Noreen Gosch , the Mother receives pictures of her son, Johnny Gosch, 24 years after he was Abducted
The following is an example of when the tragic and bizarre becomes beyond cruel and unusual. 
You may not remember the name Johhny Gosch; however, he was one of the very first missing children to ever be placed on a milk carton in the 1980’s.
Johnny’s disappearance triggered nationwide fears of child abductions. He was one of the first faces of missing or abducted children to appear on milk cartons across the country.
Two photographs were left at the door of Noreen Gosch of her son, Johnny Gosch, who was abducted and has been missing for 24 years. The pictures were of Johnny Grosh, 12, and two other boys who were gaged and had their hands bound.
(NBC5, WMAQ Chicago)
The old photos appear to show 12-year-old Johnny Gosch with his mouth gagged and his hands and feet tied. The boy is wearing the same sweatpants Johnny was wearing when he disappeared while delivering newspapers on the morning of Sept. 5, 1982, his mother said.
For someone to abduct a 12 year old boy is sick. For someone to send a picture of the missing abducted boy some 24 years later to the boy’s mother boards on cruel and twisted vile insanity.
Gosch said investigators confirmed the photos were authentic and likely taken within “hours or days” of the abduction. She said they were checking for fingerprints that could lead them to the source and possibly a breakthrough in a case that has long baffled authorities. The other boys in the photo were unidentified.
Meanwhile, others connected to the case have reported receiving the photographs through anonymous deliveries and the Internet.
Noreen Gosch had believed that her son was taken by child pornographers.
Gosch believes her son was taken by child pornographers. She told authorities he briefly contacted her in 1997 but feared for his life and declined to give details about where he was. She believes his abductors got him involved in crimes, which is why he is hiding his identity.
(CNN)
AGE PROGRESSION, 12 TO 35
In 1984, Gosch’s photograph appeared alongside that of Juanita Rafela Estavez on milk cartons across America; they were the first two abducted children to have their plights publicized in this way.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Poster with age progression.
John David Gosch in Iowa Missing Persons database
Reported pictures of Johnny Gosch under scrutiny
State crime lab to examine possible Gosch photos
Police said today that state crime experts were examining photographs to determine if they are of a newspaper delivery boy who disappeared 24 years ago.
The photos were left Sunday at the front door of Noreen Gosch, the mother of Johnny Gosch, who disappeared on Sept. 5, 1982, while delivering newspapers in West Des Moines.
Lt. Jeff Miller, a spokesman for the West Des Moines Police Department, said the photos were given to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s computer crime task force.
[...] Read the rest of this truly bizarre happening, read the case and see the photos that they mother was sent at Missing & Exploited. Sad that the mother has to relive the case all over again. [...]
Pingback by Scared Monkeys | September 1, 2006
God, seeing this tiny sliver of what those boys endured is a knife cutting into my soul. Having a ten year old son myself deepens the wound. I cannot imagine what it is doing to his mother. I pray that it is Johnny, himself, trying to reach out to his mother. If not him, then someone who is trying to help in identifying the perp(s).
Comment by justinsmama | September 1, 2006
A man named Paul Bonacci publicly confessed, many years ago, to kidnapping and sexually assaulting Johnny Gosch:
http://surrealitytimes.blogspot.com/2006/05/gosch-kidnapping-solved.html
Comment by Roy Harrold | September 1, 2006
Do we know if this confession was real?
Comment by Mrs. Red | September 2, 2006
Mrs R —
I just posted an interesting link and an excerpt that goes into the ‘Paul Bonacci confession’ in the thread for Johnny Gosch.
Comment by sharon | September 2, 2006
There is much to be read regarding the Johnny Gosch case. Noreen Gosch, Johnny’s mother testified on behalf of Paul Bonacci at a federal trial in which Bonacci was suing Laurence King former president of the Franklin Credit Union in Omaha, Nebraska. There is a book called “The Franklin Cover-up.” This book details a child porn/prostitution ring that was/is responsible for the kidnapping of Johnny Gosch. It involves way too much to list here.
It is all very interesting reading. Noreen Gosch has a website http://www.johnnygosch.com where you can read more on the case and both of the pictures she most recently received are posted there. The one of Johnny by himself is quite chilling and the person who sent them has circled a brand on Johnny’s arm that signifies the group that plotted and carried out the kidnapping. Another Des Moines boy was kidnapped 2 years later by the same group. Jacob Wetterling in my home state of MN probally was taken by the same group also. Paul Bonacci was a victim himself and was awarded a million dollar settlement by a federal judge in Nebraska.
There is more to this case obviously than appears in mainstream media. As a mother of a small child myself, we should all be horrifed at what is happening in this country.
Comment by Lisa | September 3, 2006
Readers should visit crimeblog.us where Roy Harrold had his ass handed to him on this issue: http://crimeblog.us/?p=80#comments
Blaming the victims and defending the perps – that’s his bag.
Comment by jellybelly | September 5, 2006
[...] [...]
Pingback by Scared Monkeys | September 6, 2006
Yeah, what is up with this “Roy Harrold” character? Bonacci testified to being *forced* to kidnap Gosch while Bonacci was still a *minor* in the thrall of an organised paedophile network.
If “Roy Harrold” accepts that Bonacci’s account is true, that makes Bonacci as much a victim as Gosch – so why is he advocating that Bonacci be thrown behind bars?
Comment by B | September 7, 2006
I see the Bonacci fanclub is here.
Interesting, that Paul Bonnaci is a convicted sex offender (from an unrelated case) and these people are defending him, but they accuse me of “defending perps”. Here’s what I’ve actually said:
Being almost 15, as Bonacci was at the time of Gosch’s disappearance, does not let him off the hook for kidnapping & sexually assaulting a younger child. Teenage molestors & rapists go to prison every day in our society. Also, being victimized yourself cannot excuse criminal acts of the magnitude of kidnapping and raping a child!
Its not an exact parallel, but Derek & Alex King were victims – certainly Alex King was victimized by Chavez, and Alex was only 13 when he went to trial for the murder of his father. It was and is just, that the King brothers pay the legal price for the murder of their father. Everyone must take responsibility for their actions and moral people accept punishment for their past misdeeds.”
I understand that some people are angry about my stance on this, but if we truly value children then we cannot “make exceptions” on prosecuting people who confess to crimes against them. It doesn’t matter if that person was also victimized – more child molestors and child murderers were. It doesn’t matter if “they seem really nice”, or if they provide information about other offenders.
I’m not going to turn this person’s site into a war about this. This is all I have to say on the subject.
Comment by Roy Harrold | September 8, 2006
That should have read: “most child molestors and child murders”, note “more child molestors…”
Comment by Roy Harrold | September 8, 2006
I’m sorry to hear about Johnny Gosch. I remember when I first heard about him, when I was 8 years old and he was on the milk cartons. In the picture of the 3 boys, which one is Johnny?? I can’t tell. I hope he will be found and brought back home soon. It’s been too long now…Thanks and God Bless…
Sincerely,
Leana Jo Hover
Prescott Valley, Az.
Comment by Leana Jo Hover | March 6, 2007
Actually, Johnny Gosch isn’t in the picture. It’s been widely reported that this was a hoax. While Noreen Gosch continues to insist it is, the police have determined that it isn’t.
Comment by Paul | March 22, 2007