MN MN - Richard John ‘Dickie’ Huerkamp, 15, Mapleton, 2 Oct 1965

[Richard]

I think that this was the Blue Earth County Sheriff in 1965 at the time of Dickie's disappearance. He was personally interested in the case and coordinated the large search effort which took place. He continued to personally search for Dickie after the official search failed to turn up any trace of him.

Is it possible that he had the original case file in his possession after leaving office?

Emil Michael Meurer, Sr.​

Birth 6 Mar 1901
Death 3 Sep 1988 (aged 87)
Burial Calvary Cemetery
Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA

 

[Richard]

I have forwarded information about Dickie's missing person case to several websites and have not heard back from any of them. With the 60 year anniversary of his disappearance, perhaps Minnesota area newspapers would cover the story if contacted.

 

[Richard]

I wonder if Dickie might have been somewhat autistic? Of course, such a diagnosis was probably rare in 1965, but rather common today.

I pose the question because the main theory on which the investigation and search for him was that he wandered near the river and drowned.

Recent satistics reported by the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) state that over half of autistic children are prone to wander and are attracted to bodies of water.

It is further stated that 71 percent of all resolved fatal cases involving missing autistic persons are the result of drowning.

That said, statistics alone cannot solve Dickie's disappearance. The "wandered off and drowned " scenario is only one of several possibilities.

 

[Richard]

I have mentioned several times in posts to this thread that the original investigation file probably contains information vital to this case.

The current Sheriff of Blue Earth County told me that he could not locate a record of investigation on Dickie's disappearance in his department files. He suggested that the case might have been transferred to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) at some time in the past.

I spoke with an investigator at the Minnesota BCA and provided him with information on this case. He said that BCA had not previously been tasked with the investigation, and that the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office should still have jurisdiction - but that he would coordinate closely with them.

Beginning in October 1965, the Blue Earth Sheriff (Muerer), the Mapleton Chief of Police (Moore), and the Pastor (Rev. William Schimek) of St. Teresa Catholic church were each personally involved in the ongoing search for Dickie. A newspaper article written a year later, mentioned that they were still searching. Could it be that one of them had custody of the official file?

Update: I have learned recently that Mapleton Chief of Police Moore did, indeed, have a copy of the original case file which he used in his own research of Dickie's disappearance. He later placed it in a library archive "under seal" - meaning some sort of limited access.

I am not certain exactly what that sealed classification means or the reasons behind it, but the file's existence is confirmed, and hopefully an investigation can go forward based on it.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Update: I have learned recently that Mapleton Chief of Police Moore did, indeed, have a copy of the original case file which he used in his own research of Dickie's disappearance. He later placed it in a library archive "under seal" - meaning some sort of limited access.

I am not certain exactly what that sealed classification means or the reasons behind it, but the file's existence is confirmed, and hopefully an investigation can go forward based on it.

Wow, that's very interesting. I hope it is accessed and helpful.

 

[cenazoic]

Do you know what library, @Richard ? I’m in MSP and would be happy to dig around for it, or find out what needs to be done to access it.

 

[Richard]

I am not certain of the library name, but I believe it is located at or associated with the Blue Earth Historical Museum in Mankato.

 

[Richard]

1965 Hunting and Trapping Regulations for the State of Minnesota was a simple folded pamphlet. It contained the season dates, hunting hours, allowable firearms, game bag limits, and other information.

A copy of the regulations was given to each hunter, along with his hunting license.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Update: I have learned recently that Mapleton Chief of Police Moore did, indeed, have a copy of the original case file which he used in his own research of Dickie's disappearance. He later placed it in a library archive "under seal" - meaning some sort of limited access.

I am not certain exactly what that sealed classification means or the reasons behind it, but the file's existence is confirmed, and hopefully an investigation can go forward based on it.

Wait, a library archive? Like just a regular library? Mapleton has a library. Could it be there? How could one gain access to the file? And did you learn this directly from Chief Moore?

 

[Richard]

Wait, a library archive? Like just a regular library? Mapleton has a library. Could it be there? How could one gain access to the file? And did you learn this directly from Chief Moore?

Chief Harold Moore passed away some years ago.

My source is a newspaper reporter researching the case for an upcoming article. He told me that Chief Moore, kept a copy of the investigation file after he retired because he was very interested and concerned about it being unsolved.

Before he died, Chief Moore placed his copy of the file in a library historical archive, rather than destroying it (as would have been the police department's usual procedure after a specified period of time).

The reporter is making an attempt to view the file, which he was told is "sealed". I am unsure of what that means.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Awwh I totally spaced Chief Moores passing. I knew that. Not sure why I forgot a second thought you spoke to him. lol! I sent you a DM. Wondering which reporter you spoke with. I have a couple of calls in, in hopes of getting something to honor the anniversary coming up. Check your DMs though. Don’t want to double up

 

[Brightchaser47]

The reporter is making an attempt to view the file, which he was told is "sealed".

I am unsure of what that means.

RSBM
I'm not sure either, but I think it may mean a subpoena/court order would be necessary to access and open it. jmo

 

[Richard]

Locating the original case file will be an important step in re-opening any investigation. There will be many notes and witness interviews contained in it for cold case officers to study.

Knowing what was said and done in 1965 and follow on years will give important background data to build on today.

New information which was probably NOT included might still be obtained today, such as family member DNA samples.

Follow up:
A copy of the original case file was in the possession of Mapleton Police Chief Harold Moore, who continued to search for any information or sign of Dickie for years after his disappearance.

Rather than destroying the file after a time (as was the procedure then), Chief Moore kept it, and before he died, placed it in the library archive of the Mapleton Museum.

That file was only recently discovered by a reporter researching the case. The Blue Earth County Sheriff was made aware of its existence, and he is taking steps to review it.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Follow up:
A copy of the original case file was in the possession of Mapleton Police Chief Harold Moore, who continued to search for any information or sign of Dickie for years after his disappearance.

Rather than destroying the file after a time (as was the procedure then), Chief Moore kept it, and before he died, placed it in the library archive of the Mapleton Museum.

That file was only recently discovered by a reporter researching the case. The Blue Earth County Sheriff was made aware of its existence, and he is taking steps to review it.

That's great!!

 

[Betty P]

Follow up:
A copy of the original case file was in the possession of Mapleton Police Chief Harold Moore, who continued to search for any information or sign of Dickie for years after his disappearance.

Rather than destroying the file after a time (as was the procedure then), Chief Moore kept it, and before he died, placed it in the library archive of the Mapleton Museum.

That file was only recently discovered by a reporter researching the case. The Blue Earth County Sheriff was made aware of its existence, and he is taking steps to review it.

That’s a very good reporter! Researching such cold cases is difficult with missing records and evidence, especially in small towns and counties .Brilliant idea to try the local museum.

 

[Richard]

That’s a very good reporter! Researching such cold cases is difficult with missing records and evidence, especially in small towns and counties .Brilliant idea to try the local museum.

Yes, he is indeed. I look forward to reading the article he is writing on this 60 year old cold case.

Hopefully the case file will provide some answers, or invite more questions. But its very existence will allow LE to take further steps. The absence of a record has been a major obstacle.

 

[stone-turner]

Well sleuths, some interesting developments today. I was in Mankato, MN this afternoon (county seat of Blue Earth Co.) and had some time to stop in at the historical society. I thought I might search for some articles in the Mankato newspaper(s) as the articles previously posted on this site are from Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Cloud and Sleepy Eye, MN - all of which are 60 to 160 miles from Mapleton. I unknowingly arrived 10 minutes before the research room was to close (3:00 PM). I thought, if I hurried, I could possibly find one article before they kicked me out.
When the librarian found out the name I was searching for, she went into a different room and retrieved a folder of copied newspaper articles. She remembered that she had been asked around 10 years ago to research this case but she didn't remember for whom. She had already copied all the Mankato newspaper articles off microfilm (16 articles from 2 different papers) and saved paper copies in a file. So she just photocopied the photocopies, charged me for the photocopying, and I walked out the door at 3:04. That couldn't have been easier! Now the difficult part: I want to share these ASAP, but lack the right equipment to do this at home. I'm tied up for the weekend, but I can type them out one at a time tonight and will do so.

 

[stone-turner]

Mankato Free Press, October 4, 1965, p. 1

Hunt for Lost Boy Continues

By LOWELL SCHREYER
A search that drew some 300 volunteers Sunday afternoon is continuing for a missing Mapleton boy today south of that community.
Object of the search is Richard Huerkamp, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mathias (Mutzie) Huerkamp of Mapleton. The boy went out goose hunting at 5 a.m. Saturday and has not been seen since.
The search did not get underway until Sunday forenoon because the boy’s parents did not realize he was missing Saturday. He was to stay overnight at the Stanley Healy farm south of Mapleton and the parents did not become aware of the emergency until a check Sunday morning showed he had not come to the Healy place the night before.
A search organized by the Blue Earth county sheriff’s department scoured the area three miles south of Mapleton where he had gone hunting until dark Sunday and then started up again this morning.
Young Huerkamp’s bicycle was found off county rd. 7 at the edge of a cornfield on the Archie McGregor farm in Mapleton township. His gun case, unopened lunch and several shells were with the bike.
Tracks were traced from the bicycle through the cornfield to the opposite side. They were lost at a point where he went over a fence into a river land pasture about one-half block from the Maple river.
The Healy farm is about one-half mile down river from there.
There are fears that the boy may have gotten into trouble following the river bottom. The Maple river has gone up during the September rains to a point where it is almost as high as it was last spring.
Residents of the area reported water is six to eight feet deep in places and creates grass covered sloughs along the edge.
There was some dragging of the Maple river Sunday and efforts are centering on that phase today.
When the situation became known Sunday, the Mapleton fire department and hundreds of Mapleton area residents including students of Mapleton high school where Richard is a sophomore turned out to help. The state highway patrol is also assisting.
The search proceeded on both air and ground. Three airplanes inspected swamp and open ground while the volunteers on the ground concentrated on corn fields and areas difficult to observe from the air. The air searchers included flying game warden Pat McFall of Mankato, Tom Pfeffer of Mapleton flying a rented plane, and Bill Dailey and Dick Nienow of Mapleton in a Mankato Aviation Flying club plane.
Mrs. Archie McGregor on the farm in the center of the search area reported that neighborhood women have been bringing in lunch for the searchers and that even women from neighboring Sterling township have called to see if they could help.
The bulk of the search was halted at dark, she said, but a few kept on for a couple of hours more looked through the buildings on their place. The McGregors had been in Iowa and returned home in the middle of the search around their farm.
Bloodhounds have been brought into the operation and are being used today.
At Mapleton high school principal Darold Yost reported that the school is “hanging tight” and will release 10th through 12th graders to assist again today should the sheriff ask for them and if they have permission from their parents.
The boy was out hunting by himself only because he overslept Saturday morning, according to the sheriff’s department. He was to go with a group of friends but when he wasn’t up when they arrived they went on ahead.

 

[stone-turner]

Mankato Free Press, October 5, 1965

Missing Boy’s Trail Ends at Maple River

Bloodhounds led searchers repeatedly to the river’s edge in the hunt for a missing Mapleton boy Monday and that’s where efforts are concentrated today.

Workers had no success Monday, second day of the search, in locating Richard Huerkamp, 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Huerkamp of Mapleton, who has been missing since Saturday.

Sheriff Emil Meurer reported that bloodhounds went from his abandoned bicycle at the edge of a cornfield to the banks of the Maple river near there Monday. About eight boats worked with grappling equipment Monday.

Sheriff’s officers, game wardens, state highway patrolmen are concentrating their efforts on that river again today. Some are in boats while others are working along the bank of the river with grappling hooks.

Young Huerkamp, a sophomore at Mapleton high school, went out goose hunting early Saturday. His parents did not realize he was missing until Sunday morning when it turned out he had not stayed overnight at a Mapleton farm as he had planned.

Some 300 volunteers searched the ground area around where his bicycle was found three miles south of Mapleton Sunday without any success.

 

[stone-turner]

Mankato Free Press, October 6, 1965

Have You Seen Him?
Search Now in 4th Day

The search for Richard Huerkamp, 15, missing Mapleton boy, went into its fourth day today.

Main point of search concentration is the Maple river to which bloodhounds led workers. However, fields which were searched Sunday were rechecked again Tuesday and the search area widened. Some 30 people, many volunteers from Mapleton, were out again Tuesday.

On the slight chance that the boy may not be in the area being scoured, Sheriff Emil Meurer today asked that anyone seeing or having seen a boy answering his description call his office, 345-4562.

The boy is small for his age, actually appearing several years younger than his 15 years. He is four feet, nine inches tall and weighs 80 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes and wears glasses.

Clothing which the boy was wearing when he disappeared included herring-bone coveralls, a duck hunting cap, and combat boots with a buckle on the top.

Richard, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Huerkamp of Mapleton has been missing since Saturday when he went goose hunting alone three miles south of Mapleton. His bicycle, unopened lunch and gun case were found at the edge of a corn field near the Maple river.