S03E04: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JOHNNY GOSCH (PART I)

*Trigger Warning- This case involves discussions surrounding child sex abuse and child sex-trafficking that may be triggering for some listeners. Please use discretion when listening to this episode*

In this two-part episode, we discuss the disappearance of Johnny Gosch- a 12-year-old paperboy from West Des Moines, Iowa who was abducted during his routine paper route in the early morning hours of September 5, 1982.

For forty years, this case has perplexed the public due to the lack of police response early on in the investigation, the many possible sightings of Johnny and the shocking revelations that unfold over the years.

In 1989, a man in prison comes forward claiming to know what happened to Johnny because he was involved in the kidnapping. Not only that, but he claims that he was a victim of the same group of people and even suffered a similar fate at the hands of an alleged dark, twisted and intricate child sex trafficking ring.

This case is so dark, twisted, shocking and unbelievable you have to hear it to believe it!

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Music (pre-theme) by LiteSaturation on Pixabay.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

The Mile Higher Podcast- "The Disappearance of Johnny Gosch: Is He Still Out There Today?":
https://youtu.be/rKWLEfac9zE

"Where Is Johnny Gosch?// Massive Cover Up?// True Crime Mystery (Including clips of "America's Most Wanted" episode featuring Paul Bonacci):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iagFTIJnBFQ&t

"An Iowa kidnapping that helped changed the nation"- The Des Moines Register:
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2017/09/04/johnny-gosch-kidnapping-west-des-moines-child-abduction-responses/595639001/

LA Times (Archives): "Body Is Found; Lost Paperboy Case Reopened":
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-05-mn-1010-story.html

United Press International (Archives): "Two Years and Still No Trace of Johnny Gosch":
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/09/03/Two-years-and-still-no-trace-of-Johnny-Gosch/2986463032000/

United Press International (Archives): "John and Noreen Gosch Displayed the Message Written On...":
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/10/John-and-Noreen-Gosch-displayed-the-message-written-on/8102489816000/

"Probe Over Boys' Photos Continues"(KCCI Des Moines):
https://web.archive.org/web/20070312095923/http://www.kcci.com/news/9849752/detail.html

Interview with Noreen Gosch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

"Who Took Johnny" (2014; Documentary available on Amazon Prime):

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