Yet another says they were last spotted on top of a cliff called Lovers Leap by a janitor at their school. by Jack Pluta. Their family owned Hoag's Tavern, a popular restaurant on Main Street. In 1967, the cave was close to the construction site of Highway 79. Obituary: Debra 'DeDe' Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, Online condolences may be made and video tribute may be viewed at. Tuesday, May 19th 2015. Another says it was a teacher. To request a transcript for St. Louis on the Air, 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. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. Henderson added there more than likely would have been lawsuits against the construction company building the roadway, the City of Hannibal and the State of Missouri. Hundreds of people explored the tunnels of all nearby caves, not just Murphys Cave. Many people, including Wingate, speculated that the boys likely became trapped or smothered deep underground by tons of collapsed rock after cave walls and ceilings became cracked and unstable from explosive charges used by road-building crews. "But now this whole situation has rewritten that history and changed the ending from missing' to murder.' at aheuer@stlpr.org. 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. We dont know where theyre at. 41 dogs, puppies rescued from hoarder in rural Mo. Its entirely possible that even the most meticulous of searches could fail to turn up human remains. Choose wisely! A third theory he and Koetters have explored one that the Hoag boys mother ascribed to, according to Cambeletta is that some kind of cover-up was involved. And unfortunately, its leaning right now toward more of a true crime opportunistic killer than it is a caving.. Local panic quickly brought national attention to the tiny river town in northern Missouri. This season will maybe mark the end of the search, Cambeletta said. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. Debra DeDe Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, Missouri, passed away at 5:37 AM Thursday, February 15, 2018 at her home. Because the road construction work going on at the time had resulted in a cave-in at Murphys Cave on the day the three boys went missing, the most prominent theory of their demise is that they became stuck in the cave after some kind of blasting occurred. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. We won't share it with anyone else. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. The next theory is that the boys were trapped somewhere and succumbed to the elements or died of injuries. He said the mayor at the time was aware the machines used in the search for the three boys could go as deep as 39 feet, but instead the mayor told searchers to not go more than 37 feet. A new book released last week puts a surprising new ending on a 52-year-old Hannibal story. No, wait a minute, that's not what I mean." At one point, near a cave, they found a dried puddle of brown liquid similar to blood, but during the investigation it turned out that the puddle was from a spilled bottle of fertilizer. The anticipated cave exploration would have to wait for another time. All three suggested they had similar visions that Gacy was to blame for the disappearance and deaths of the Hannibal boys. Sunshine and clouds mixed. The Hoag brothers and Craig Dowell were never found. "That was the start of it. There was a serious rebuke. "But each of these clairvoyants corroborated the others' findings independently.". This large-scale search of the missing went on for 10 consecutive days and was among the most popular searches in Missouris history. Elsa Lemp Film To Premiere At Chase 100 Years After Her Untimely Death. But when the children did not return home during the time that they would usually go back from their games, their parents were worried. I never could understand that. Anyones guess is as good as the next as to why Dowell tagged along, but no one really knows why. They even summoned a few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared. 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. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community came together to find the lost boys. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. My kids cant understand it and I cant understand it, other than we all think and feel different, DeDe said. 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. or anything. Altogether, over 200 cave explorers, both professional experts and amateur enthusiasts, searched through Murphys Cave, mapping it as they went. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Motorists are always making their way along Route 79 at its origin, along the calm banks of Hannibal, and for many its just a daily routine. Keep it Clean. Use the 'Report' link on [These boys] were the all-American child, and boy, in 1967 Hannibal, Missouri. Gone, but not forgotten The unknown status of her two boys changed Helen Hoag forever. from Pine, Learn the work Mary Meachum did to help slaves cross, Make St. Pattys Day cake pops from Amys Cake Pop, made plans to go back to the cave after school, Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out, The Grinch is getting a sequel, plus other books, Everything you need to know about the Disney California, 13 stylish black tights to wear this winter, House fire near Dupo, Illinois, early Wednesday morning, Crash involving police car being investigated, Bridgeton Police responding to water main break, Suspect involved in shooting near Galleria mall in, Crews responding to building fire in OFallon, Missouri, Tishaura Jones to sign Safer Streets Bill today, Police warn about Tiktok challenge that causing property, Busch Stadium jobs up for grabs ahead of baseball, Boy Scout trailer found, 1 arrested, 1 still at large, The floor was covered in feces, Humane Society, Execution-style murder in downtown STL caught on, Families of victims in fatal hit-and-run crash mourn, Aurora borealis possible to see in Missouri tonight, Murder suspect on house arrest says system has set, CJC supports Kim Gardner in downtown rally, St. Louis-raised Hollywood star Jon Hamm gets engaged. Sunshine and clouds mixed. The case would be the subject of several books and even a true crime-style podcast. For more information, please see our He behind left three brothers. Billy, Id say was a little bit more mischievous than Joey. You can find her books on Amazon here: https://a More from Medium in CRIMOPEDIA. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. According to another version, the boys may have accidentally entered a completely new tunneling system that other researchers have not noticed. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. I dont know if Ill be alive, but Im sure somebodys going to find them sometime, she said. "They were last seen up on the road watching the construction on May 10 at about 5:15.". He noticed that the boys were dragging a makeshift ladder of boards to lower themselves through the opening inside the cave. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. "I've always been skeptical of this stuff," he said. Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. For two young explorers and the rest of their south side friends, exploring the caves was something everyone did. One person, who grew up in Hannibal and knew the Hoags, penned a book alleging psychics believe notorious killer John Wayne Gacy, whose victims include at least 33 boys and young men, murdered the Hoags and Dowell. Where do you think they are?, Henderson, now 56, said. In "Primavera," the second episode of the third season, their connection is tested in haunting ways. The Hoag brothers were missing. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Low 31F. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Online condolences may be made and video tribute may be viewed at www.jamesodonnellfuneralhome.com. Meanwhile at the Hoag House on Fulton Avenue, DeDe was waiting to find out if she had to work. The three boys have never been heard from again. I cant speak for him, but he saw them walking up toward the highway, Henderson said. This was the last time these children were seen alive. Dundon pointed out witnesses who identified the boys as heading toward Murphy's . And without exception, all three of them picked the same locations" where the boys were ostensibly killed and buried. 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. 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. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. In December, Herald-Whig Staff Writer Edward Husar spoke to author John Wingate, who wrote "Lost Boys of. We won't share it with anyone else. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Greg Henderson, the boys 11-year-old friend who barely missed the cave trip that day, thinks there might have been corruption. Copyright 2010 - 2023 Soul:Ask | Unlock your Mind and Soul. They did not even find traces of the children. 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. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. DeDe was born Jan. 15, 1951, in Hannibal to Michael T. and Helen V. McCullough Hoag. Hannibal asks if he has trouble with taste. However, on May 10, the three went to the same cave again, using the moment Hougs parents were in the store to shop. The world isn't flat, cats didn't knock them off the edges. The brothers asked another friend of theirs, 11-year-old Greg Henderson, to go with them to the cave, but he got called in for dinner so he couldnt. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. He was into astrology and he was more grounded. Henderson was 11 at the time and was even questioned by authorities in a room of lawyers. The boys' disappearance triggered a massive search. The next day was Wednesday, May 10. Our house was so full of cave men coming in from out of town. 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. The boys shared a sense of adventure, much like the heroes of Mark Twains novels Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. This wasn't the first time Gacy's name has come up in connection with the missing youths. He was spotted in many places where children were being searched. In addition to police, groups like the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and National Speleological Society were brought in to help look for the boys. These holes. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. The sun shined brightly in the blue sky and the temperature was very pleasant. I walked outside and the girls were jumping rope. The case of the Lost Boys of Hannibal has been the subject of at least three books. From here, some of the details become fuzzy. Wed, 20 May 2015 04:21:51 GMT Joey, Billy, and the Hoag kids had many hobbies while growing up in Hannibal. He informs Will of Freddie Lounds posting a pic of one of the girls online, which Will calls tasteless. Then at 10 oclock I was an absolute wreck because it was on TV on the news., DeDe, who was 16 in 1967, began losing sleep and barely ate as the search for her brothers went on. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. On Monday, May 8, 1967, Billy and Joey were exploring the cave when they were spotted by a worker. Billy was a little stinker. 13 and 14, respectively, when they were last seen in Hannibal, Missouri on the afternoon of May 10, 1967. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. . In 2010, author Charles Stewart published a book about them, titled A Sorrow of the Heart. One of the psychics even suggested that Gacy was involved in the disappearance and deaths of two Monroe City boys -- John Wagner in February 1968 and Rickey Enochs in June 1977. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. In 2006, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school. Yet they were reportedly sighted near Murphys Cave as late as 5:15, likely with dirty shoes and clothes that they would have then had to go home and clean up. But, Within a few days, the boys still hadnt been found and people started to wonder if they really were in the cave. He said Hannibal police contacted the FBI back then to inquire about any possible Gacy connections. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. 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.. Hes very certain the boys are buried beneath the southbound lanes of Route 79 just before the Lovers Leap tourist sign. They were planning to . Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, 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. 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. 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. 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. People took off work and some of them still got paid. Hart: Hannibal boys' disappearance brought back to life in book. The case has also been a subject of a podcast, also called The Lost Boys of Hannibal, which aired its first episode in July of 2019 and appears to still be going. 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