One of these caves is called the Murphys Cave. 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. 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. So what do you think of this case? "Kids aren't supposed to lose their friends." Henderson believes there were some questionable things going on behind the scenes. 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. A Memorial Service will be held at 7:30 PM Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. 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 . Most of these caves were well explored in the first half of the twentieth century. Tim came back after doing a quick cave search of his own. He says he has lived all over the world and calls Quincy home, though he resides in Hannibal now. Billy. It slithers and curves through the land just like the Mighty Mississippi River. by Jack Pluta. The sun shined brightly in the blue sky and the temperature was very pleasant. Tim told his mother to call the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and she did. "It's beyond coincidence.". There are no plans to open up the cave system to the public, and the project is limited to skilled and experienced cavers, according to the post. The other two were written by John Wingate, a childhood friend of the boys. Joey has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans. person will not be tolerated. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. DeDe recalls her mother, Helen Hoag, scolding the boys to wash their clothes and stay away from the construction zone they were in. It should be noted that they were scrappy young fellows. I think something bad happened to him., DeDe is hopeful one day her brothers remains will be found. "In all three cases, we'd find ourselves standing at the same location on three different days," he 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. 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. 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. or anything. Every. Craig Dowell, he was an acquaintance, Henderson said. The unknown fate of the children -- Billy Hoag, 10, Joey Hoag, 13, and Craig Dowell, 14 -- is one of Hannibal's greatest mysteries, haunting residents of the small Mississippi River town for 50 years. Craig Dowell, Joey Hoag and Billy Hoag went missing May 10, 1967. You have permission to edit this article. 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? You really dont ever get over it. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it. or anything. This wasn't the first time Gacy's name has come up in connection with the missing youths. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. The three boys have never been heard from again. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. A new book released last week puts a surprising new ending on a 52-year-old Hannibal story. They began to pray that nothing bad would happen to the boys. I walked outside and the girls were jumping rope. Don't knowingly lie about anyone 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. Then, on May 10, 1967, Joey along with brother Billy Hoag and friend Craig Dowell mysteriously disappeared, presumably somewhere under Hannibal in the labyrinthine cave system. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. 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 first was, Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters. Another says it was a teacher. Searching for the missing, identifying those with no name.Missing and Unidentified Persons Cases, Moderators:Nut44x4, tatertot, rain, burnsjl2003, Begood, wv171. They regularly picked up lanterns and went down into the dark cave tunnels. My own opinion is youre going to find Billy and Joey. Or had something else happened to them? Two of the psychics told Wingate that "John Wayne Gacy was that mystery man," he 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. However, on May 10, the three went to the same cave again, using the moment Hougs parents were in the store to shop. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. They left anyway while their parents were out. They selected Murphy's Cave, a construction site, descended into the earth and were never seen again. In 2006, construction workers building a new elementary school on Highway 79 found a small cave about 50 feet long. 13 and 14, respectively, when they were last seen in Hannibal, Missouri on the afternoon of May 10, 1967. 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. 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. 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. Later that night, they came home covered in mud and were promptly scolded by their mom. Youre going to have to have proof, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Henderson said. Online condolences may be made and video tribute may be viewed at www.jamesodonnellfuneralhome.com. You can head over to this blog's corresponding YouTube video and let me know in the comments! 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. What would have been the ramifications? The Hoag boys had been punished for exploring it the day prior. He noticed that the boys were dragging a makeshift ladder of boards to lower themselves through the opening inside the cave. Joel Hoag, 13, Billy Hoag, 11, and Edwin Craig Dowell, 14, vanished May 10, 1967. Night, DeDe said. 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. "It was a pretty common thing to do," said Eric Dundon, the Managing Editor of the Hannibal Post- Courier who recently wrote an update on this story. Joel, who was interested in snakes and geology, had been punished the night before for going to the cave without permission. 14, and brothers Joel Hoag, 13, and Billy Hoag, 11 were never found despite month-long search efforts. 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. . Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. I cant tell you for a fact why they did it. "I had no idea this was coming," he said. 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.. Yet there is a mystery on a portion of this roadway that has yet to be solved, a mystery as cold as a brisk Midwest winter. It is a possibility that [serial killer John Wayne Gacy] was traveling through and from Hannibal, Cambeletta said. Elsa Lemp Film To Premiere At Chase 100 Years After Her Untimely Death. On Monday, May 8, 1967, Billy and Joey were exploring the cave when they were spotted by a worker. Craig Dowell and brothers Bill and Joey Hoag disappeared on that May afternoon in 1967. 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. You can find her books on Amazon here: https://a More from Medium in CRIMOPEDIA. They were reportedly in Murphys Cave around 4:35 pm, but gone a few minutes later. He was spotted in many places where children were being searched. He and William were not supposed to leave their yard, but they left anyway while their parents were out. DeDe loved St. Louis Cardinals baseball. In 2010, author Charles Stewart published a book about them, titled A Sorrow of the Heart. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community . If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. Im having a big time still struggling with it. HANNIBAL, Mo. DeDe was born January 15, 1951, in Hannibal, Missouri to Michael T. and Helen V. McCullough Hoag. 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. They even summoned a few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared. -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. But Dowells and the Hoags bodies have never been found. Henderson was 11 at the time and was even questioned by authorities in a room of lawyers. 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 tunnels of Murphys Cave are very complex and winding. He and Billy were close friends. They finally moved from Murphys Cave down where Billy and I had been in. The late, great Roberto Clemente. One source said the last known sighting of the boys was by a teenage girl. Copyright 2010 - 2023 Soul:Ask | Unlock your Mind and Soul. "This is a story that found me.". A plaque and stone monument sits atop the Lovers Leap park overlooking the Mississippi River to honor the memory of the three boys. They owned Hoags Tavern, a popular restaurant along Hannibals Historic Main Street. If they had, what would have happened? 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. It would be quite interesting if you could go down and dig in that hole. It was a Tuesday night when Billy and Joey came back home covered in mud. 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. This was the last time these children were seen alive. These holes. 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? Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. Share with Us. A Memorial Service will be held at 7:30 PM Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Volunteers are still trying to find the remains of the missing boys or at least their belongings. Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. Debra DeDe Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, Missouri, passed away at 5:37 AM Thursday, February 15, 2018 at her home. The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. 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. And unfortunately, its leaning right now toward more of a true crime opportunistic killer than it is a caving.. In 2006, construction crews discovered an entrance to the Murphys Cave system while building a new elementary school along Highway 79. We won't share it with anyone else. . Appears these boys has still not been found.. "Hey Beavis, we need a chick that doesn't suck. He was into astrology and he was more grounded. The last theory is that the boys didnt actually all go missing at once. The world isn't flat, cats didn't knock them off the edges. 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. During the highway construction, sections of the road were being blasted to destroy them and make room for the new road, creating holes. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. Ive been living with that all my life. The young cave dweller told search leaders where they should be looking. All suspicious passageways, narrow cracks and still unexplored tunnels were carefully checked. The search crew clung to it as a probable evidence. 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. Gone, but not forgotten The unknown status of her two boys changed Helen Hoag forever. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Dundon pointed out witnesses who identified the boys as heading toward Murphy's . Or had something else happened to them? I went home and planned on going. He just had that red hair and those blue eyes and those freckles. The case of the Lost Boys of Hannibal has been the subject of at least three books. Despite the workers warning, the boys went back the next with two of their friends. (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 audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. We won't share it with anyone else. There was a serious rebuke. "I've always been skeptical of this stuff," he said. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. Tim took off one way, I took off another way, DeDe said. Where do you think they are?, Henderson, now 56, said. It dropped down and we got in there, thats the way you got in. At the Hoag House there were a variety of emotions. racist or sexually-oriented language. 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 were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. Their family owned Hoag's Tavern, a popular restaurant on Main Street. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. Theyre not sleeping, Im not sleeping till they get home. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. Caves, like many other things in nature, are vast and often largely uncharted. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. Some of the passages they searched were so narrow that one of the more petite searchers, at 98 pounds, could barely squeeze in. Where youre going to find Craig, I dont know. She also didnt know where Tim was. During the highway construction, sections of the road were being blasted to destroy them and make room for the new road, creating holes. 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. In May 1967, the trio left home to explore caves in Hannibal, Missouri. While giving a presentation, he noticed a woman in the audience was crying and visibly upset. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. 2022 by Mary Hallberg, Proudly created with Wix.com. I dont know if it was the first day or the second day, but I was having dreams and everything; about Billy and Joey. The Lost Boys of Hannibal: Missing for 55 years. It was Wednesday, May 10, 1967. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism The first theory is that they ran away, but this isnt very likely. The show is now into its third season, and Cambeletta has also begun working on a documentary film about the case. Joey has brown hair and eyes . Searchers checked the cave but there was no evidence of the trio. The next morning, police, national guards and volunteers organized a mass search for the boys. Local panic quickly brought national attention to the tiny river town in northern Missouri. 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. HANNIBAL Missouri's Route 79 is a beautiful roadway that cuts through the state's eastern hills and tiny, subtle towns. Perhaps his brothers were wandering in the unknown areas underground. 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