No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Joel Hoag, 13, Billy Hoag, 11, and Edwin Craig Dowell, 14, vanished May 10, 1967. So what do you think of this case? Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. On March 10th, 1967, the three boys set off with flashlights and a shovel to go on an adventure, but sadly to never return home. Create a password that only you will remember. Advertisement. When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. "It's beyond coincidence.". 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. "But I decided just to lay it out and let people decide for themselves" if there's any merit to the story. Hundreds of people explored the tunnels of all nearby caves, not just Murphys Cave. The boys parents, who owned a popular tavern in town, left for a meat market around 4 pm, giving their older children orders to make sure Billy and Joey didnt leave the house. The mystery man, meanwhile, "was no longer seen at that location after the boys went missing," Wingate said. It would be quite interesting if you could go down and dig in that hole. The Hoag boys had been punished for exploring it the day prior. A memorial marker for the boys has been placed in the vicinity of the cave. He was an instigator, but not in a bad way. The Hoags were a big family of 11 children and were known around town. The next theory is that the boys were kidnapped and possibly killed. racist or sexually-oriented language. And I said, Mom, maybe youll just have to find out on the other side if theyre there. DeDe herself still struggles with her brothers disappearance despite 45 years passing by. But, as children often do, they didnt listen. There are a few contradictory accounts of exactly what happened between now and the time anyone realized Billy, Joey and Craig were missing. All new tunnels have been carefully inspected. Copyright 2010 - 2023 Soul:Ask | Unlock your Mind and Soul. The Hoag brothers and the Dowell boy were last seen by Lynn Strube, 14, of 405 Smith, and John Janes, 13, 1125 Sierra, Wednesday . The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. The boys have never been heard from again. That claim, like so many others, would bear no fruit and the preliminary search would be called off 10 days after the disappearance. Theyre not sleeping, Im not sleeping till they get home. A Hannibal mystery 48 years in the making. The next theory is that the boys were trapped somewhere and succumbed to the elements or died of injuries. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The Hoag brothers and Craig Dowell were never found. More than likely they were buried. All of these cavers came in from Washington, D.C., from California, Virginia, Mississippi. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. They selected Murphy's Cave, a construction site, descended into the earth and were never seen again. He and William were not supposed to leave their yard, but they left anyway while their parents were out. . 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. She stayed up every night waiting for my brothers to come home. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. The next morning, police, national guards and volunteers organized a mass search for the boys. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. "This is a story that found me.". Because of these caves, Missouri is often referred to as the state of the caves, and it is not surprising that they attract many explorers as well as adventurers. If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Hannibal Police Department at 573-221-0987. The world isn't flat, cats didn't knock them off the edges. Joel Wise Hoag was born on July 25, 1954 to mom Helen and dad Mike. The parents found out when they saw the characteristic reddish dirt on their clothes. Most of all DeDe cherished the time she shared with her family and friends. No, wait a minute, that's not what I mean." Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. The weeks and weeks of searching turned up absolutely nothing. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community came together to find the lost boys. Online condolences may be made and video tribute may be viewed at www.jamesodonnellfuneralhome.com. Or were they trying to evade someone who was following them? Investigators searched trains that had left Hannibal around the time the boys were last seen, perhaps wondering if they had been snatched without anyone noticing. During the highway construction, sections of the road were being blasted to destroy them and make room for the new road, creating holes. According to another version, the boys may have accidentally entered a completely new tunneling system that other researchers have not noticed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This Podcast sets out to solve one of Hannibal Missouri's biggest mysteries, The Lost boys of Hannibal Missouri and the events surrounding their disappearance on May 10, 1967. . Thats all there is to it.. You can head over to, a small town of about 17,000 people that sits along the famous Mississippi River, Billy was very mischievous while Joey was more serious, interested in science, especially astronomy, exploring the cave when they were spotted by a worker, were later found to be missing from the Hoag home, were reportedly in Murphys Cave around 4:35 pm, but gone a few minutes later, a quick search of the cave by Tim turned up nothing, groups like the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and National Speleological Society, the cave would continue to be searched for the next month, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered, said case would stay open, but there probably wouldnt be any more searches, John Wingate, a childhood friend of the boys, have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it, theres a new effort underway to keep mapping out Murphys Cave, they were supposed to be at church that evening, and probably would have had to catch the bus between 5:30 and 5:45 to be there by 6 pm, were sealed up a few days after the boys were last seen, that the boys didnt actually all go missing at once, He believes the mayor and others involved in the search may not have wanted to find the boys. According to one of the first versions, the children were buried alive when one of the cave tunnels collapsed, but as mentioned above, all possible tunnels of the nearest caves were checked by search crew and they did not find any traces of fresh collapses there. Billy Hoag, Joel Hoag, and Craig Dowell; Hannibals Lost Boys. (Courtesy: Hannibal Courier-Post). According to an October 2020 post on John Wingates website. Lost Boys of Hannibal Shift Films True Crime 4.8 340 Ratings JAN 9, 2023 S4 Episode 4: That man Karras. In 2015, Hannibal Police Department Lieutenant John Zerbonia said case would stay open, but there probably wouldnt be any more searches. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. 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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. (https://imgur.com/a/yXzzI), [News Article] (http://khqa.com/news/local/a-hannibal-mystery-48-years-in-the-making), [Charley Project] (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hoag_joel.html). They were waiting for the moment when the construction workers at the site would go to rest. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. http://www.hannibal.net/article/20120528/NEWS/305289977, http://khqa.com/news/local/a-hannibal-mystery-48-years-in-the-making, http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/h/hoag_joel.html. 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. They took shovels, lanterns and other necessary things. Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates. The last theory is that the boys didnt actually all go missing at once. 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 . Unexplored caves or not she didnt want her children being somewhere they shouldnt. That day, the construction work resulted in a cave-in at Murphys Cave. The worker told them to get out because it was dangerous, but no known precautions were taken after that to keep other explorers away. Billy and Joey, as they were more commonly called, On Monday, May 8, 1967, Billy and Joey were, The next day was Wednesday, May 10. The Hoags surviving sister has wondered if there was a cover-up involving the construction company, which she said had workers routinely blasting in the area and did not put up signs or caution tape around any of the various cave openings caused by their work. Did they separate and go missing in multiple different ways, in two or even three tragic coincidences? There is one last point of speculation I want to go over and, again, I want to emphasize that this is pure speculation, not accusations. Before Mom left, she hollered at Tim. There were seven girls on my street and I was the only guy. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. They finally moved from Murphys Cave down where Billy and I had been in. Share with Us. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. Share with Us. Wingate said if Gacy were to go visit his mother, "driving from Waterloo to Little Rock, he would take Highway 61, which takes you right through Hannibal.". 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 All rights reserved. There was a massive search for the kids that drew national attention, but ultimately, they've never been found. Keep it Clean. 79. 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. 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. In 2006, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school. 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. Where do you think they are?, Henderson, now 56, said. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. Hannibal asks if he has trouble with taste. This large-scale search of the missing went on for 10 consecutive days and was among the most popular searches in Missouris history. She also didnt know where Tim was. There is one last point of speculation I want to go over and, again, I want to emphasize that this is pure speculation, not accusations. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Youre going to have to have proof, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Henderson said. They just kept asking, Where do you think they are? I thought, theyre not eating, Im not eating, she said. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. Yet another says they were last spotted on top of a cliff called Lovers Leap by a janitor at their school. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Low 31F. A Memorial Service will be held at 7:30 PM Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Tim came back after doing a quick cave search of his own. Wingate is scheduled to sign copies of his new book from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2, at Quincy Books and Toys, 3800 Broadway, and will sign books and give a presentation from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 3, at the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal. Their family owned Hoag's Tavern, a popular restaurant on Main Street. Joey was a little more serious. The boys parents, who owned a popular tavern in town, left for a meat market around 4 pm, giving their older children orders to make sure Billy and Joey didnt leave the house. A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Within a few days, the boys still hadnt been found and people started to wonder if they really were in the cave. Joey Hoag, Billy Hoag, and Craig Dowell had simply vanished without a trace. Billy and Joey were making plans to go caving and they were recruiting some of their friends at A.D. Stowell Elementary School the next day. Henderson found it odd that Billy wasnt there. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. All suspicious passageways, narrow cracks and still unexplored tunnels were carefully checked. Or did someone perhaps spot three young boys traveling alone and see a crime of opportunity? The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Soul:Ask and may contain 18+ material. I dont know if it was the first day or the second day, but I was having dreams and everything; about Billy and Joey. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Later that night, they came home covered in mud and were promptly scolded by their mom. 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. Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. 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. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Wingate later learned the woman was a psychic from southern Missouri who reportedly "saw the three boys' spirit energy manifest up front when I was speaking," he said. And without exception, all three of them picked the same locations" where the boys were ostensibly killed and buried. They did not even find traces of the children. "When this happened it was really devastating," Wingate remembered. I think something bad happened to him., DeDe is hopeful one day her brothers remains will be found. 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. At one point, FBI experts got involved in the process. With todays technology, Henderson believes a new search could be conducted, but the chances of that happening are non-existent. No human remains have been found during this exploration. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. High 59F. Just before 6:30 pm, Helen Hoag called the police. 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. But a parental edict to stay in the yard the afternoon they disappeared wasnt enough to deter the young adventurers. Had they even returned to the cave after those last few sightings of them around town?
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