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

[Pressureandheat]

Photo of Dickie Huerkamp & his pup

 

[cenazoic]

I’m with @DD Byrd and the extremely specific details given by the letter writer. He basically tells you where he left the body:

The man drove about five miles on the road where he found the boy and took the next left side road that went to a series of farm homes. He went slowly for about ten minutes before he saw a likely clump of trees. The trees are of the scrub oak variety and they have been overgrown with all grass and weeds at their bases. The body has been decomposed for quite some time and the remains are difficult to see.

This is what happened to the body.

Of course, he doesn’t mention the bike, the gun, or where exactly he found the body.

Anyway, great job, @stone-turner , @Pressureandheat , and of course @Richard for shepherding this case for the many quiet years.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Thanks so much, Pressureandheat, for sharing the article! There seems to be a bit missing between the first and second clippings, but still very interesting reading.

 

[Richard]

https://www.maplerivermessenger.com/editions/140/view
Steven Shute's article in the Maple River Messenger. Steven did a great job of researching and writing about Dickie Huerkamp's disappearance. With renewed interest and recollection by members and former members of the Mapleton community, perhaps this case can still be solved after 60 long years.

Note that Steven obtained a nice, colorized photo of Dickie as well as earlier candid snapshots of him from family members.

The Blue Earth County Sheriff has requested that Dickie's case be included in the National Register of Missing Persons.

 

[Richard]

Thanks so much, Pressureandheat, for sharing the article! There seems to be a bit missing between the first and second clippings, but still very interesting reading.

The missing portion mentioned is actually included on the front page of the newspaper in two columns just to the right of Dickie's colorized photo.

 

[Richard]

This is great! What stands out to me is that it completely reiterates that they really never investigated any type of foul play. They just weren’t looking at it from that angle. It also reiterates that the parents didn’t report him missing until Sunday mid morning. But they knew full well Saturday afternoon and night that Dickie never showed up at Chuck Healy’s home. Chuck told them Dickie wasn’t with him, that he never arrived. So why did they wait until Sunday to contact the cops and start a search?

What this recent information shows is that Mrs. Huerkamp was a concerned parent who did check on Dickie several times before reporting him missing to the police chief. There could be any number of reasons for the perceived delay in reporting him missing.

Since he had stated his intention of hunting with two (or three) boys besides Chuck Healy, it would have been considered possible that he met up with them and was still hunting on Saturday afternoon till early evening at sunset. In his mother's mind, he might have arrived at the Healy home late, like he did the night before when out with McGregor, Fitzgerald, and Johnson. It wasn't until Sunday morning, when he had not returned home or attended Mass, and it was confirmed that Dickie had not shown up at the Healy home, that the reality of him being missing set in and she called Chief Moore.

Investigators might have suspected foul play early on but refrained from voicing such scenarios publicly or to the press. Their concentration was on the search and the hope that Dickie might be found alive. They probably did not want to disparage the community with morbid theories - especially without any evidence that an abduction, or homicide had occurred.

 

[Richard]

It was 60 years ago today that Dickie Huerkamp went missing. A large-scale intensive search involving hundreds of volunteers, tracking dogs, boats and aircraft failed to turn up any trace of him, his clothing, or his shotgun.

Left behind were a bicycle, a few items, a grieving family, and a lot of questions.

The 60-year anniversary article in the Maple River Messenger is perhaps the most comprehensive report on his disappearance to date. Hopefully, it will generate community interest and awareness that Dickie has not been forgotten.

 

[Valiant]

I will say I was surprised at the actual effort expended 60 years ago. Maybe they didn't consider foul play strongly enough - but they certainly put a lot of effort into searching.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Got these photos from the reporter of Dickies Anniversary article. There is not a date noted but looks to be the Mankato Free Press published the following week after Dickie went missing since it refers to Sunday’s search party.

Anyone else see these before? First time I am seeing a photo of the bike. Maybe we can find a higher resolution photo. Be interested if that bike had a light on it.

 

[Pressureandheat]

It was 60 years ago today that Dickie Huerkamp went missing. A large-scale intensive search involving hundreds of volunteers, tracking dogs, boats and aircraft failed to turn up any trace of him, his clothing, or his shotgun.

Left behind were a bicycle, a few items, a grieving family, and a lot of questions.

The 60-year anniversary article in the Maple River Messenger is perhaps the most comprehensive report on his disappearance to date. Hopefully, it will generate community interest and awareness that Dickie has not been forgotten.

Richard, have you ever seen the below article with the photos of the bike? Of all of us, I figured you may have.

 

[Richard]

Richard, have you ever seen the below article with the photos of the bike? Of all of us, I figured you may have.

No, I have not seen any photos of the bicycle or newspaper articles containing pictures of it.

I have wondered if the bike might have been damaged from a collision, or if there might have been something wrong with it - like a flat tire or slipped chain which might have caused Dickie to leave it.

 

[Pressureandheat]

No, I have not seen any photos of the bicycle or newspaper articles containing pictures of it.

I have wondered if the bike might have been damaged from a collision, or if there might have been something wrong with it - like a flat tire or slipped chain which might have caused Dickie to leave it.

i posted a photo of the bike above. It’s not a great photo but no one that I’ve talked to that actually saw the bike in person ever stated there was anything wrong with it, ie flat tire, etc. I’m hoping the Mankato Free Press has the original photo still on archives. The quality from the paper isn’t great.

 

[Richard]

i posted a photo of the bike above. It’s not a great photo but no one that I’ve talked to that actually saw the bike in person ever stated there was anything wrong with it, ie flat tire, etc. I’m hoping the Mankato Free Press has the original photo still on archives. The quality from the paper isn’t great.

It appears to be a girls bike with a good size handle bar mounted basket. There does appear to be some sort of light assembly mounted to the basket.

A more high resolution print of the photo might yield more info. Certainly worth asking the paper if they have it in their files. It would be an important thing to provide to the Sheriff for the file he is building.

It might also be worth asking what other photos were taken, like maybe of the other items such as the gun case, lunch, and shotgun shells.

 

[stone-turner]

My bad. The photos posted by Pressureandheat were included on the front page of the Mankato Free Press with the first article I typed out:

Mankato Free Press, October 4, 1965, p. 1
Hunt for Lost Boy Continues
By LOWELL SCHREYER

I was going to try to include these photos but, with no scanner, I tried taking a picture with my phone. Since I was working with photocopies of microfilm print-offs, by the time I was done they looked like fuzzy blobs so I didn't include them or mention them. Pressureandheat's images are much clearer. In case you are wondering, the only photos included in any of the other 15 articles were the same school photo of Dickie that has been posted several times on this forum. Sorry for the omission.

 

[Richard]

Although the above photo is of low-quality resolution, a few features of the bicycle stick out. It is probably a 3-speed Roadmaster Voyager model made by AMF. Note the distinctive shape of the two straight bars which lead from the steering area to the bar above the pedals. They are not curved or parallel but spread apart as they move down and back.

This was likely a narrow racing type tire and wheel. Note that the handlebars are set rather high for more upright riding than of the racing style handlebars. They extend above the top of the rather large aftermarket basket.

The seat of the bike is set as far down as possible to accommodate short legs.

Not visible or discernable in the above photo are the items said to have been found with the bike: lunch bag, shotgun shells and gun case. Also, there does not seem to be a light attached to the bike or basket. Is it possible that Dickie had a flashlight with him which he could have placed in the basket when riding?

AMF Roadmaster Voyager late 50's early 60's. The Roadmaster was produced by the AMF company but was sometimes sold to through retailers under various trade names, like Sears and Roebuck, Huffy, and others.

Above are three examples of the AMF Roadmaster. Note that the third bike has the front fender installed backwards.

The Roadmaster design was similar to an earlier Schwinn 1940's model known as a women's "messenger" bike which had a single gear drive with coaster brake:

 

[Brightchaser47]

Although the above photo is of low-quality resolution, a few features of the bicycle stick out. It is probably a 3-speed Roadmaster Voyager model made by AMF. Note the distinctive shape of the two straight bars which lead from the steering area to the bar above the pedals. They are not curved or parallel but spread apart as they move down and back.

This was likely a narrow racing type tire and wheel. Note that the handlebars are set rather high for more upright riding than of the racing style handlebars. They extend above the top of the rather large aftermarket basket.

The seat of the bike is set as far down as possible to accommodate short legs.

Not visible or discernable in the above photo are the items said to have been found with the bike: lunch bag, shotgun shells and gun case. Also, there does not seem to be a light attached to the bike or basket. Is it possible that Dickie had a flashlight with him which he could have placed in the basket when riding?

RSBM
Also, the bike appears to be intact. Though it's a bit difficult to see clearly, everything seems to be in proper allignment- no bent rims or frame. It looks like it was simply but carefully laid down on its side, as opposed to wrecked or thrown down in a hurry. jmo

 

[Richard]

RSBM
Also, the bike appears to be intact. Though it's a bit difficult to see clearly, everything seems to be in proper allignment- no bent rims or frame. It looks like it was simply but carefully laid down on its side, as opposed to wrecked or thrown down in a hurry. jmo

The bicycle probably had a kickstand which would have allowed the bike to have been parked upright. The fact that it was laying down at the side of a road would indicate a hurried departure from the bike or a hasty dumping of it where found. No collision damage can be determined from the photo, but a flat tire or slipped chain wouldn't show. Even if there was some problem with the bike, Dickie probably would have walked it to a place where he could conceal it from the road, and then continued on by foot with the other items to his intended destination.

Could he have been headed to the Healy farm, or possibly to the farm where Jerry McGregor lived?

I wonder if the man and woman standing next to the fire engine are Dickie's parents.

 

[Richard]

The missing shotgun is a key piece of the puzzle. If the make, model, description and possible serial number were known, it might provide an important clue regarding Dickie's disappearance.

According to news reports it was a 12-gauge shotgun which Dickie had borrowed from a neighbor Roger Charles Otto Schultz (1921 - 1995). Mr. Schultz was interviewed back in 1965 and stated that he only allowed Dickie to take the shotgun after completing a Hunter Safety course at school. Could he have also told the reporter more specific information about the shotgun?

It is probable that the shotgun's overall length would have been between 44 and 50 inches (depending on the model and the barrel length). There has been some speculation that Dickie might have accidentally shot himself with the shotgun. However, while possible, this would have been unlikely, given his size and the size of the shotgun - as well as his gun handling safety training.

Do any of Mr. Schultz's relatives have any recollection or knowledge of the shotgun?

There are registries of lost and stolen firearms as well as many years of sales records which could be searched if more information was known about the shotgun.

The shotgun being missing from its case might indicate that Dickie had left his bike and supplies to take to the field at some place (not necessarily where the bike was found). It could also mean that he was abducted, all items left at the side of the road, and that shotgun was later found, removed from the case, and taken by someone passing by. But if that was the case, why not take the gun case and shells as well?

LINK:

Roger Charles Otto Schultz (1921-1995) - Find a...

www.findagrave.com

 

[Valiant]

The bicycle probably had a kickstand which would have allowed the bike to have been parked upright. The fact that it was laying down at the side of a road would indicate a hurried departure from the bike or a hasty dumping of it where found. No collision damage can be determined from the photo, but a flat tire or slipped chain wouldn't show. Even if there was some problem with the bike, Dickie probably would have walked it to a place where he could conceal it from the road, and then continued on by foot with the other items to his intended destination.

Could he have been headed to the Healy farm, or possibly to the farm where Jerry McGregor lived?

I wonder if the man and woman standing next to the fire engine are Dickie's parents.

It’s also possible the dirt was soft making the kickstand useless. Growing up we used the kickstand on concrete or the gravel driveway but not on the yard or other soft ground because the bike would eventually fall over.