Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 05/10/1967
- Missing From:
- Missing From Hannibal, Missouri
- Classification:
- Classification Lost/Injured Missing
- Gender:
- Male
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Age:
- Age 11 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight Unknown
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Red hair, blue eyes. William’s nicknames are Bill and Billy. He has a freckled complexion.
- Details of Disappearance:
- Three boys – William and Joel Hoag, and their friend Edwin “Craig” Dowell – vanished near Hannibal, Missouri. They were last seen around 4:30 p.m. heading to Murphy’s Cave with shovels and a flashlight. They’d been grounded for going to the cave before, but went back anyway while their parents were out.
That same day, a cave-in happened at Murphy’s Cave due to nearby construction. Police thought the boys might have been trapped and buried, but extensive searches found nothing. Years later, another small cave was discovered nearby, but the boys weren’t there either.
Because there’s no evidence of what happened, people wonder if the cave-in was even the cause of their disappearance. There’s no proof for any other explanation, though. A memorial marks the spot near the cave.
William and Joel were from a large family who owned a local restaurant. William was in elementary school and part of a church youth group. The mystery of what happened to the three boys remains unsolved, and a book, “A Sorrow of the Heart,” was written about their disappearance.
- Agency:
- Hannibal Police Department
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 05/10/1967