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

[GatorsNorth]

Thank you for your posts, @Richard. Today I intend to go back to the beginning of the thread and re-read the entire thing.

 

[GatorsNorth]

Okay, so going back over the thread, my instinct is that Dickie was killed by a family member (most likely Mathias) and buried somewhere. I just can’t believe that Dickie would sleep through an alarm (if that’s even true) since he was so excited to be going hunting. MOO

 

[Pressureandheat]

Okay, so going back over the thread, my instinct is that Dickie was killed by a family member (most likely Mathias) and buried somewhere. I just can’t believe that Dickie would sleep through an alarm (if that’s even true) since he was so excited to be going hunting. MOO

That and also sleeping through 3 teen boys knocking on the door. Teen boys are not quiet and that house was small. I don’t know how anyone could have slept through both the alarm and knocks on the door.

The question still lingers: did anyone (other than his parents) actually see him after he returned to the tavern Friday night? I believe his sister Ann gave a statement for the recent interview that she remembers him asking to use her bike. That would insinuate he was alive Saturday morning. But my experience leaves me to wonder with the girls being so young what they actually remember vs what they were told by their parents to remember… meaning, they could have easily been told on Friday night that Dickie was still out and the girls went to bed. Or that he had taken Anns bike and already left to go hunting Saturday morning when they got up. So that’s what they remember. Wouldn’t have been any reason to question such a basic explanation.

But then again, maybe Ann did see Dickie that Saturday morning before he rode off at sunrise.
It just makes the whole case that much more confusing….

 

[GracefulD1an]

Reading this case I do think the father killed Dickie (possibly in a drunken haze) and created this whole story to hide the truth and not face up to the fact that his alcoholism was a danger to not only himself but his family. Question is what did he do with the body if he is responsible for Dickie’s death?

 

[GatorsNorth]

Reading this case I do think the father killed Dickie (possibly in a drunken haze) and created this whole story to hide the truth and not face up to the fact that his alcoholism was a danger to not only himself but his family. Question is what did he do with the body if he is responsible for Dickie’s death?

Another poster mentioned upthread that Mathias had access to digging equipment and private land. MOO

 

[Richard]

This case was never officially solved or closed by the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office. It is still in their jurisdiction and should be considered active.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is fully aware of it and has all of the press articles about it, as well as current contact information for family members and others mentioned in this thread. They have stated their willingness to assist the Sheriff with any investigation.

The BCA controls the listing of missing person cases on the Minnesota Missing Persons Clearinghouse website. Hopefully they will include Dickie Huerkamp on that site, since he is still missing.

 

[GracefulD1an]

Another poster mentioned upthread that Mathias had access to digging equipment and private land. MOO

Huh…so it is matter of going through each and every plot of land owned by Mathias. OK…that’ll be a bit of a hassle due to ownership transfers but why not? Dickie’s family deserves closure.

 

[GatorsNorth]

Huh…so it is matter of going through each and every plot of land owned by Mathias. OK…that’ll be a bit of a hassle due to ownership transfers but why not? Dickie’s family deserves closure.

I have no idea how to do this, but I would be glad to help!

 

[Pressureandheat]

So Kriengel Brothers construction were putting in tiling ditches all around main street of Mapleton in Oct 1965. Mathias worked for them and had access to all their equipment. Given they lived across from the tavern and it was all right down by main street the rumors have always been that coverup would have been easy. The family farm people refer to is just north of Mapleton and there have been relatives (not Dickie’s sisters) that have stated they felt the farm should have been searched. They even reached out to a ground penetrating radar company years ago but I believe it was too expensive. I believe Ann has lived in that farm for years now but recently put it up for sale or sold it as she was building a new house in town. I know in speaking with the journalist that wrote the recent article on Dickie’s disappearance stated that his sisters always thought his case was still open and found it disappointing to hear that it hadn’t been. I believe Ann gave a dna swab in case anything ever is found. Whats frustrating is that due to him not being listed all these years as missing, remains could have been found anywhere and it would have never been traced back to Dickie. Every year we are losing more of the friends and family that know of Dickie’s life and his disappearance. He deserves to be found and he deserves to be remembered. So I hope they finally list him.

 

[GracefulD1an]

So Kriengel Brothers construction were putting in tiling ditches all around main street of Mapleton in Oct 1965. Mathias worked for them and had access to all their equipment. Given they lived across from the tavern and it was all right down by main street the rumors have always been that coverup would have been easy. The family farm people refer to is just north of Mapleton and there have been relatives (not Dickie’s sisters) that have stated they felt the farm should have been searched. They even reached out to a ground penetrating radar company years ago but I believe it was too expensive. I believe Ann has lived in that farm for years now but recently put it up for sale or sold it as she was building a new house in town. I know in speaking with the journalist that wrote the recent article on Dickie’s disappearance stated that his sisters always thought his case was still open and found it disappointing to hear that it hadn’t been. I believe Ann gave a dna swab in case anything ever is found. Whats frustrating is that due to him not being listed all these years as missing, remains could have been found anywhere and it would have never been traced back to Dickie. Every year we are losing more of the friends and family that know of Dickie’s life and his disappearance. He deserves to be found and he deserves to be remembered. So I hope they finally list him.

Good starting point then. If enough money can be raised for the right equipment and the right papers are issued then the authorities (led by the person who is keeping the torch lit to use a literary term) can start searching. If any bodies are found then genetic genealogy can be done to see if they are part of the family which would hopefully lead to Dickie being identified. And hopefully he’ll be listed sometime in the near future.