Johnny Gosch: 40 Years Later

[HawkOptimist]

Doesn’t seem possible it’s been 40 years since his disappearance. Eugene Martin, too. Being a young child in Des Moines at the time, I remember how scary it was and how parents were afraid to let their kids out of their sight.

So many unknowns, accusations, and conspiracy theories.

KCCI in Des Moines is doing a week-long special this week about the “then and now’s” of the Gosch case. Didn’t realize his dad is still alive and living in Arizona. His mom lives in NE Iowa.

Both talked about how hard it’s been to live without any answers, and how they’d like closure before they die. They both also said that time has healed some of the hurt and that they’ve been able to move on and enjoy life again, but that they think about Johnny every day.

His mom is convinced he was kidnapped and placed into some sort of child pedo ring.

Have always gotten a sick, eerie feeling in my stomach anytime I hear the names or see the pictures of Gosch or Martin. Thinking back to my elementary days, I can still see their faces on the AE milk cartons.

 

[HROT]

The KCCI specials are weird.

How many times can you rehash nothing new?

 

[HawkOptimist]

The KCCI specials are weird.

How many times can you rehash nothing new?

His mom wrote a book and helped with some documentaries years ago. Some very interesting stuff in those. What’s true and what isn’t is anyone’s guess. I remember one part of her book where she all but accused her husband (Johnny’s dad) of being involved. She said he took a phone call the night before the kidnapping (middle of the night), and said something like “ok” or something to that effect.

 

[SA_Hawk]

His mom wrote a book and helped with some documentaries years ago. Some very interesting stuff in those. What’s true and what isn’t is anyone’s guess. I remember one part of her book where she all but accused her husband (Johnny’s dad) of being involved. She said he took a phone call the night before the kidnapping (middle of the night), and said something like “ok” or something to that effect.

She basically claimed the her husband sold Johnny to the Franklin Credit Union scandal that was going on in Omaha at the time.

Didn't she also say that he came back to visit her on a couple different occasions.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Story is played out barring some new information.

cheap ratings grab to pull fish in.

 

[HROT]

His mom wrote a book and helped with some documentaries years ago. Some very interesting stuff in those. What’s true and what isn’t is anyone’s guess. I remember one part of her book where she all but accused her husband (Johnny’s dad) of being involved. She said he took a phone call the night before the kidnapping (middle of the night), and said something like “ok” or something to that effect.

I think we know she is unfortunately crazy.

 

[HawkOptimist]

I think we know she is unfortunately crazy.

Sadly, I think you’re right. Hard to imagine anyone keeping their sanity after something like that.

One criticism I remember over the years is how poised and calm his parents were initially … and how her makeup and hair were perfect in every TV appearance she had in the days and weeks following the disappearance. Not saying that had anything to do with anything, as everyone is different in how they go about their daily lives … and how they might respond to or handle something like this. I think I remember her saying she did that so Johnny would see his mom the way he remembered her if he were to see her on TV.

 

[HawkOptimist]

She basically claimed the her husband sold Johnny to the Franklin Credit Union scandal that was going on in Omaha at the time.

Didn't she also say that he came back to visit her on a couple different occasions.

Yea, which I find hard to believe. But then again, who knows.

 

[SF HAWKEYE]

I was 9 at the time and two of my best friends in the neighborhood in Mason City had paper routes that I would fill in for them when they were on vacation or do the route with them when we would have sleepovers. We were all scared.

now I live 3 blocks from where they found Johnnys wagon. It’s an eerie feeling walking by.

 

[bhawk24bob]

o/u 200 posts

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

I think we know she is unfortunately crazy.

40 years of heartbreak and lack of closure have definitely driven her crazy. And who can blame her? What a sad, sad deal.

 

[hawkifann]

Doesn’t seem possible it’s been 40 years since his disappearance. Eugene Martin, too. Being a young child in Des Moines at the time, I remember how scary it was and how parents were afraid to let their kids out of their sight.

So many unknowns, accusations, and conspiracy theories.

KCCI in Des Moines is doing a week-long special this week about the “then and now’s” of the Gosch case. Didn’t realize his dad is still alive and living in Arizona. His mom lives in NE Iowa.

Both talked about how hard it’s been to live without any answers, and how they’d like closure before they die. They both also said that time has healed some of the hurt and that they’ve been able to move on and enjoy life again, but that they think about Johnny every day.

His mom is convinced he was kidnapped and placed into some sort of child pedo ring.

Have always gotten a sick, eerie feeling in my stomach anytime I hear the names or see the pictures of Gosch or Martin. Thinking back to my elementary days, I can still see their faces on the AE milk cartons.

Yeah, that had a big impact on me as an 8 yo when Gosch disappeared. I was the classic latchkey kid, walking to/from school everyday and being home until the parents got home from work. I remember all the houses with the blue stars in the window that I was always told were places I could run to if approached. I also remember being really skeptical of commercial vans for a few years. It was definitely something I gave a lot of active thought to, likely because all the adults around me were freaking out about it.

 

[hawkifann]

Sadly, I think you’re right. Hard to imagine anyone keeping their sanity after something like that.

One criticism I remember over the years is how poised and calm his parents were initially … and how her makeup and hair were perfect in every TV appearance she had in the days and weeks following the disappearance. Not saying that had anything to do with anything, as everyone is different in how they go about their daily lives … and how they might respond to or handle something like this. I think I remember her saying she did that so Johnny would see his mom the way he remembered her if he were to see her on TV.

I always found that to be an odd criticism - TV makeup is usually done right before going on, and hair, too, so unless you’re literally crying and tearing at your eyes and hair 24/7, it’s not shocking that they managed to pull sh1t together for 10 min to prep for a TV interview.

 

[HawkMachine]

Parents worst nightmare.

I'd be a walking Joe Biden with all the meds I'd have to take.

 

[SoProudNole]

Parents worst nightmare.

I'd be a walking Joe Biden with all the meds I'd have to take.

 

[Nole Lou]

I always found that to be an odd criticism - TV makeup is usually done right before going on, and hair, too, so unless you’re literally crying and tearing at your eyes and hair 24/7, it’s not shocking that they managed to pull sh1t together for 10 min to prep for a TV interview.

Plus for many women of the time, not getting made up would be like a guy not wearing pants.

Imagine viewers being like...

"Gee dad looks suspicious. So he's so distraught, but he still had the time and wherewithal to put his pants on? All I know is if it was ME, and my son was just KIDNAPPED, I would be in my underwear at the press conference because there's no way I would have the composure to put my pants on. I'm not saying he did it because he is wearing pants...but he definitely did it."

It was such a different time, people weren't broadcasting themselves 24/7 in all states. There were many women that refused just to get a family snapshot not made up. It wasn't a vanity thing, culturally a lot of women were raised like being seen without being made up presentable was like going out in your underwear. This mom is maybe on the tail end of that trend, it was probably more common in her mother's generation, but still such a stupid sexist criticism.

 

[Nole Lou]

I'll also say, while it's probably likely that Johnny did not visit her later like she claimed, I don't think it's impossible. He probably, as in almost all cases, was killed within 48 hours or something.

But I do think there is some chance that he survived and it was him. People are like "Why wouldn't he just come forward at that point? If he was able to get free to visit her, why not just escape completely and go public?"

But the way these predators who create these small networks work, after they abuse the boys, when they get older they use them to lure other boys. They impress their victims into exploiting future victims. I forget how old he was supposed to be when he visited, but by the late teens, he might have in turn been forced to lure, and abuse, a dozen other boys since then.

How can you go public for that? How can you explain why you lured some other mother's 10 year old? No amount of abuse you took or control you were under is going to clean that up. If you had the means to escape, I could totally see a visit to your mother, and then being in the wind rather than having to publicly face the abuse you suffered and might have been a part of. It's totally rational that he might want to stay totally underground.

 

[GOHOX69]

Go to iowacoldcases.org

There's a whacknut on there who posts as Johnny Gosch

 

[GOHOX69]

My brother and I, at that time, had the largest Depressed Citizen paper route in the Iowa City area. Thankfully, unlike the Register, old people might remember the Depressed Citizen actually came out in the afternoon. It didn't publish in the morning except on Saturdays and there was no paper Sunday. Anyways, my poor parents used to walk the route with us after this went down. I feel sad for this kid but it happened again with Eugene. His father fared even worse and died due to having his life shattered. There was a third disappearance in 1986, perhaps unrelated, of a boy named Marc(k) Allen. Des Moines definitely had pedos and it was someones hypothesis that the Register employed a number of them.

 

[90-0]

Think he is still alive?

 

[BondHawk]

I remember all the houses with the blue stars in the window that I was always told were places I could run to if approached.

Seems risky - wouldn't the kidnappers just put a blue star in their window? Like chasing cattle into a corral.

 

[Slappy Pappy]

I always thought of Gosch when I watched the "Bring out the gimp" scene of Pulp Fiction.

 

[gojojo]

Maureen's doo has always been a wig.

 

[JupiterHawk]

 

[hawkifann]

Seems risky - wouldn't the kidnappers just put a blue star in their window? Like chasing cattle into a corral.

That’s exactly where my 8-10 year old brain went….except that a couple of the houses were people we knew pretty well anyway and would have run to regardless.

 

[Parker D]

I was in 2nd grade when he was kidnapped and in 4th grade when Eugene Martin was kidnapped. We didn't think about IF we were going to get taken but WHEN we would be taken. Teachers, etc. scared the crap out of us (which is good), but there were some kids that were constantly worked up about it. Now as a parent, that fear is there again. No idea what would happen to me if one of mine was taken.

 

[lucas80]

My brother and I, at that time, had the largest Depressed Citizen paper route in the Iowa City area. Thankfully, unlike the Register, old people might remember the Depressed Citizen actually came out in the afternoon. It didn't publish in the morning except on Saturdays and there was no paper Sunday. Anyways, my poor parents used to walk the route with us after this went down. I feel sad for this kid but it happened again with Eugene. His father fared even worse and died due to having his life shattered. There was a third disappearance in 1986, perhaps unrelated, of a boy named Marc(k) Allen. Des Moines definitely had pedos and it was someones hypothesis that the Register employed a number of them.

Me too. My mom or dad got up and went with me on the Saturday deliveries after the disappearances.

 

[SiouxCityHawkFan]

She basically claimed the her husband sold Johnny to the Franklin Credit Union scandal that was going on in Omaha at the time.

Didn't she also say that he came back to visit her on a couple different occasions.

Read a book on The Franklin Coverup. Very disturbing to say the least and too may coincidences for some of it to not be true.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Hits home.

 

[SA_Hawk]

Wasn't there a photo that surfaced that showed Johnny and some other missing children at a Geroge Bush campaign rally in like 1984 or so.

 

[hawkifann]

Between Johnny Gosch, Eugene Martin and Robert Stack with “Unsolved Mysteries”, there was a lot for a 10yo to be scared of in the mid-80s.