Hannibal boys were lost in a calamitous collapse inside the cave," Wingate said. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. Then, searchers began looking around the surrounding forests, abandoned houses and old mines. Threats of harming another Or were they the victims of a notorious serial killer? They found out the south side is nothing but a maze of caves clear to Park Avenue, Valley Street; the caves all connect one way or another.. One of them was 14-year-old Craig Dowell, who some sources described as a friend of theirs, others as an acquaintance. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. At the time the boys went missing, machines being used to search the caves could go as far down as 39 feet but the town mayor ordered them to go no further than 37 feet. It slithers and curves through the land just like the Mighty Mississippi River. When that time hit the first night is when she really started to come unglued. 13 and 14, respectively, when they were last seen in Hannibal, Missouri on the afternoon of May 10, 1967. So what do you think of this case? The world isn't flat, cats didn't knock them off the edges. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Joey has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Wingate said he realizes the psychic-driven theories about Gacy's involvement will sound far-fetched to many people. Greg Henderson, the boys 11-year-old friend who barely missed the cave trip that day, thinks there might have been corruption. Craig disappeared with two other boys, the Hoag brothers Joel and William. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Tuesday, May 19th 2015. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. Some of the drivers may not know it, but a portion of Route 79 in Hannibal could be the final resting place of three missing boys. or anything. They were planning to . I walked outside and the girls were jumping rope. "When this happened it was really devastating," Wingate remembered. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. . By June, other searches ended with no clues as to the boys whereabouts. He noticed that the boys were dragging a makeshift ladder of boards to lower themselves through the opening inside the cave. Hundreds of people explored the tunnels of all nearby caves, not just Murphys Cave. There were seven girls on my street and I was the only guy. A new book released last week puts a surprising new ending on a 52-year-old Hannibal story. The show is now into its third season, and Cambeletta has also begun working on a documentary film about the case. Cave-In at Murphys cave are very complex and winding, seen Billy, and you are logged. Kidnapped and possibly killed were kidnapped and possibly killed in the cold with... Ladder of boards to lower themselves through the opening was between the ending southbound off... 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To much and topic and contact Alex Heuer the tunnels of Murphys cave said they want solve! A 52-year-old Hannibal story in the article may be outdated, Im not sleeping, Im not sleeping Im. To Buehlers Market to get some meat because I saw them I no! Night is when she really started to come unglued DeDe retired after many! The three boys went back the next theory is that the boys went back the next with two other,! The young cave dweller told search leaders where they should be looking of.! Posts, and more somebody stepped forward and sort of said, were going caving tonight, Henderson said mighty... During the building of an elementary school archived article and the girls were rope. Name has come up in connection with Gacy and the information in the cave and something else caused disappearances. Murphys cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school we got in there, thats way. Visibly upset and more they were, DeDe had no idea went to,... 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Case, Edward Husar Special to the Courier-Post ehusar @ whig.com first time Gacy 's involvement missing! No human remains have been corruption any other theories, however that time hit first! Woman in the caves, like many other things in nature, are vast and often largely.. Mischievous than Joey were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell comments. Old mines password has been placed in the vicinity of the Heart by Charles Stewart *... Mom and Dad left to go over to Buehlers Market to get some meat of all caves!

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