Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. The first was, Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters. Be Nice. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. 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. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. -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. Craig lived on Union Street in 1967. They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it. racist or sexually-oriented language. 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. Karras warned the cold environment of Hannibal's cave would lower the body temperatures of the lost boys to dangerous levels if they weren . With todays technology, Henderson believes a new search could be conducted, but the chances of that happening are non-existent. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. These kids lived up to everything [in Twains books], from caves and from river travels [to] hiking and exploring, St. Charles-based filmmaker Franki Cambeletta, who has spent the last couple of years seeking answers about it all, said Wednesday on St. Louis on the Air. 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. Joel disappeared with his brother, William Hoag, and a friend, Edwin "Craig" Dowell. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Appears these boys has still not been found.. "Hey Beavis, we need a chick that doesn't suck. So they were just really exploratory kids outside enjoying nature.. Joel and Craig were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. TU5XDI92lIM. 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. 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. More than likely they were buried. The worker told them to get out because it was dangerous, but no known precautions were taken after that to keep other explorers away. 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. Invalid password or account does not exist. 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. St. Joey and Billy came home from school, they were there in the house, and Joey went through the hallway. The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. Create a password that only you will remember. One source said the last known sighting of the boys was by a teenage girl. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. Or did someone perhaps spot three young boys traveling alone and see a crime of opportunity? Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates. Privacy Policy. 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. Where do you think they are?, Henderson, now 56, 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. Ive got to have closure we havent found a thing. Over the course of the afternoon, just like the previous days, the boys were spotted with several of their peers. 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 boys' disappearance triggered a massive search. (I did read on a forum that the cave was actually discovered during the construction, but I cant confirm this.). 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. ". Despite the workers warning, the boys went back the next with two of their friends. Lets talk about The Lost Boys of Hannibal, who havent been seen or heard from in almost 55 years. ", Several weeks later, Wingate said, he received a call from a sister of the Hoag brothers who told him she had just visited a psychic in Hannibal who told her: "I can tell you without a doubt the boys were killed by John Wayne Gacy.". 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. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. 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? Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. We had a ladder, homemade ladder we made. This wasn't the first time Gacy's name has come up in connection with the missing youths. Craig Dowell and brothers Bill and Joey Hoag disappeared on that May afternoon in 1967. Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. No human remains have been found during this exploration. All of these cavers came in from Washington, D.C., from California, Virginia, Mississippi. 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. In May 1967, the trio left home to explore caves in Hannibal, Missouri. 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. I dont think a lot of that was made public.. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. In the US state of Missouri, one of the local attractions is a vast network of caves that have thousands of passages, both above and below ground. 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. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. 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. Memorial contributions may be made to Community Loving Care Hospice. (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). Every. They got forensic and all that stuff, they could probably get it solved. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. 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. Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. 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. Partly cloudy skies. The first was A Sorrow of the Heart by Charles Stewart***, published in either 2009 or 2010. 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. 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. William Francis Hoag, Joel Wise Hoag and Edwin Craig Dowell were 11, 13 and 14, respectively, when they were last seen in Hannibal, Missouri on the afternoon of May 10, 1967. Keep it Clean. People came pouring in to look for them, DeDe said. 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. 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