Justice for Johnny Gosch
America's Human Trafficking Tragedy
THE CASE
June 21, 2010
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children releases a new age progression photograph of Johnny. This is what he may look like at his current age of 40 years old.
June 17, 2010
Noreen Gosch receives a new picture of one of the "perps" that molested Johnny and many other boys. These pictures appeared in a magazine called Piccolo that was published in The Netherlands in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The man has been identified by an anonymous source. If anyone has additional information on "Delta," please contact Noreen at JGoschFoundation@aol.com.
May 6, 2010
Noreen Gosch releases another picture of Johnny that was taken soon after his kidnapping. As you can imagine, he appears to have been drugged, sleep deprived, and is emotionally distraught.
July 13, 2008
Noreen Gosch releases information on one of the suspects involved in Johnny's abduction. The composite sketch on the left is from the 1982 time frame of a man named Tony. According to witnesses, Tony shot Johnny with a taser, picked him up, and put him in the back seat of Emilio's 2-door Mercury car. The sketch on the right shows Tony approximately 10 years after Johnny's kidnapping (1992). He has pock marks on his cheeks from acne. Tony is believed to be linked to at least 4 other kidnappings.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children releases a new age progression photograph of Johnny. This is what he may look like at his current age of 40 years old.
June 17, 2010
Noreen Gosch receives a new picture of one of the "perps" that molested Johnny and many other boys. These pictures appeared in a magazine called Piccolo that was published in The Netherlands in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The man has been identified by an anonymous source. If anyone has additional information on "Delta," please contact Noreen at JGoschFoundation@aol.com.
May 6, 2010
Noreen Gosch releases another picture of Johnny that was taken soon after his kidnapping. As you can imagine, he appears to have been drugged, sleep deprived, and is emotionally distraught.
July 13, 2008
Noreen Gosch releases information on one of the suspects involved in Johnny's abduction. The composite sketch on the left is from the 1982 time frame of a man named Tony. According to witnesses, Tony shot Johnny with a taser, picked him up, and put him in the back seat of Emilio's 2-door Mercury car. The sketch on the right shows Tony approximately 10 years after Johnny's kidnapping (1992). He has pock marks on his cheeks from acne. Tony is believed to be linked to at least 4 other kidnappings.
April 26, 2008
The Justice for Johnny Gosch web site is launched. Johnny was kidnapped in 1982, he returned to see his mother in 1997, Noreen wrote her book "Why Johnny Can't Come Home," in 2000 and launched her web site, but it is never too late for justice to be served. Do you care enough to act? Are you appalled that agents of the CIA are involved and that agents of the FBI covered up these crimes? Remember Thomas Jefferson's words: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
February 14, 2008
Noreen Gosch releases another picture of Johnny bound and gagged. In the background of this photo, a laundry bag is seen with a logo and the words "Camp Caribou." There are 2 known boys camps by this name--one in Maine and one in Canada. This is currently being investigated by The Johnny Gosch Foundation.
The Justice for Johnny Gosch web site is launched. Johnny was kidnapped in 1982, he returned to see his mother in 1997, Noreen wrote her book "Why Johnny Can't Come Home," in 2000 and launched her web site, but it is never too late for justice to be served. Do you care enough to act? Are you appalled that agents of the CIA are involved and that agents of the FBI covered up these crimes? Remember Thomas Jefferson's words: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
February 14, 2008
Noreen Gosch releases another picture of Johnny bound and gagged. In the background of this photo, a laundry bag is seen with a logo and the words "Camp Caribou." There are 2 known boys camps by this name--one in Maine and one in Canada. This is currently being investigated by The Johnny Gosch Foundation.
August 27, 2006
Noreen Gosch begins receiving hundreds of photographs that show Johnny and many other boys bound and gagged. It appears that these pictures of Johnny were taken within the first year or two of his abduction. Some of the pictures show Johnny in the same clothing that he was wearing the day he was kidnapped--Sunday, September 5, 1982.
It is believed that these photos came from the private collection of Lawrence E. King. The photos had been uploaded to a Russian pedophile web site that contained thousands of similar photos of boys.
November 2000
Noreen Gosch publishes the book, "Why Johnny Can't Come Home." In the preface of the book, Noreen writes, "I have chosen to write this book to bring forth the truth for the first time. Sharing with all, who will take the time to read. The Who, How and Why...my son Johnny was kidnapped.
The book's dedication reads, "To my son, Johnny, who has suffered the pain of being kidnapped, abused and tortured. May he know that I tried with all my strength to find him, to solve the case and finally bring the story out before the public. May he know that his family loves him and he is not forgotten. To the countless other kidnapped children may they not give up hope. To the parents of kidnapped and murdered children...May this book give you hope to go on, when the pain is so great and the world looks bleak.
June 2000
The Ted Gunderson report is released. This former FBI Special Agent-in-Charge is an authority on this subject matter. See the link below to view a copy. There are many details about Johnny's case as well as The Franklin Cover-up/Scandal.
The Johnny Gosch Foundation web site is launched. Now millions of people can know the truth about Johnny's case. One of America's most infamous child abduction cases has been an Internet buzz ever since it was launched. Even 18 years after Johnny was taken, flocks of people join the conversation about what really happened.
February 22, 1999
Paul Bonacci is awarded $1,000,000 in a United States District Court judgment against Lawrence E. King, Bonacci's main abuser and former manager of The Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. The ruling judge states, "the plaintiff (Bonacci) was subjected to repeat sexual assault, false imprisonment, infliction of extreme emotional distress, organized and directed satanic rituals, force the plaintiff to 'scavenge' for children to be part of the defendant King's sexual abuse and pornography ring, forced the plaintiff to engage in numerous sexual contacts with the defendant King and others to participate in deviate sexual games and masochistic orgies with other minor children." -Why Johnny Can't Come Home, page 145
Judge Warren K. Urbom deemed Paul Bonacci credible in his testimony about King's organized pedophile and pornography ring and in his forced involvement in Johnny's kidnapping. Yet the FBI did not deem Bonacci a credible witness which they use as an excuse to not investigate.
September 1997
Noreen Gosch gets word that Johnny is safe and living on an Indian reservation. She intends to visit him, ABC's 20/20 film crew beats her to the site and scares Johnny off.
March 1997
Noreen gets an early morning knock on her door--Johnny has finally come home but for a very brief visit. He is all grown up now, and it has been nearly 15 years since his kidnapping. He tells his mother all about his kidnapping and where he was taken and what happened to him and about the people involved. This information causes Noreen to write, "Why Johnny Can't Come Home." Johnny can't come home to stay with his family because of what he knows about the organization that took him and the activities they involved him in. These people rape and prostitute children and commit murder without remorse. And they will stop at nothing to make sure that the truth is not told by first hand witnesses like Johnny. He knows too much about the child pornography and prostitution ring and all of the wealthy businessmen and politicians involved. The police can't protect him and the U.S. Government won't help him. They are all in on it.
January 1993
Noreen is contacted by a young man named Jimmy Gibson who had been a runaway kid that got caught up into the same organized pedophile ring that kidnapped Johnny. Jimmy met with Noreen and gave her details about this ring that offered the sexual services of boys to wealthy and politically connected men. He showed Noreen the "rocking X" brand on his leg that was burned into the boys for the purposes of torture and permanent identification to deter escape. Jimmy and Johnny escaped the from the ring together and found shelter at Jimmy's parent's home for a short time.
When the America's Most Wanted television show found out about Jimmy, they interviewed him for a follow-up special on Johnny's case. For Jimmy's protection, his face was masked during the interview.
November 1992
The America's Most Wanted television show on FOX TV airs a special about The Johnny Gosch kidnapping story despite the FBI's wish to "kill the Gosch story." Why did the FBI not want this special to air? What do they have to hide? Why does the FBI want to protect child kidnappers and rapists? The disgusting cover-up continues and the plot thickens.
May 1992
John W. DeCamp publishes, "The Franklin Cover-up:Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska." Johnny's case is directly related to The Franklin Cover-up. It's all about kidnapping young boys, child pornography, child prostitution, pedophilia and blackmail. Paul Bonacci became Lawrence E. King's (The Franklin Credit Union manager) sex slave at a very young age. Paul was also forced to participate in Johnny's kidnapping when he was around 14 years old. Paul was forced to lure younger boys into the pedophile ring.
March 1991
Paul Bonacci confesses to being forced to participate in Johnny's kidnapping. At the time of Johnny's kidnapping, Paul was a minor (approximately 14 years old) only 2 years older than Johnny. Paul was also a victim of this organized network of pedophiles and was forced to lure young boys into being kidnapped. Although Paul had compelling evidence that he was indeed present during Johnny's kidnapping and had details about the people involved and the places where Johnny was taken, the FBI deemed him not credible and did not follow up on these crucial leads. Obviously, the FBI does not want this case solved and they only work to cover up details of what really happened.
February 11, 1991
Lawrence E. King enters a plea along with his wife Alice rather than stand trial to answer for $41,800,000 is misappropriated funds missing out of the Franklin Credit Union.
July 11, 1990
Gary Caradori, special investigator, hired by the Nebraska state legislature to report on the Franklin Scandal and his son A.J. die in a suspicious plane crash near Aurora, Illinois. A sheriff's deputy on the scene of the plane crash reported recovering pornographic pictures of children with high profile politicians. The FBI collected all of this material and no mention of it has been heard since. Right before his death, Caradori told his wife that he knew what happened to Johnny Gosch. Although the plane crash was a civilian matter, the military took charge of the investigation for unknown reasons.
October 22, 1989
Jacob Wetterling from St. Joseph, Minnesota, is kidnapped at gunpoint. It is suspected that the same pedophile group that kidnapped Johnny, Eugene, and Marc is responsible.
November 4, 1988
The FBI and the IRS raid the Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. Lawrence E. King managed the credit union since 1970. He has powerful political connections and has alleged involvement in money laundering, child prostitution, child molestation, murder and treason.
June 1, 1988
Johnny's case is featured in LIFE magazine.
March 29, 1986
Marc Allen, a 13-year old boy, leaves his Des Moines, Iowa, home to go over to a friend's house but never arrives. It appears that he may have had the same fate as Eugene and Johnny. These 3 kidnappings are approximately 2 years apart.
November 1985
Donna Chapel, a country western and gospel singer, performs a song she calls, "Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore," for Noreen Gosch.
August 12, 1984
Eugene Martin, another paperboy from Des Moines, is kidnapped. This kidnapping follows the same pattern as when Johnny was kidnapped. Noreen received information prior to Eugene's kidnapping that it was to occur, but the local police did nothing. They called her crazy, but now another innocent child has been taken.
July 1984
The Johnny Gosch bill is signed into law in Iowa. Now police are required to immediately begin an investigation when a child goes missing. Other states soon followed this ground breaking child protection model.
Noreen is contacted by ABC's 20/20 television show to begin working on a special to present Johnny's story. The story gets filmed only to be shelved and never aired on TV.
June 13, 1984
In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan, declares The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children open to serve as a national resource center for a growing problem.
December 1983
Noreen testifies before the Justice Department at Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas. She meets John Walsh for the second time. Walsh's son Adam was murdered about 1 year before Johnny's kidnapping.
June 1983
The HBO Channel special called "Missing" airs. The special re-enacts Johnny's kidnapping and highlights the national epidemic of missing and abused children. It features interviews with Johnny's parents and other key figures in the case.
March 1983
Noreen is contacted by Paul Bishop, a man who claims to be working as a CIA asset investigating the possibility of rouge agents. Paul was investigating an international organization responsible for the kidnapping, murder and exploitation of children--also known as "The Finders."
Paul gave Noreen a lot of useful information in her quest for the truth about what happened to Johnny. This information was verified by several other sources as the years marched on.
November 12, 1982
(Johnny's 13th Birthday)
The first meeting of The Johnny Gosch Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding Johnny and changing the broken justice system, is held. This is an era long before Amber Alerts and proactive involvement by local and federal law enforcement in cases involving the disappearance of children.
Noreen creates a program to educate parents and children called "In Defense of Children." She travels around the country giving speeches and appearing talk shows and news programs to inform the public about Johnny's case and to warn of the danger of pedophiles and the degree to which they are organized and preying upon children.
November 1982
A private investigator working for Noreen infiltrates a child auction in Houston, Texas, to offer up to $50,000 (the going rate for a blond, blue eyed boy) to buy Johnny back. Johnny was not among the children offered for sale. Ted Gunderson, retired FBI special agent-in-charge states that Las Vegas, Nevada, and Toronto, Canada are among other locations that these child auctions are known to take place.
September 19, 1982
(approximately 2 weeks after the kidnapping)
Michael Aquino travels to Charlie Kerr's farm near Sioux City, Iowa, and purchases Johnny for $35,000. Aquino takes Johnny to a ranch near Buena Vista, Colorado, where Johnny begins a program of torture, mind control and prostitution.
September 5, 1982
On this Sunday morning, Johnny, age 12, sets out alone to deliver newspapers on his route; his father usually helped with the Sunday papers. When Noreen, Johnny's mother, received numerous phone calls later that morning from folks who did not receive their newspapers, she knew something was very wrong. Two blocks from Johnny's house, his newspaper wagon was found abandoned; the faithful family pet, a dachshund named Gretchen was standing nearby at 42nd Street and Marcourt Lane--the scene of the crime. Johnny would never see his dog again. And it would be nearly 15 years later before Noreen would see her son again for a brief visit early in the morning.
Johnny was gone in the blink of an eye. Although several witnesses saw the suspect's vehicle drive away and even got a tag number, the local police did not follow up on a single lead and labeled Johnny a runaway. The local police refused to call in the FBI for assistance. And the FBI stated, "we have no crime." Obviously, there was a cover up from the beginning. The wheels were in motion even before Johnny was taken to ensure that the kidnappers got away with their crime successfully. The local police and the FBI were charged with running interference.
It is later found out that Johnny was immediately driven to a farm near Sioux City, Iowa (approximately 3 hours away and 194 miles from Des Moines). He was tied up and held there for approximately 2 weeks where he was drugged, molested and photographed repeatedly.
August 1982
Johnny Gosch is photographed near his home. These photos are shown to the kidnappers in a local motel the night before the abduction is to take place. Johnny fits the look that the customer is wants. The opportunity also fits--a lone paperboy out in the early morning hours where few if any witnesses would be present.
November 1974
Johnny turns 5 years old. He is a sweet, well mannered, and loving little boy.
November 12, 1969
John "Johnny" David Gosch is born. Johnny is the youngest of 3 children born to Noreen and John Leonard Gosch.
Noreen Gosch begins receiving hundreds of photographs that show Johnny and many other boys bound and gagged. It appears that these pictures of Johnny were taken within the first year or two of his abduction. Some of the pictures show Johnny in the same clothing that he was wearing the day he was kidnapped--Sunday, September 5, 1982.
It is believed that these photos came from the private collection of Lawrence E. King. The photos had been uploaded to a Russian pedophile web site that contained thousands of similar photos of boys.
November 2000
Noreen Gosch publishes the book, "Why Johnny Can't Come Home." In the preface of the book, Noreen writes, "I have chosen to write this book to bring forth the truth for the first time. Sharing with all, who will take the time to read. The Who, How and Why...my son Johnny was kidnapped.
The book's dedication reads, "To my son, Johnny, who has suffered the pain of being kidnapped, abused and tortured. May he know that I tried with all my strength to find him, to solve the case and finally bring the story out before the public. May he know that his family loves him and he is not forgotten. To the countless other kidnapped children may they not give up hope. To the parents of kidnapped and murdered children...May this book give you hope to go on, when the pain is so great and the world looks bleak.June 2000
The Ted Gunderson report is released. This former FBI Special Agent-in-Charge is an authority on this subject matter. See the link below to view a copy. There are many details about Johnny's case as well as The Franklin Cover-up/Scandal.
THE TED GUNDERSON REPORTAugust 2000
The Johnny Gosch Foundation web site is launched. Now millions of people can know the truth about Johnny's case. One of America's most infamous child abduction cases has been an Internet buzz ever since it was launched. Even 18 years after Johnny was taken, flocks of people join the conversation about what really happened.
THE JOHNNY GOSCH FOUNDATION
February 22, 1999
Paul Bonacci is awarded $1,000,000 in a United States District Court judgment against Lawrence E. King, Bonacci's main abuser and former manager of The Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. The ruling judge states, "the plaintiff (Bonacci) was subjected to repeat sexual assault, false imprisonment, infliction of extreme emotional distress, organized and directed satanic rituals, force the plaintiff to 'scavenge' for children to be part of the defendant King's sexual abuse and pornography ring, forced the plaintiff to engage in numerous sexual contacts with the defendant King and others to participate in deviate sexual games and masochistic orgies with other minor children." -Why Johnny Can't Come Home, page 145
Judge Warren K. Urbom deemed Paul Bonacci credible in his testimony about King's organized pedophile and pornography ring and in his forced involvement in Johnny's kidnapping. Yet the FBI did not deem Bonacci a credible witness which they use as an excuse to not investigate.
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION
September 1997
Noreen Gosch gets word that Johnny is safe and living on an Indian reservation. She intends to visit him, ABC's 20/20 film crew beats her to the site and scares Johnny off.
March 1997
Noreen gets an early morning knock on her door--Johnny has finally come home but for a very brief visit. He is all grown up now, and it has been nearly 15 years since his kidnapping. He tells his mother all about his kidnapping and where he was taken and what happened to him and about the people involved. This information causes Noreen to write, "Why Johnny Can't Come Home." Johnny can't come home to stay with his family because of what he knows about the organization that took him and the activities they involved him in. These people rape and prostitute children and commit murder without remorse. And they will stop at nothing to make sure that the truth is not told by first hand witnesses like Johnny. He knows too much about the child pornography and prostitution ring and all of the wealthy businessmen and politicians involved. The police can't protect him and the U.S. Government won't help him. They are all in on it.
January 1993
Noreen is contacted by a young man named Jimmy Gibson who had been a runaway kid that got caught up into the same organized pedophile ring that kidnapped Johnny. Jimmy met with Noreen and gave her details about this ring that offered the sexual services of boys to wealthy and politically connected men. He showed Noreen the "rocking X" brand on his leg that was burned into the boys for the purposes of torture and permanent identification to deter escape. Jimmy and Johnny escaped the from the ring together and found shelter at Jimmy's parent's home for a short time.
When the America's Most Wanted television show found out about Jimmy, they interviewed him for a follow-up special on Johnny's case. For Jimmy's protection, his face was masked during the interview.
November 1992
The America's Most Wanted television show on FOX TV airs a special about The Johnny Gosch kidnapping story despite the FBI's wish to "kill the Gosch story." Why did the FBI not want this special to air? What do they have to hide? Why does the FBI want to protect child kidnappers and rapists? The disgusting cover-up continues and the plot thickens.
May 1992
John W. DeCamp publishes, "The Franklin Cover-up:Child Abuse, Satanism, and Murder in Nebraska." Johnny's case is directly related to The Franklin Cover-up. It's all about kidnapping young boys, child pornography, child prostitution, pedophilia and blackmail. Paul Bonacci became Lawrence E. King's (The Franklin Credit Union manager) sex slave at a very young age. Paul was also forced to participate in Johnny's kidnapping when he was around 14 years old. Paul was forced to lure younger boys into the pedophile ring.
Click above for an on-line PDF version
March 1991
Paul Bonacci confesses to being forced to participate in Johnny's kidnapping. At the time of Johnny's kidnapping, Paul was a minor (approximately 14 years old) only 2 years older than Johnny. Paul was also a victim of this organized network of pedophiles and was forced to lure young boys into being kidnapped. Although Paul had compelling evidence that he was indeed present during Johnny's kidnapping and had details about the people involved and the places where Johnny was taken, the FBI deemed him not credible and did not follow up on these crucial leads. Obviously, the FBI does not want this case solved and they only work to cover up details of what really happened.
Paul Bonacci in front of the house where Johnny was taken to near Buena Vista, Colorado
February 11, 1991
Lawrence E. King enters a plea along with his wife Alice rather than stand trial to answer for $41,800,000 is misappropriated funds missing out of the Franklin Credit Union.
Lawrence E. King
July 11, 1990
Gary Caradori, special investigator, hired by the Nebraska state legislature to report on the Franklin Scandal and his son A.J. die in a suspicious plane crash near Aurora, Illinois. A sheriff's deputy on the scene of the plane crash reported recovering pornographic pictures of children with high profile politicians. The FBI collected all of this material and no mention of it has been heard since. Right before his death, Caradori told his wife that he knew what happened to Johnny Gosch. Although the plane crash was a civilian matter, the military took charge of the investigation for unknown reasons.
Gary Caradori
October 22, 1989
Jacob Wetterling from St. Joseph, Minnesota, is kidnapped at gunpoint. It is suspected that the same pedophile group that kidnapped Johnny, Eugene, and Marc is responsible.
Jacob Erwin Wetterling
November 4, 1988
The FBI and the IRS raid the Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. Lawrence E. King managed the credit union since 1970. He has powerful political connections and has alleged involvement in money laundering, child prostitution, child molestation, murder and treason.
June 1, 1988
Johnny's case is featured in LIFE magazine.
March 29, 1986
Marc Allen, a 13-year old boy, leaves his Des Moines, Iowa, home to go over to a friend's house but never arrives. It appears that he may have had the same fate as Eugene and Johnny. These 3 kidnappings are approximately 2 years apart.
Marc James Allen
November 1985
Donna Chapel, a country western and gospel singer, performs a song she calls, "Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore," for Noreen Gosch.
Donna Chapel
August 12, 1984
Eugene Martin, another paperboy from Des Moines, is kidnapped. This kidnapping follows the same pattern as when Johnny was kidnapped. Noreen received information prior to Eugene's kidnapping that it was to occur, but the local police did nothing. They called her crazy, but now another innocent child has been taken.
Eugene Wade Martin
July 1984
The Johnny Gosch bill is signed into law in Iowa. Now police are required to immediately begin an investigation when a child goes missing. Other states soon followed this ground breaking child protection model.
Noreen is contacted by ABC's 20/20 television show to begin working on a special to present Johnny's story. The story gets filmed only to be shelved and never aired on TV.
June 13, 1984
In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan, declares The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children open to serve as a national resource center for a growing problem.
December 1983
Noreen testifies before the Justice Department at Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas. She meets John Walsh for the second time. Walsh's son Adam was murdered about 1 year before Johnny's kidnapping.
June 1983
The HBO Channel special called "Missing" airs. The special re-enacts Johnny's kidnapping and highlights the national epidemic of missing and abused children. It features interviews with Johnny's parents and other key figures in the case.
March 1983
Noreen is contacted by Paul Bishop, a man who claims to be working as a CIA asset investigating the possibility of rouge agents. Paul was investigating an international organization responsible for the kidnapping, murder and exploitation of children--also known as "The Finders."
Paul gave Noreen a lot of useful information in her quest for the truth about what happened to Johnny. This information was verified by several other sources as the years marched on.
November 12, 1982
(Johnny's 13th Birthday)
The first meeting of The Johnny Gosch Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding Johnny and changing the broken justice system, is held. This is an era long before Amber Alerts and proactive involvement by local and federal law enforcement in cases involving the disappearance of children.
Noreen creates a program to educate parents and children called "In Defense of Children." She travels around the country giving speeches and appearing talk shows and news programs to inform the public about Johnny's case and to warn of the danger of pedophiles and the degree to which they are organized and preying upon children.
November 1982
A private investigator working for Noreen infiltrates a child auction in Houston, Texas, to offer up to $50,000 (the going rate for a blond, blue eyed boy) to buy Johnny back. Johnny was not among the children offered for sale. Ted Gunderson, retired FBI special agent-in-charge states that Las Vegas, Nevada, and Toronto, Canada are among other locations that these child auctions are known to take place.
September 19, 1982
(approximately 2 weeks after the kidnapping)
Michael Aquino travels to Charlie Kerr's farm near Sioux City, Iowa, and purchases Johnny for $35,000. Aquino takes Johnny to a ranch near Buena Vista, Colorado, where Johnny begins a program of torture, mind control and prostitution.
Michael Aquino
September 5, 1982
On this Sunday morning, Johnny, age 12, sets out alone to deliver newspapers on his route; his father usually helped with the Sunday papers. When Noreen, Johnny's mother, received numerous phone calls later that morning from folks who did not receive their newspapers, she knew something was very wrong. Two blocks from Johnny's house, his newspaper wagon was found abandoned; the faithful family pet, a dachshund named Gretchen was standing nearby at 42nd Street and Marcourt Lane--the scene of the crime. Johnny would never see his dog again. And it would be nearly 15 years later before Noreen would see her son again for a brief visit early in the morning.
Johnny with his Des Moines Register newspaper bag
Johnny was gone in the blink of an eye. Although several witnesses saw the suspect's vehicle drive away and even got a tag number, the local police did not follow up on a single lead and labeled Johnny a runaway. The local police refused to call in the FBI for assistance. And the FBI stated, "we have no crime." Obviously, there was a cover up from the beginning. The wheels were in motion even before Johnny was taken to ensure that the kidnappers got away with their crime successfully. The local police and the FBI were charged with running interference.
Johnny's newspaper bag that was left behind
It is later found out that Johnny was immediately driven to a farm near Sioux City, Iowa (approximately 3 hours away and 194 miles from Des Moines). He was tied up and held there for approximately 2 weeks where he was drugged, molested and photographed repeatedly.
August 1982
Johnny Gosch is photographed near his home. These photos are shown to the kidnappers in a local motel the night before the abduction is to take place. Johnny fits the look that the customer is wants. The opportunity also fits--a lone paperboy out in the early morning hours where few if any witnesses would be present.
November 1974
Johnny turns 5 years old. He is a sweet, well mannered, and loving little boy.
November 12, 1969
John "Johnny" David Gosch is born. Johnny is the youngest of 3 children born to Noreen and John Leonard Gosch.
