He eventually showed and couldnt account for his younger brothers, so Helen sent him and DeDe out in the neighborhood to find them. The boys shared a sense of adventure, much like the heroes of Mark Twains novels Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. They were all reportedly spotted in and around Murphys Cave on the day they disappeared, but some of these sightings were not of all three of them, meaning they separated at some point. Since then, rumors and theories have swirled around the Mississippi River town about what happened to 13-year-old Joey Hoag, 10-year-old brother Billy Hoag, and their friend, 14-year-old Craig. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Times just go on and on and on, and you pray, you try to get an answer. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. 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. Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. Brothers Billy and Joey Hoag, ages 11 and 13, along with their friend Craig Dowell, 14, were last observed carrying shovels and flashlights around 5 p.m. May 10, 1967. Brothers Billy and Joey Hoag, ages 11 and 13, along with their friend Craig Dowell, 14, were last observed carrying shovels and flashlights around 5 p.m. May 10, 1967. 79. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. Cambeletta became interested in the boys disappearance several years ago, upon hearing about a more disturbing theory regarding their demise: that the boys fell victim to an opportunistic killer. When she found out she was going to pass it was just a matter of time she said I sure wish I would find out something before I died. And unfortunately, its leaning right now toward more of a true crime opportunistic killer than it is a caving.. From here, some of the details become fuzzy. Last updated June 3, 2012; picture and clothing/jewelry description added, details of disappearance updated. HANNIBAL Missouri's Route 79 is a beautiful roadway that cuts through the state's eastern hills and tiny, subtle towns. **Apologies for the formatting and its blocky appearance! Lost Boys of Hannibal Shift Films True Crime 4.8 340 Ratings JAN 9, 2023 S4 Episode 4: That man Karras. They regularly picked up lanterns and went down into the dark cave tunnels. Don't Threaten. I went home and planned on going. Tim (DeDes younger brother by one year) was getting off the bus. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. 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. Adjacent to the deep muddy waters, its the perfect route for the countrys Great River Road. or anything. Wingate says he was skeptical when he heard from the three female psychics who all sensed a connection between Gacy and the missing Hannibal boys. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. For example, during the massive cave search for the boys in 1967, there were reports in Hannibal that a "mystery man" had been hanging around for a couple days near the cave openings where road construction was occurring -- a place where the three boys had been playing in the days prior to their disappearance. Their parents forbade them to go there, but in response the boys said they would play in the yard and actually went to the caves. The belief is they went into a cave to explore. I know guys who went looking for them, and guys would go in far enough and sit down and wait for a while, he said. The developments Monday ended . After that, they disappear and even traces of them, much less their bodies, were found. They just kept asking, Where do you think they are? In the 1960s, parents strictly forbade their children from even looking at the openings in the ground. Copyright 2010 - 2023 Soul:Ask | Unlock your Mind and Soul. If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Hannibal Police Department at 573-221-0987. Nearly 55 years ago, two young brothers and their friend gathered shovels and flashlights on a spring afternoon to explore a cave in their hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Our house was so full of cave men coming in from out of town. Transcripts for St. Louis Public Radio produced programming are available upon request for individuals with hearing impairments. Will says . An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. - The hometown of one of America's most enduring and beloved authors is also the site of a decades-old mystery. While giving a presentation, he noticed a woman in the audience was crying and visibly upset. Don't knowingly lie about anyone What I dont even get is why he was even with them. Joey has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans. The parents found out when they saw the characteristic reddish dirt on their clothes. The late, great Roberto Clemente. Wingate said he realizes the psychic-driven theories about Gacy's involvement will sound far-fetched to many people. But, so far, they havent found anything , Other theories say that the children fled to another city or were abducted. 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It was searched by police but, again, no trace of the boys was found. 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. Excursions to this cave are still being made. Henderson was 11 at the time and was even questioned by authorities in a room of lawyers. Just before 6:30 pm, Helen Hoag called the police. You really dont ever get over it. We hollered, we yelled.. Joel, who was interested in snakes and geology, had been punished the night before for going to the cave without permission. People took off work and some of them still got paid. Lets go over some theories and speculation. Most of these caves were well explored in the first half of the twentieth century. They were all well researched. Craig lived on Union Street in 1967. Its not only horrific to think of how these boys ended, but also the idea that somebody would hunt these local kids that everybody loved. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. 14, and brothers Joel Hoag, 13, and Billy Hoag, 11 were never found despite month-long search efforts. Joel and William had been punished the night before for going to the cave without permission, and they weren't supposed to leave their yard. The next theory is that the boys were kidnapped and possibly killed. Just outside, Billy replied. In 1978, after Gacy was arrested "and all of his darkness was revealed," Wingate said, many rumors and questions surfaced in Hannibal about whether Gacy could have been in town when the three boys vanished in 1967. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community came together to find the lost boys. The openings leading to its tunnels were located very close to the houses of the city of Hannibal, one hundred miles northwest of St. Louis. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday. Float trips and lazy days at the beach in Florida were always fun. He said all three women identified some of the same key locations in connection with Gacy and the missing boys. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. She believes it will be out of circumstance theyll be discovered. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. According to an October 2020 post on John Wingates website, theres a new effort underway to keep mapping out Murphys Cave. Within a few days, the boys still hadnt been found and people started to wonder if they really were in the cave. It was a Tuesday night when Billy and Joey came back home covered in mud. You have permission to edit this article. Or were they met with a sinister fate?" He went to Murphys Cave and saw some of the boys friends there, who said they saw Billy, Joey and Craig going into the cave earlier. Local panic quickly brought national attention to the tiny river town in northern Missouri. Wingate said his first encounter with one of the psychics came last spring while he was doing a book signing at the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal for "Lost Boys." It is very possible that we could become closer than any other individual has, in league with the Hoag family, to find out what happened to these boys. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. We'd love to hear eyewitness A flashlight and shovel, One source said the last known sighting of the boys, It was also around that time that another friend of the Hoag brothers stopped by their house to see if they were home. Ive got to have closure we havent found a thing. In 2006, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school. He said Hannibal police contacted the FBI back then to inquire about any possible Gacy connections. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. Night, DeDe said. We had a ladder, homemade ladder we made. But when the children did not return home during the time that they would usually go back from their games, their parents were worried. 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. Survivors include four children, Tonya Robinson (Keith) of Wentzville, Tammy Wisdom (Charlie) of Hannibal, Tisha Adair (Daren) of Hannibal and Jereme Mastin (Lindsay) of Hannibal; one brother, Dan Hoag (Candy) of Gurnee, Ill.; three sisters, Bobbie Wellman of Lebanon, Lynnie Pedigo of Wylie, Texas, and Denise Mudd of Hannibal; and nine grandchildren, Dylan, Tyler, Skye, Keaton (Brady), Curtis, Darrian, Rylee, Quinn and Reece. Share with Us. Hes very certain the boys are buried beneath the southbound lanes of Route 79 just before the Lovers Leap tourist sign. They selected Murphy's Cave, a construction site, descended into the earth and were never seen again. Partly cloudy skies. at aheuer@stlpr.org. HANNIBAL, Mo. Or I havent, totally. The next theory is that the boys were trapped somewhere and succumbed to the elements or died of injuries. 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. A normal day Life in Hannibal was as it is today, relaxed. Sunshine and clouds mixed. But in 1967, three boys went on their own adventure in the town and never returned. 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. Hannibal, Missouri is a small town of about 17,000 people that sits along the famous Mississippi River. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. On May 9, 1967, the Hoags and Dowell went searching Murphys Cave on the southside of town, which had been exposed by construction for Highway 79. No. It was also around that time that another friend of the Hoag brothers stopped by their house to see if they were home. DeDe retired after working many years in retail sales as a manager. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. However, on May 10, the three went to the same cave again, using the moment Hougs parents were in the store to shop. She said keep an eye on the boys (Billy and Joey) because of what they had done the night before, DeDe said. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. person will not be tolerated. But, as children often do, they didnt listen. But who could stop the curious children? The anticipated cave exploration would have to wait for another time. A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. As he further explored the possibility of Gacy's involvement, Wingate kept finding other connections. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Was this just a case of kids being irresponsible, as kids often are? . My kids cant understand it and I cant understand it, other than we all think and feel different, DeDe said. "But each of these clairvoyants corroborated the others' findings independently.". Mom and Dad left to go over to Buehlers Market to get some meat. I was 11-years-old and I heard this was happening, Henderson said. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Visitation will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. Its possible, but its not probable., A memorial atop Lovers Leap has since been placed to honor the memory of the boys and the search crews. In 2006, construction workers building a new elementary school on Highway 79 found a small cave about 50 feet long. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism A flashlight and shovel were later found to be missing from the Hoag home. 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. Sister to the missing Hoag boys Billy and Joey, Denise Hoag, and daughter Candace Hoag sit down with Chris and Franki to discuss Charles Stewart, but before that . [These boys] were the all-American child, and boy, in 1967 Hannibal, Missouri. Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. Hundreds of people explored the tunnels of all nearby caves, not just Murphys Cave. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. One particular area the boys loved was Murphys Cave. However, none of the parents of the missing children was able to confirm whether the sock belonged to one of the Hoag brothers or Dowell. He and Joel were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. Like I just alluded to, The next theory is that the boys were trapped somewhere and succumbed to the elements or died of injuries. They were waiting for the moment when the construction workers at the site would go to rest. Craig Dowell, Joey Hoag and Billy Hoag went missing May 10, 1967. We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen! DeDe recalls her mother, Helen Hoag, scolding the boys to wash their clothes and stay away from the construction zone they were in. As part of his research, Wingate said he drove the psychics separately though parts of the Hannibal area on different dates in August and September of 2018. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. On Wednesday, May 10, the boys left school, changed clothes, and went walking in the direction of Murphys Cave yet again. A writer and author of crime thrillers living in the UK. High 59F. A memorial marker for the boys has been placed in the vicinity of the cave. Spider-Man: Homecoming : Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. And the cold case, situated as it is in the boyhood home of Mark Twain and his cave-loving characters like Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, has been the subject of attention and speculation in the decades since. We won't share it with anyone else. Billy and Joey were nowhere to be found. 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.. Lets talk about The Lost Boys of Hannibal, who havent been seen or heard from in almost 55 years. I thought, theyre not eating, Im not eating, she said. The first theory is that they ran away, but this isnt very likely. I really have a hard time dealing with it. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. They even summoned a few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared. Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. Extensive search-and-rescue efforts turned up no sign of any of them, however. Searchers checked the cave but there was no evidence of the trio. Craig Dowell and brothers Bill and Joey Hoag disappeared on that May afternoon in 1967. High 59F. So what happened to the Lost Boys of Hannibal? But because of the intensive construction of Highway 79 in the 1960s, employees sometimes encounter new gaps that lead to unexplored parts of local caves. They began to pray that nothing bad would happen to the boys. 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