and our You can head over to this blog's corresponding YouTube video and let me know in the comments! Last updated June 3, 2012; details of disappearance updated. They left anyway while their parents were out. A memorial marker for the boys has been placed in the vicinity of the cave. In December, Herald-Whig Staff Writer Edward Husar spoke to author John Wingate, who wrote "Lost Boys of. Joel Wise Hoag was born on July 25, 1954 to mom Helen and dad Mike. Then, searchers began looking around the surrounding forests, abandoned houses and old mines. "I've always been skeptical of this stuff," he said. What I dont even get is why he was even with them. Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters have done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it. Be Proactive. 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. But Dowells and the Hoags bodies have never been found. The boys' disappearance triggered a massive search. The search crew clung to it as a probable evidence. 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. Yet another says they were last spotted on top of a cliff called Lovers Leap by a janitor at their school. Ive been living with that all my life. The young cave dweller told search leaders where they should be looking. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. On May 9, 1967, the three children headed to Murphys Cave. The Hoag brothers were missing. He says he has lived all over the world and calls Quincy home, though he resides in Hannibal now. Tim came back after doing a quick cave search of his own. 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. We won't share it with anyone else. Their family owned Hoag's Tavern, a popular restaurant on Main Street. It would be quite interesting if you could go down and dig in that hole. . All suspicious passageways, narrow cracks and still unexplored tunnels were carefully checked. Craig Dowell, he was an acquaintance, Henderson said. Joel and Craig were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. Wingate said if Gacy were to go visit his mother, "driving from Waterloo to Little Rock, he would take Highway 61, which takes you right through Hannibal.". "In all three cases, we'd find ourselves standing at the same location on three different days," he said. Being restricted to the yard was the boys punishment. About two years later, he was joined by younger brother William Francis. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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? What would have been the ramifications? There was also a strange message about a man in a black cloak who was not recognized as a city resident, police officer or anyone else. I dont think he wanted to find them. Wingate said his first encounter with one of the psychics came last spring while he was doing a book signing at the Mark Twain Museum in Hannibal for "Lost Boys." When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. No. Within a few days, the boys still hadnt been found and people started to wonder if they really were in the cave. 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. Lost Boys of Hannibal Shift Films True Crime 4.8 340 Ratings JAN 9, 2023 S4 Episode 4: That man Karras. 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. racist or sexually-oriented language. Were they trapped underground by a cave-in? During the highway construction, sections of the road were being blasted to destroy them and make room for the new road, creating holes. The belief is they went into a cave to explore. 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. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. A flashlight and shovel were later found to be missing from the Hoag home. People came pouring in to look for them, DeDe said. In 2006, construction crews discovered an entrance to the Murphys Cave system while building a new elementary school along Highway 79. The first was, Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters. Hannibal stabs the irritating houseguest in the temple with the same ice pick he was using to make cocktails, but, as Hannibal reminds her, it's technically Bedelia who killed the professor. They said they were going to explore Murphys Cave a local spot near a road construction site. We won't share it with anyone else. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. A writer and author of crime thrillers living in the UK. Tim (DeDes younger brother by one year) was getting off the bus. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Greg Henderson, the boys 11-year-old friend who barely missed the cave trip that day, thinks there might have been corruption. 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. The boys were last seen on the south side of Hannibal, Missouri between 4:20 and 5:00 p.m. Or had something else happened to them? I dont think they felt like doing it.. He and William were not supposed to leave their yard, but they left anyway while their parents were out. Times just go on and on and on, and you pray, you try to get an answer. Extensive search-and-rescue efforts turned up no sign of any of them, however. Where youre going to find Craig, I dont know. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Local 17 year old helps in City SCs debut win, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues, KC Chiefs honored by Pro Football Hall of Fame, Back-to-back jacks from Goldynado in Cardinals win, Comedian Kevin James is coming to Stifel Theatre, TOOTSIE the comedy musical coming to the Fox Theatre, Brewsday Tuesday: Saint Louis Hop Shop -find good, Troy Family Dental in Illinois addresses periodontal, The cure for foundation leaks from Woods Basement, There is a surgery-free option for E.D. A new book released last week puts a surprising new ending on a 52-year-old Hannibal story. So what do you think of this case? The three Hannibal boys were particularly curious about the caves. 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. They were carrying shovels and a flashlight, and said they were going to explore Murphy's Cave, near the Highway 79 construction project. 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. Psychics and clairvoyants of the day reached out with claims the boys were locked in a train car with oranges. There was a massive search for the kids that drew national attention, but ultimately, they've never been found. There wasnt much evidence I could find that they would want to do this, and they all had plans for that evening that they never showed up for. 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. "They had been seen darting down into those caves on May 8 and May 9," Wingate said. He just had that red hair and those blue eyes and those freckles. One particular area the boys loved was Murphys Cave. 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. 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. 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.. He and Billy were close friends. 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. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. 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. That day, the construction work resulted in a cave-in at Murphys Cave. He and Joel were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. Partly cloudy skies. Privacy Policy. "I had no idea this was coming," he said. In May 1967, the trio left home to explore caves in Hannibal, Missouri. After a long search, the conclusion was reached however no one is for certain that the boys were exploring and the walls of the cave collapsed and trapped them. They even summoned a few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared. Joel and William had been punished the night before for going to the cave without permission, and they weren't supposed to leave their yard. "But now this whole situation has rewritten that history and changed the ending from missing' to murder.' 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. The preliminary search was called off 10 days later, though another source said, The case of the Lost Boys of Hannibal has been the subject of at least three books. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. (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). Don't Threaten. Hes very certain the boys are buried beneath the southbound lanes of Route 79 just before the Lovers Leap tourist sign. Threats of harming another The anticipated cave exploration would have to wait for another time. The other two were written by John Wingate, a childhood friend of the boys. Every restaurant in town made food for my family and the cavers. 13 and 14, respectively, when they were last seen in Hannibal, Missouri on the afternoon of May 10, 1967. Debra DeDe Hoag, 67, of Hannibal, Missouri, passed away at 5:37 AM Thursday, February 15, 2018 at her home. The tunnels of Murphys Cave are very complex and winding. The podcasters have plans to soon explore some cave openings in new ways. 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. This season will maybe mark the end of the search, Cambeletta said. Done a pretty deep dive into the case and even said they want to solve it about two years,! Somebody stepped forward and sort of said, Hes right, because saw. Few psychics who claimed they could feel the place where the children had disappeared missing from the home! William Francis were particularly curious about the caves going to explore one particular area boys. 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