Hi, new here. I just have a love for picking up on old cases and hoping I can be of some help.
My Theory (based on facts of this case and my intuition): The boys were last seen by a neighbor named Paul Lalonde who lived down the road when he was dropping off John Jr.’s sister Kim McCormick at 9p.m on August 24th, 1981. He said the boys were in the driveway and it was difficult to back out because they were in the way in the driveway. He was apparently driving a lincoln. From here, many things could have transpired between 9p.m (last seen) and 11p.m when John Jr’s mother came knocking on Eric Larsfolk’s parents door looking for her son. If they were in the driveway at 9p.m, imagine being a boy around 15 with your friend and it’s getting dark. Your sister just gets dropped off, and she will want to see what your doing. Run and hide to try and scare her perhaps? Then get out near the road where someone who promises to deliver them both home picks them up but never does return them? (it is 708 metres between Eric's house and John Jr's,. Kim apparently never sees the boys when she leaves the vehicle but Paul does, so either they were just hiding from her when she came looking for them or something about Paul's story doesn't add up, why would he lie about seeing them? In my opinion, he should also be a suspect at this point, and his property should also be searched.
What I continue about here is just a Theory, I hope I do not offend anyone.
The boys bodies are hid overnight while the search is taking place (then called off early due to safety reasons, as it was dark and equipment from the gravel pit was scattered around). Giving the killer enough time to relocate the bodies before morning away from the intended search zones. The father and McCullough were good friends, drunks and drinking buddies, that likely worked together to hide evidence. It was stated that red clay was seen in McCullough’s truck the day after the disappearance, the same day John Sr gave McCullough gas money to go “Fill the Truck”. Iron oxide soils are prevalent in this area, and is a clue as to where the bodies might be located? If McCullough loaded the bodies in the truck, grabbed the shovel that went missing off the job site and buried them kilometres away on or near his property, then they would still unlikely be found today as it’s not stated that McCullough’s was ever properly searched. He could have buried them anywhere though, as he knew he could have been part of the investigation due to his truck being moved the morning after the search began and got nervous. He could have went anywhere before morning and buried them, but I am guessing anywhere within a 20km radius is not out of the question and the most probable at night since it would be more comfortable with Familiar surroundings but perhaps the bodies could have been moved multiple times over the years as well? Those boys are dead, bodies buried in that general area in my opinion. THe places that were extensively searched are just really likely not where they are buried, searches have to be done elsewhere.I always thought there was a possibility Kim knew what happened, but that became more unlikely after learning John Sr. dies in 1987 and she still doesn’t speak up. If those boys were in the driveway and Kim never ended up seeing them, this means they ran to hide when she arrived, if they were even seen in the driveway at all, and if they really weren't there, Paul should have been questioned more during the time of disappearance. Otherwise Kim would have seen them, and also it becomes apparent that John Sr. didn’t leave the property because he couldn’t leave the daughter at home alone unless he found the boys outside on the property near the house and Kim went to sleep until the mother came home at 10:30 and found the boys were gone. Someone out on the roadway killed those boys, maybe by accident as well? McCullough due to his violent nature and being around the family? Just remember this could have been any weirdo driving Horseshoe hill road after 9p.m.
Takeaway's: Paul Lalonde is now a suspect.
