Where do you think they are?, Henderson, now 56, said. As a result, only one probable trace of the boys was found a baby sock lying near the entrance to the cave. The memory of this strange disappearance of these three boys is still commented on in Hannibal. You really dont ever get over it. 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 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. The three boys' cases remain unsolved. When they werent home by 5:45, their brother Tim started looking for them. 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. A flashlight and shovel were later found to be missing from the Hoag home. He said all three women identified some of the same key locations in connection with Gacy and the missing boys. We hollered, we yelled.. DeDe retired after working many years in retail sales as a manager. A Memorial Service will be held at 7:30 PM Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. "But I decided just to lay it out and let people decide for themselves" if there's any merit to the story. In 2006, construction workers building a new elementary school on Highway 79 found a small cave about 50 feet long. They took shovels, lanterns and other necessary things. 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. High 59F. - The hometown of one of America's most enduring and beloved authors is also the site of a decades-old mystery. Perhaps his brothers were wandering in the unknown areas underground. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Joey and Billy came home from school, they were there in the house, and Joey went through the hallway. The other two were written by John Wingate, a childhood friend of the boys. While giving a presentation, he noticed a woman in the audience was crying and visibly upset. The first was, Podcasters Franki Cambeletta and Chris Koetters. Scroll to continue reading. I really have a hard time dealing with it. 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. 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! Night, DeDe said. Because of the circumstances, authorities theorized the three boys were trapped inside the cave when it collapsed and weren't able to get out. Nonetheless, this tight-knit community . Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Before Mom left, she hollered at Tim. The boys' disappearance triggered a massive search. For Billy and Joey Hoag, it was more than perfect because they had plans after school to go and do what they did best, exploring. More than likely they were buried. Billy Hoag (10), Joey Hoag (13) and Craig Dowell (14). A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. You think theyre going to close down that highway to build on a speculation? 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. 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.". "But now this whole situation has rewritten that history and changed the ending from missing' to murder.' HANNIBAL, Mo. Appears these boys has still not been found.. "Hey Beavis, we need a chick that doesn't suck. But Dowells and the Hoags bodies have never been found. Where youre going to find Craig, I dont know. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. Or I havent, totally. Franki Cambeletta Talks About Hannibal's Unsolved Mystery From 1967. No. Visitation will be from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. But these searches, just like the ones in the caves, didnt lead to much. From here, some of the details become fuzzy. So what do you think of this case? Where are you going, DeDe asked Billy. Did the boys die inside the sprawling underground Murphy's Cave where they were reportedly seen heading? Concerned citizens suggested authorities even search the various islands dotting the Mississippi River. (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). 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. It is very possible that we could become closer than any other individual has, in league with the Hoag family, to find out what happened to these boys. Im having a big time still struggling with it. What would have been the ramifications? The three boys' cases remain unsolved. 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. 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.. There's no evidence to support any other theories, however. Joey has brown hair and eyes . They were so adventurous, remembers DeDe Hoag, the boys older sister. She enjoyed being around water. The show is now into its third season, and Cambeletta has also begun working on a documentary film about the case. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. "We went up to the rock quarry on riverside, and we would bring black snakes home, and you know, our playground was Lovers Leap," DeDe Hoag . or anything. Brother Bill Dexheimer will officiate. Partial to books, stationery, papercrafts and walking. Adjacent to the deep muddy waters, its the perfect route for the countrys Great River Road. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. What I dont even get is why he was even with them. Just outside, Billy replied. 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. Or were they met with a sinister fate?" The worker told them to get out because it was dangerous, but no known precautions were taken after that to keep other explorers away. Dont leave the yard, she told him. Craig disappeared with two other boys, the Hoag brothers Joel and William. accounts, the history behind an article. The boys have never been heard from again. Last updated June 3, 2012; details of disappearance updated. Joel and Craig were both eighth-graders at Hannibal Junior High at the time of their disappearances. We won't share it with anyone else. In 2015, Hannibal Police Department Lieutenant John Zerbonia said case would stay open, but there probably wouldnt be any more searches. Henderson found it odd that Billy wasnt there. 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. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. That evening, their parents forbade them from going back. HANNIBAL, Mo. Im doing that and I get ready to go and I dont even get 50 feet from the house. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Visitation will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the James O'Donnell Funeral Home. Again. It was also around that time that another friend of the Hoag brothers stopped by their house to see if they were home. It was searched by police but, again, no trace of the boys was found. They owned Hoags Tavern, a popular restaurant along Hannibals Historic Main Street. Hannibals south side sits at the base of many high hills and within those hills are caves, many, many caves connected in one way or another. They finally moved from Murphys Cave down where Billy and I had been in. DeDe was born January 15, 1951, in Hannibal, Missouri to Michael T. and Helen V. McCullough Hoag. Searching As it turned out another neighborhood boy was missing too. HANNIBAL, Mo. Dundon pointed out witnesses who identified the boys as heading toward Murphy's . At 3pm, they were spotted by a casual passer-by walking to the entrance of Murphys Cave. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Nearly 55 years ago, two young brothers and their friend gathered. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. 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. He and William were not supposed to leave their yard, but they left anyway while their parents were out. We'd love to hear eyewitness 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. This was the latest reported sighting of the boys; after 5:15, all traces of them were lost. 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