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Missing Paperboys /// Series

April 10, 2026 / 00:53

This episode covers the case of 12-year-old Johnny Gosch, who went missing on September 5, 1982, while on his paper route in West Des Moines, Iowa. It discusses the initial police response, the shift in investigation from abduction to missing person, and the ongoing impact on his parents, John and Noreen Gosch.

Johnny was last seen at Valley United Methodist Church at 42nd and Ashworth. The police initially treated the case as an abduction, launching a significant search with multiple law enforcement agencies involved.

However, by the end of the first day, authorities changed their stance, considering it a missing person or runaway case. This shift was a turning point in the investigation.

Three days after Johnny's disappearance, his parents, John and Noreen Gosch, faced the harsh reality of their son's absence, which has continued to affect them for decades.

TLDR

The episode discusses the unresolved case of missing boy Johnny Gosch and its impact on his family.

Episode

0:53

00:00:00

Police are looking for this boy, 12-year-old Johnny Gosch. He's the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gosch of 1004 45th

00:00:06

Street in West Des Moines. The boy was last seen this morning about 6:00 as he began his paper route in front of Valley

00:00:13

United Methodist Church at 42nd and Ashworth. That was September 5th, 1982. 40 years later, Johnny Gosch is still

00:00:21

missing. The case remains unsolved. At first, West Des Moines police treated the disappearance as an abduction and

00:00:29

launched a big search that included several law enforcement agencies. [music] By the end of the first day, police said

00:00:34

they no longer believed that it was an abduction [music] and they started to treat the case as a

00:00:38

missing person or runaway incident. Three days after Johnny's disappearance, reality set in for his parents, John

00:00:45

[music] and Noreen Gosch.

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Episode Highlights

The Disappearance of Johnny Gosch
12-year-old Johnny Gosch went missing while on his paper route in 1982. His case remains unsolved 40 years later.
“40 years later, Johnny Gosch is still missing.”
@ 00m 19s
April 10, 2026

Episode Quotes

40 years later, Johnny Gosch is still missing.
Missing Paperboys /// Series
Reality set in for his parents.
Missing Paperboys /// Series

Key Moments

Missing Person Case00:19
Parental Reality00:41