The next morning, police, national guards and volunteers organized a mass search for the boys. Gone, but not forgotten The unknown status of her two boys changed Helen Hoag forever. Night, DeDe said. ". Memorial contributions may be made to Community Loving Care Hospice. You have permission to edit this article. . "In all three cases, we'd find ourselves standing at the same location on three different days," he said. "That was the start of it. They were planning to . Wingate says he was skeptical when he heard from the three female psychics who all sensed a connection between Gacy and the missing Hannibal boys. The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Soul:Ask and may contain 18+ material. 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. 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. 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. Choose wisely! You have permission to edit this article. ***links with asterisks are affiliate links; I earn a commission from each sale. The Hoag brothers and the Dowell boy were last seen by Lynn Strube, 14, of 405 Smith, and John Janes, 13, 1125 Sierra, Wednesday . They were 10-year-old Billy Hoag, his brother 13-year-old Joel Hoag and their friend 14-year-old Craig Dowell. It would be quite interesting if you could go down and dig in that hole. ", 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.". 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.. Craig Dowell and brothers Bill and Joey Hoag disappeared on that May afternoon in 1967. 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. And without exception, all three of them picked the same locations" where the boys were ostensibly killed and buried. Hannigram is the slash ship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter from the Hannibal fandom. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. This season will maybe mark the end of the search, Cambeletta said. 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. Partly cloudy skies. The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. Debra "DeDe" Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, passed away at 5:37 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at her home. But these searches, just like the ones in the caves, didnt lead to much. 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. Theories and rumors emerged in the aftermath of their disappearance, some seeming more likely than others. Partly cloudy skies. For two young explorers and the rest of their south side friends, exploring the caves was something everyone did. BOONE COUNTY - The story of the three lost boys of Hannibal remains a mystery after a cave search ended empty-handed five decades ago. Tim took off one way, I took off another way, DeDe said. Invalid password or account does not exist. A new book released last week puts a surprising new ending on a 52-year-old Hannibal story. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community came together to find the lost boys. Or were they the victims of a notorious serial killer? Then, searchers began looking around the surrounding forests, abandoned houses and old mines. I thought, theyre not eating, Im not eating, she said. He informs Will of Freddie Lounds posting a pic of one of the girls online, which Will calls tasteless. 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. Appears these boys has still not been found.. "Hey Beavis, we need a chick that doesn't suck. DeDe recalls her mother, Helen Hoag, scolding the boys to wash their clothes and stay away from the construction zone they were in. When their parents returned home and asked where they were, DeDe had no idea. The world isn't flat, cats didn't knock them off the edges. 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. 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. No. **Apologies for the formatting and its blocky appearance! Nonetheless, this tight-knit community . Wingate expounds on the Gacy theory in his new book, "Souls Speak: Missing children reveal their serial killer from beyond," which became available Wednesday on Amazon.com. 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. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. "They were last seen up on the road watching the construction on May 10 at about 5:15.". In addition to police, groups like the Mark Twain Emergency Squad and National Speleological Society were brought in to help look for the boys. All new tunnels have been carefully inspected. The boys shared a sense of adventure, much like the heroes of Mark Twains novels Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Keep it Clean. racist or sexually-oriented language. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Franki Cambeletta Talks About Hannibal's Unsolved Mystery From 1967. Transcripts for St. Louis Public Radio produced programming are available upon request for individuals with hearing impairments. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. Debra "DeDe" Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, passed away at 5:37 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at her home. that is degrading to another person. However, on May 10, the three went to the same cave again, using the moment Hougs parents were in the store to shop. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. They were waiting for the moment when the construction workers at the site would go to rest. "Kids aren't supposed to lose their friends." . Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. -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. The show is now into its third season, and Cambeletta has also begun working on a documentary film about the case. 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. Craig Dowell, he was an acquaintance, Henderson said. So they were just really exploratory kids outside enjoying nature.. By June, other searches ended with no clues as to the boys whereabouts. You think theyre going to close down that highway to build on a speculation? Have the latest local news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates. But a parental edict to stay in the yard the afternoon they disappeared wasnt enough to deter the young adventurers. Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. 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. A normal day Life in Hannibal was as it is today, relaxed. The three boys have never been heard from again. As part of his research, Wingate said he drove the psychics separately though parts of the Hannibal area on different dates in August and September of 2018. Each man is nursing a grudge Hannibal for Will trying to capture him; Will for Hannibal . Because of the circumstances, authorities theorized the three boys were trapped inside the cave when it collapsed and weren't able to get out. Joel Hoag, 13, Billy Hoag, 11, and Edwin Craig Dowell, 14, vanished May 10, 1967. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. A plaque and stone monument sits atop the Lovers Leap park overlooking the Mississippi River to honor the memory of the three boys. Henderson found it odd that Billy wasnt there. But, again without result. Ive been to psychiatrists, neurologists, counselors. He and Joel were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. Henderson believes there were some questionable things going on behind the scenes. 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. They said they were going to explore Murphys Cave a local spot near a road construction site. The worker told them to get out because it was dangerous, but no known precautions were taken after that to keep other explorers away. According to another version, the boys may have accidentally entered a completely new tunneling system that other researchers have not noticed. I was 11-years-old and I heard this was happening, Henderson said. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. He says he has lived all over the world and calls Quincy home, though he resides in Hannibal now. 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. There was a serious rebuke. 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. They left anyway while their parents were out. And nowadays, near Hannibal, sometimes new tunnels are found in the local caves, which are caused by expansion, rainfall and other reasons. The weeks and weeks of searching turned up absolutely nothing. It slithers and curves through the land just like the Mighty Mississippi River. He said the mayor at the time was aware the machines used in the search for the three boys could go as deep as 39 feet, but instead the mayor told searchers to not go more than 37 feet. All suspicious passageways, narrow cracks and still unexplored tunnels were carefully checked. Billy Hoag, Joel Hoag, and Craig Dowell; Hannibals Lost Boys. (Courtesy: Hannibal Courier-Post). Use the 'Report' link on 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. In the 1960s, parents strictly forbade their children from even looking at the openings in the ground. Because of the circumstances, authorities theorized the three boys were trapped inside the cave when it collapsed and weren't able to get 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. 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. 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. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Nearly 55 years ago, two young brothers and their friend gathered shovels and flashlights on a spring afternoon to explore a cave in their hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Tim went in there to a certain degree, and once he got in there, there were so many mazes, DeDe said. Craig Dowell lived over on Union Street. The next theory is that the boys were kidnapped and possibly killed. 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. 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