There was a massive search for the kids that drew national attention, but ultimately, they've never been found. All rights reserved. A memorial plaque with the boys names and their history is placed next to the ill-fated entrance to Murphys Cave, which is now closed. Be Truthful. 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. Cambeletta told host Sarah Fenske that since first starting the podcast, he and his co-host have been able to connect with members of the Hoag family and collaborate with entities including the Ralls County Sheriffs Office and the Missouri Department of Transportation. In 2006, construction workers building a new elementary school on Highway 79 found a small cave about 50 feet long. 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. **Apologies for the formatting and its blocky appearance! Had they even returned to the cave after those last few sightings of them around town? Joel, who was interested in snakes and geology, had been punished the night before for going to the cave without permission. Had they absconded and left Hannibal without telling anyone? Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, that is degrading to another person. By June, other searches ended with no clues as to the boys whereabouts. Low 31F. The case of the Lost Boys of Hannibal has been the subject of at least three books. The first was, Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters. It should be noted that they were scrappy young fellows. In 2006, the entrance to Murphys Cave was discovered during the building of an elementary school. "In all three cases, we'd find ourselves standing at the same location on three different days," he said. This season will maybe mark the end of the search, Cambeletta said. 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. Most of these caves were well explored in the first half of the twentieth century. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. DeDe recalls her mother, Helen Hoag, scolding the boys to wash their clothes and stay away from the construction zone they were in. In "Primavera," the second episode of the third season, their connection is tested in haunting ways. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. A new Route 79 was being constructed (thats the route everyone knows today) and the deep holes dug into the hillside along the roads that lead into Lovers Leap and Riverside Cemetery had revealed a maze of passage ways which led into the caves. She ordered them to wash their clothes, and both their parents warned them to never go near the construction site again, or they would be in major trouble. Choose wisely! Debra "DeDe" Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, passed away at 5:37 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at her home. So what happened to the Lost Boys of Hannibal? Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. You have permission to edit this article. Hart: Hannibal boys' disappearance brought back to life in book. Share with Us. The developments Monday ended . She said keep an eye on the boys (Billy and Joey) because of what they had done the night before, DeDe said. Another such clue is that someone apparently saw the boys out of town alive after the search began, but no children or traces of them were found at that location. I dont think they felt like doing it.. "But I decided just to lay it out and let people decide for themselves" if there's any merit to the story. Most of all DeDe cherished the time she shared with her family and friends. They even summoned a few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared. Doesn't seem to be any record (names) in the DN database. The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. About two years later, he was joined by younger brother William Francis. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. Tim (DeDes younger brother by one year) was getting off the bus. Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. No. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. Online condolences may be made and video tribute may be viewed at www.jamesodonnellfuneralhome.com. 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. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. Wingate said he started investigating the theory a year ago -- around the same time he was making stops in Hannibal and Quincy, Ill., to sign copies of his first book. But, so far, they havent found anything , Other theories say that the children fled to another city or were abducted. But, Within a few days, the boys still hadnt been found and people started to wonder if they really were in the cave. "Kids aren't supposed to lose their friends." I really have a hard time dealing with it. 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. Choose wisely! Or had something else happened to them? Memorial contributions may be made to Community Loving Care Hospice. Sunshine and clouds mixed. Craig Dowell and brothers Bill and Joey Hoag disappeared on that May afternoon in 1967. More than 200 cavers from across the country converged on Hannibal to explore the labyrinth of underground passageways, including Murphy's Cave and some newly opened cave entrances where road construction was taking place along what is now Mo. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. I dont think he wanted to find them. One of the popular south side caves at the time, Murphys Cave, was one of the first places rescuers tried to look. Craig lived on Union Street in 1967. The Lost Boys of Hannibal: Missing for 55 years. Times just go on and on and on, and you pray, you try to get an answer. Threats of harming another I think something bad happened to him., DeDe is hopeful one day her brothers remains will be found. The first theory is that they ran away, but this isnt very likely. 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. 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. Ive been living with that all my life. The young cave dweller told search leaders where they should be looking. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. The next day was Wednesday, May 10. 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. From here, some of the details become fuzzy. Joey has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. 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. When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. The first was A Sorrow of the Heart by Charles Stewart***, published in either 2009 or 2010. After that, they disappear and even traces of them, much less their bodies, were found. Billy. "They had been seen darting down into those caves on May 8 and May 9," Wingate said. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. [News Article] (http://www.hannibal.net/article/20120528/NEWS/305289977). 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. 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. Hes very certain the boys are buried beneath the southbound lanes of Route 79 just before the Lovers Leap tourist sign. The three boys have never been heard from again. by Jack Pluta. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Youre going to have to have proof, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Henderson said. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. It was also around that time that another friend of the Hoag brothers stopped by their house to see if they were home. You can head over to this blog's corresponding YouTube video and let me know in the comments! Joel Hoag, 13, Billy Hoag, 11, and Edwin Craig Dowell, 14, vanished May 10, 1967. There are a few contradictory accounts of exactly what happened between now and the time anyone realized Billy, Joey and Craig were missing. Sunshine and clouds mixed. and our DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. Do you think the boys were kidnapped, or did they die of injury on the construction site and their bodies weren't able to be recovered? They were all well researched. 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. . But boys will be boys. 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. Another says it was a teacher. And unfortunately, its leaning right now toward more of a true crime opportunistic killer than it is a caving.. Last updated June 3, 2012; details of disappearance updated. "I wanted to see what they picked up on. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. This was the latest reported sighting of the boys; after 5:15, all traces of them were lost. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. "This is a story that found me.". Searching for the missing, identifying those with no name.Missing and Unidentified Persons Cases, Moderators:Nut44x4, tatertot, rain, burnsjl2003, Begood, wv171. 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. We'd love to hear eyewitness 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. Henderson believes there were some questionable things going on behind the scenes. Cookie Notice Altogether, over 200 cave explorers, both professional experts and amateur enthusiasts, searched through Murphys Cave, mapping it as they went. The boys made plans to go back to the cave after school the following day. Joel disappeared with his brother, William Hoag, and a friend, Edwin "Craig" Dowell. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Caves, like many other things in nature, are vast and often largely uncharted. I went home and planned on going. You can take it all the way down to New Orleans if you wanted to and in Missouri its quite picturesque for travelers making their way between the northeastern portions of the Show-Me State and the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Debra DeDe Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, Missouri, passed away at 5:37 AM Thursday, February 15, 2018 at her home. The opening was between the ending southbound lanes off the nearby viaduct (the start of Birch Street) and Walnut Street. . The Hannibal mayor even requested the help of the Missouri National Guard. But, again without result. That day, the construction work resulted in a cave-in at Murphys Cave. Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it. When that time hit the first night is when she really started to come unglued. New book suggests serial killer's involvement in missing boys case, Edward Husar Special to the Courier-Post ehusar@whig.com. Hannibal, Missouri is a small town of about 17,000 people that sits along the famous Mississippi River. Yet another says they were last spotted on top of a cliff called Lovers Leap by a janitor at their school. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. Visitation will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. Were they trapped underground by a cave-in? They were always home by 9 oclock, DeDe said. What I dont even get is why he was even with them. At one point, FBI experts got involved in the process. Don't Threaten. Did they separate and go missing in multiple different ways, in two or even three tragic coincidences? Be Proactive. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. This was the last time these children were seen alive. But these searches, just like the ones in the caves, didnt lead to much. My kids cant understand it and I cant understand it, other than we all think and feel different, DeDe said. ". 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. 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. The Hoag boys had been punished for exploring it the day prior. Craig Dowell, Joey Hoag and Billy Hoag went missing May 10, 1967. It dropped down and we got in there, thats the way you got in. At the Hoag House there were a variety of emotions. Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. 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. With todays technology, Henderson believes a new search could be conducted, but the chances of that happening are non-existent. HANNIBAL, Mo. Wed, 20 May 2015 04:21:51 GMT Joey, Billy, and the Hoag kids had many hobbies while growing up in Hannibal. But, as children often do, they didnt listen. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. While giving a presentation, he noticed a woman in the audience was crying and visibly upset. Then, searchers began looking around the surrounding forests, abandoned houses and old mines. Missing Since: May 10, 1967 Missing From: Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: circa, 1953 Age: 14 years old Height and Weight: 5'0 and 100 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Edwin usually goes by his middle name "Craig" Details of Disappearance -Butthead, Hart: Hannibal boys' disappearance brought back to life in book, After 45 years, mystery surrounding missing boys remains, This website uses cookies for functionality, analytics and advertising purposes as described in our, Porchlight International for the Missing & Unidentified, Hoag,Bill and Joey Howell,Craig May 10 1967, http://www.hannibal.net/stories/042206/ 2003.shtml, http://www.hannibal.net/stories/042706/ 0101.shtml, http://www.whig.com/story/news/RH-Scoop-Column-011910, http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightU c=936&st=0&, http://www.hannibal.net/features/x15264 written-it, http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stori sing-boys/, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/23/lo later.html. Wingate's book, "Lost Boys of Hannibal: Inside America's Largest Cave Search," noted that the boys -- Edwin Craig Dowell, 14, and brothers Joel Hoag, 13, and Billy Hoag, 11 -- were never found despite month-long search efforts. I dont think a lot of that was made public.. He noticed that the boys were dragging a makeshift ladder of boards to lower themselves through the opening inside the cave. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. I cant tell you for a fact why they did it. "That was the start of it. Or were they the victims of a notorious serial killer? The Hoag Family was hoping and hoping for a sign of something positive in search efforts, but nothing ever came to light. 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. 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. You can find her books on Amazon here: https://a More from Medium in CRIMOPEDIA. The parents found out when they saw the characteristic reddish dirt on their clothes. Was this just a case of kids being irresponsible, as kids often are? When the parents of the Hoag brothers returned from the store and saw that their children had disappeared, they became very angry and intended to give them a good lesson. 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. DeDe was born Jan. 15, 1951, in Hannibal to Michael T. and Helen V. McCullough Hoag. Invalid password or account does not exist. Greg Henderson was one of the neighborhood boys invited to come along. We had a ladder, homemade ladder we made. According to an October 2020 post on John Wingates website, theres a new effort underway to keep mapping out Murphys Cave. People came pouring in to look for them, DeDe said. 2022 by Mary Hallberg, Proudly created with Wix.com. 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. 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. They owned Hoags Tavern, a popular restaurant along Hannibals Historic Main Street. "For 52 years, the consensus has been that the three Hannibal boys were lost in a calamitous collapse inside the cave," Wingate said. 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 other two were written by John Wingate, a childhood friend of the boys. Meanwhile at the Hoag House on Fulton Avenue, DeDe was waiting to find out if she had to work. If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Hannibal Police Department at 573-221-0987. (AP) The rescue missions more than 50 years apart parallel one another, demonstrating the dangers of amateur caving and the painstaking process to rescue those trapped. The late, great Roberto Clemente. Their parents, who were back from the meat market, said they werent there, but that if their friend saw him to tell them to hurry home. He and Billy were close friends. Nearly 55 years ago, two young brothers and their friend gathered. A memorial marker for the boys has been placed in the vicinity of the cave. I dont know if Ill be alive, but Im sure somebodys going to find them sometime, she said. 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. Or had something else happened to them? The mystery man, meanwhile, "was no longer seen at that location after the boys went missing," Wingate said. The tunnels of Murphys Cave are very complex and winding. This wasn't the first time Gacy's name has come up in connection with the missing youths. But in 1967, three boys went on their own adventure in the town and never returned. 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. 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. 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. Its entirely possible that even the most meticulous of searches could fail to turn up human remains. They regularly picked up lanterns and went down into the dark cave tunnels. 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 . Joey [Hoag] was even a really big astronomer labeled himself as an amateur astronomer, if you look through his writings. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Franki Cambeletta Talks About Hannibal's Unsolved Mystery From 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. Its just a matter of time., [Google Map of where the Hoag boy's home, Lover's Leap, and the general area where they may have gone missing!] Joey and Billy came home from school, they were there in the house, and Joey went through the hallway. You think theyre going to close down that highway to build on a speculation? 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. The weeks and weeks of searching turned up absolutely nothing. But a parental edict to stay in the yard the afternoon they disappeared wasnt enough to deter the young adventurers. Create a password that only you will remember. I thought, theyre not eating, Im not eating, she said. I walked outside and the girls were jumping rope. In the 1960s, parents strictly forbade their children from even looking at the openings in the ground. 41 dogs, puppies rescued from hoarder in rural Mo. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. BOONE COUNTY - The story of the three lost boys of Hannibal remains a mystery after a cave search ended empty-handed five decades ago. . Will they ever? These holes were sealed up a few days after the boys were last seen, despite orders from the mayor to keep them open. There were seven girls on my street and I was the only guy. Don't knowingly lie about anyone You really dont ever get over it. Dont leave the yard, she told him. 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. People that sits along the famous Mississippi River Mary Hallberg, Proudly created with Wix.com marker for the boys last. 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