Missing Paperboys /// Chapter 1 /// Johnny Gosch

This episode of True Crime Garage dives into the chilling case of 12-year-old Johnny Gosch, a Des Moines Register paper boy who vanished on September 5, 1982, during a routine Sunday delivery. The episode meticulously reconstructs the timeline of his disappearance, highlighting the eerie parallels with the later disappearance of Danny Joe Eberle in Nebraska just a year later. Johnny was last seen near a paper drop-off point in West Des Moines, walking with his dog Gretchen and pulling his red wagon full of newspapers. Witnesses reported seeing him speak with a man in a blue two-tone car asking for directions, and a silver Ford Fairmont was also spotted speeding away. His wagon was later found abandoned with newspapers still inside—evidence that he was interrupted mid-route. Despite massive searches involving local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI and early Mindhunter Robert Ressler, no physical evidence or suspects emerged. The case became a catalyst for national change, inspiring the Missing Children's Act, the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the first use of milk carton posters for missing children. Johnny’s mother, Noreen Gosch, became a tireless advocate, founding the Johnny Gosch Foundation and pushing for immediate police response to missing children, ultimately changing laws across multiple states.