Johnny Gosch | |
|---|---|
 Gosch in September 1981 with his newspaper carrier bag over his shoulder | |
| Born | John David Gosch November 12, 1969 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Disappeared | September 5, 1982 (aged 12) 42nd Street & Marcourt Lane, West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 41 years, 11 months and 2 days |
| Nationality | American |
| Parent(s) | Noreen Gosch (mother) John Gosch (father) |
John David Gosch (November 12, 1969 – disappeared September 5, 1982) was a paperboy in West Des Moines, Iowa, who disappeared between 6 and 7 a.m. on September 5, 1982. He is presumed to have been kidnapped. Gosch's picture was among the first to be featured on milk cartons as part of a campaign to find missing children. As of 2024[update], there have been no arrests made and the case is now considered cold, but remains open.
His mother, Noreen Gosch, said that Johnny escaped from his captors and visited her with an unidentified man in 1997. She said that her son told her that he had been the victim of a pedophile organization and had been cast aside when he was too old[1] but subsequently feared for his life and lived under an assumed identity, feeling it was not safe to return home.
Gosch's father, John, divorced from Noreen since 1993, has publicly stated that he is not sure whether such a visit actually occurred. Many have also speculated that the visit did occur, but it was someone else pretending to be Johnny.[2] Authorities have not located Gosch or confirmed Noreen Gosch's account, and his fate continues to be the subject of speculation, conspiracy theories, and dispute.
The case received renewed publicity in 2006 when his mother said she had found photographs on her doorstep depicting Gosch in captivity. Some of the photos received were said to be children from a case in Florida, but one boy in the photos was never identified. Noreen Gosch insists that boy is Johnny.[3]
- ^ Finney, Daniel P. (May 8, 2013). "Cleveland case lifts hopes of Iowa mother, other parents". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ "Gosch case resurfaces". Globe Gazette. Associated Press. September 12, 2006. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ The Johnny Gosch Foundation Archived October 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at www.johnnygosch.com