The tunnels of Murphys Cave are very complex and winding. 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. 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 podcasters have plans to soon explore some cave openings in new ways. Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. 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. Im doing that and I get ready to go and I dont even get 50 feet from the house. Thats all there is to it.. To request a transcript for St. Louis on the Air, You have permission to edit this article. HANNIBAL, Mo. Invalid password or account does not exist. The Lost Boys of Hannibal: Missing for 55 years. They left anyway while their parents were out. So what do you think of this case? If you have any information about this case, you can contact the Hannibal Police Department at 573-221-0987. Listen as the St. Charles-based filmmaker and podcaster discusses his interest in the cold case with host Sarah Fenske. Billy Hoag (10), Joey Hoag (13) and Craig Dowell (14). Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. I went home and planned on going. According to various accounts over the years, they were last seen between 4:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. For more than a week, members of the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and the National Speleological Society searched Murphys Cave and others subterranean systems for any trace of the boys, due to fears they may have been trapped via a cave-in. They were always home by 9 oclock, DeDe said. From here, some of the details become fuzzy. A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. Karras warned the cold environment of Hannibal's cave would lower the body temperatures of the lost boys to dangerous levels if they weren . Every. The boys made plans to go back to the cave after school the following day. A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. I walked outside and the girls were jumping rope. The Hoag boys had been punished for exploring it the day prior. They were planning to . High 59F. 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. at aheuer@stlpr.org. One of the popular south side caves at the time, Murphys Cave, was one of the first places rescuers tried to look. One source said the last known sighting of the boys was by a teenage girl. Details of Disappearance Joel disappeared with his brother, William Hoag, and a friend, Edwin "Craig" Dowell. "I had no idea this was coming," he said. They feared crashes and other disasters. Another says it was a teacher. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. The three boys routinely explored caves in Hannibal's Southside neighborhood. Hes very certain the boys are buried beneath the southbound lanes of Route 79 just before the Lovers Leap tourist sign. What I dont even get is why he was even with them. Spider-Man: Homecoming : Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. Like I just alluded to, 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. A normal day Life in Hannibal was as it is today, relaxed. The families of Joey and Billy Hoag, 13 and 11 years of age, and 14-year Craig Dowell became worried when the boys failed to come home for dinner that evening. He just had that red hair and those blue eyes and those freckles. DeDe was born January 15, 1951, in Hannibal, Missouri to Michael T. and Helen V. McCullough Hoag. In 1967, the cave was close to the construction site of Highway 79. 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. Lets go over some theories and speculation. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. Most of all DeDe cherished the time she shared with her family and friends. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. Billy Hoag, Joel Hoag, and Craig Dowell; Hannibals Lost Boys. (Courtesy: Hannibal Courier-Post). 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Meanwhile at the Hoag House on Fulton Avenue, DeDe was waiting to find out if she had to work. The belief is they went into a cave to explore. Billy and Joey, as they were more commonly called, also had nine other siblings. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. 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. 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. Hart: Hannibal boys' disappearance brought back to life in book. With todays technology, Henderson believes a new search could be conducted, but the chances of that happening are non-existent. Dundon pointed out witnesses who identified the boys as heading toward Murphy's . Then, searchers began looking around the surrounding forests, abandoned houses and old mines. 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. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Debra "DeDe" Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, passed away at 5:37 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at her home. Did they separate and go missing in multiple different ways, in two or even three tragic coincidences? 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. The anticipated cave exploration would have to wait for another time. Appears these boys has still not been found.. "Hey Beavis, we need a chick that doesn't suck. Last updated June 3, 2012; picture and clothing/jewelry description added, details of disappearance updated. Lets talk about The Lost Boys of Hannibal, who havent been seen or heard from in almost 55 years. As it turned out, Gacy was living and working in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1967, while his mother was living in Little Rock, Ark. Billy. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. "Kids aren't supposed to lose their friends." Just outside, Billy replied. Altogether, over 200 cave explorers, both professional experts and amateur enthusiasts, searched through Murphys Cave, mapping it as they went. Wingate said he realizes the psychic-driven theories about Gacy's involvement will sound far-fetched to many people. He eventually showed and couldnt account for his younger brothers, so Helen sent him and DeDe out in the neighborhood to find them. But a parental edict to stay in the yard the afternoon they disappeared wasnt enough to deter the young adventurers. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Hannibal, Missouri is a small town of about 17,000 people that sits along the famous Mississippi River. I dont know if it was the first day or the second day, but I was having dreams and everything; about Billy and Joey. 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. Our house was so full of cave men coming in from out of town. Billy has red hair and blue eyes and a scar under his right arm. According to their sister Deborah, who went by DeDe, Billy was very mischievous while Joey was more serious and interested in science, especially astronomy. The hometown of one of Americas most enduring and beloved authors is also the site of a decades-old mystery. High 59F. Also surviving are one sister-in-law, MaryAnn Hoag; a special friend, Melissa Breeding; seven nieces; 10 nephews; 14 great-nephews;13 great-nieces; and DeDes beloved pet dog, Naomi., DeDe was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sons, James and Jeffrey Mastin; six brothers, Mickey Hoag, Fred Hoag, Tim Hoag, Joey Hoag, Billy Hoag and Robin Hoag; two nephews, Michael J. Hoag and Timmy Hoag; and her special pet dog, Hannibal.. Joey has brown hair and eyes and was last seen wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Craig disappeared with two other boys, the Hoag brothers Joel and William. 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. Just before 6:30 pm, Helen Hoag called the police. What would have been the ramifications? Or had something else happened to them? It was a Tuesday night when Billy and Joey came back home covered in mud. racist or sexually-oriented language. Fifty-four years ago this month, three boys went missing in Hannibal, Missouri, and were never seen again. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. 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!] Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. Im having a big time still struggling with it. "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. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The worker told them to get out because it was dangerous, but no known precautions were taken after that to keep other explorers away. Two of the psychics told Wingate that "John Wayne Gacy was that mystery man," he said. The memory of this strange disappearance of these three boys is still commented on in Hannibal. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. Volunteers are still trying to find the remains of the missing boys or at least their belongings. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. "When this happened it was really devastating," Wingate remembered. 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. 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. But boys will be boys. The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. The preliminary search was called off 10 days later, though another source said the cave would continue to be searched for the next month. racist or sexually-oriented language. Other, similar theories suggest they were trapped in a road cave in, fell into a sinkhole or did actually return to the cave, only to become trapped somewhere where they couldnt be found. DeDe Hoag believes her brothers and Craig Dowell may have gotten trapped in one of these holes and accidentally buried after they were sealed. Missouri's recreational marijuana law is in full effect in area, Continental Cement employees begin strike early Wednesday morning, Hannibal junior Cody Culp places second in state, Quintet of Hannibal wrestlers move on to Saturday at state meet. 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. At 3pm, they were spotted by a casual passer-by walking to the entrance of Murphys Cave. One of these caves is called the Murphys Cave. "The psychics maintain that the three boys were tortured, sodomized, suffocated, strangled and buried in one grave," Wingate said. In 2006, construction crews discovered an entrance to the Murphys Cave system while building a new elementary school along Highway 79. [News Article] (http://www.hannibal.net/article/20120528/NEWS/305289977). About two years later, he was joined by younger brother William Francis. 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