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

[snooptroop88]

I am still going over this case with a fine-toothed comb.

Whatever happened (and I am still side-eyeing the parents), I’m glad that Dickie’s case is getting the attention it needs.

Inspired by @GatorsNorth on this, am picking through here again, page by page and post by post. As I pick through, here are the theories I've seen advanced thus far:

Family involvement-- the whole family would have to be on board with this. A high level of collusion and lengthy period of coordinated outrageous lies. I just doubt it. If it was the father only, he had to conceal the crime from all other members of the family. Take incredible chances on moving that dead body around. I just don't think so, but jmo. Bad tempered people obviously can resort to murder, but they're usually not going to operate with the level of calculation necessary to conceal their crime to the extent this potential murderer did. And while I find it weird nobody heard the doorbell, they are associated with tavern work, that can involve late hours. Hunting accident with coverup. A bunch of young guys that age likely could not make a body disappear for decades while going through those decades having engaged in such collusion with closed mouths for that period of time, jmo. They'd need an adult participant to make it happen jmo, that's one more mouth that needs to stay closed for decades, and the adult would have to be of incredibly dubious character to hop on board. Any of these theories is possible, but don't think so. Drowning. But nothing ever found? How likely is this? Suicide to me is the same situation, how's nothing found? Vehicular accident, how so with no damage we're aware of to vehicle? Theft/to steal gun. I can't picture a gun thief risking murder charges for a shotgun. Runaway he'd need to eat, why leave the lunch and shells, and why leave the shells behind but take the gun? And how many vehicles are going to pull over for a young guy with his thumb up on one hand and holding a shotgun in the other? Even with some adult cooperating, why would the gun be gone but shells left?

@Richard mentioned an article that included a theory involving bogs/quicksand. Area had mind-blowing floods back in April '65, evacuated parts of Mankato, National Guard, saw pictures where like half a church was underwater. Record levels for Minnesota, St. Paul, Mississippi Rivers. So theoretically, this actually could have happened, which I find terrifying. But when I research this further, I'm not seeing this recognized in MSM as a legitimate life-threatening hazard except for areas like Utah & Arizona. With that said, the flooding they experienced in the area where Dickie went missing that year... It was incredible, someone may have been swallowed up in a bog.

The bike may hold the answers, jmo. Am making a guess that the boys Dickie was waiting for had a car. They at least drove for some of the distance that day per at least one source, if they had a car, no wonder Dickie was so upset. Now, he'd have to travel at 5am in pitch blackness on a bike with all his gear. While heading off into the woods in pitch blackness with other guys isn't so scary, I don't think it is nearly as approachable for a single boy without light, and natural light's not going to come until about 6:20 that morning, based on sources. He's going to be there before that time. So where is he, what will he do?

Moreover, don't necessarily think he was rushing to meet his friends because they may not have settled on an exact location for this venture, maybe only general reference points were discussed. It may have been unlikely to the point of impossible that once they left that doorstep he'd ever find them. That may be why they didn't feel bad changing the location later, too. Don't think anyone was trying to ditch Dickie, don't think the boys cared that much what they hunted or where at that point, it was mostly Dickie's idea to begin with, and he didn't show up, and maybe no settled, pinpointed location had been determined.

Dickie's bike was found at the roadside, his mother spotted it, she was actively looking for it. If he had it laid down in a ditch, he was likely (?) trying to conceal it. If he was trying to conceal it, he was conscious of the fact that theft was a possibility. If conscious that theft was a possibility, why leave shells with it? It's a calling card that a gun is nearby, if the shells, bike, and lunch aren't enough for the thief, maybe the gun will be of interest, provided thief has his own gun and the element of surprise. And wondering... why leave bike at the roadside at all, why not walk with it and wheel it in a small distance if he wants concealment? Some kind of incline might make not wheeling it in reasonable, otherwise, that doesn't make a lot of sense to just leave it at the roadside. But maybe it's still dark, so concealment's not such an issue.

But if it is still dark, going into the woods will be an issue, did he have a flashlight? Seeing others have already been wondering on this. If he didn't, he might actually be tempted to wait himself at the roadside for light, maybe hoping he'd see his friends on the road as he waited. This would increase opportunities for a potential abduction. If he does have the flashlight, he goes into the woods... He has gun and flashlight, two hands, why leave the gun case behind? Why not keep the gun in the case, which would possibly (?) free up one of his hands for lunch and/or shells? There had to be something he had that would have made free hands possible, as both hands were free to ride the bike to the site. If he didn't, and that gun was being awkwardly carried on that bike somehow, that opens the door to some potential perp curbing him and chastising him over the gun and that could develop into something incredibly perilous.

And if he had a flashlight-- where is it? It is gone like the gun.

The only way the placement of that bike really makes sense is with an abduction scenario, but it's jmo. (And apologies on the length of this post, I know it's large, but I made my way through the entire thread to write it up/editing as I try to shorten this)

 

[Brightchaser47]

Inspired by @GatorsNorth on this, am picking through here again, page by page and post by post. As I pick through, here are the theories I've seen advanced thus far:

Family involvement-- the whole family would have to be on board with this. A high level of collusion and lengthy period of coordinated outrageous lies. I just doubt it. If it was the father only, he had to conceal the crime from all other members of the family. Take incredible chances on moving that dead body around. I just don't think so, but jmo. Bad tempered people obviously can resort to murder, but they're usually not going to operate with the level of calculation necessary to conceal their crime to the extent this potential murderer did. And while I find it weird nobody heard the doorbell, they are associated with tavern work, that can involve late hours. Hunting accident with coverup. A bunch of young guys that age likely could not make a body disappear for decades while going through those decades having engaged in such collusion with closed mouths for that period of time, jmo. They'd need an adult participant to make it happen jmo, that's one more mouth that needs to stay closed for decades, and the adult would have to be of incredibly dubious character to hop on board. Any of these theories is possible, but don't think so. Drowning. But nothing ever found? How likely is this? Suicide to me is the same situation, how's nothing found? Vehicular accident, how so with no damage we're aware of to vehicle? Theft/to steal gun. I can't picture a gun thief risking murder charges for a shotgun. Runaway he'd need to eat, why leave the lunch and shells, and why leave the shells behind but take the gun? And how many vehicles are going to pull over for a young guy with his thumb up on one hand and holding a shotgun in the other? Even with some adult cooperating, why would the gun be gone but shells left?

@Richard mentioned an article that included a theory involving bogs/quicksand. Area had mind-blowing floods back in April '65, evacuated parts of Mankato, National Guard, saw pictures where like half a church was underwater. Record levels for Minnesota, St. Paul, Mississippi Rivers. So theoretically, this actually could have happened, which I find terrifying. But when I research this further, I'm not seeing this recognized in MSM as a legitimate life-threatening hazard except for areas like Utah & Arizona. With that said, the flooding they experienced in the area where Dickie went missing that year... It was incredible, someone may have been swallowed up in a bog.

The bike may hold the answers, jmo. Am making a guess that the boys Dickie was waiting for had a car. They at least drove for some of the distance that day per at least one source, if they had a car, no wonder Dickie was so upset. Now, he'd have to travel at 5am in pitch blackness on a bike with all his gear. While heading off into the woods in pitch blackness with other guys isn't so scary, I don't think it is nearly as approachable for a single boy without light, and natural light's not going to come until about 6:20 that morning, based on sources. He's going to be there before that time. So where is he, what will he do?

Moreover, don't necessarily think he was rushing to meet his friends because they may not have settled on an exact location for this venture, maybe only general reference points were discussed. It may have been unlikely to the point of impossible that once they left that doorstep he'd ever find them. That may be why they didn't feel bad changing the location later, too. Don't think anyone was trying to ditch Dickie, don't think the boys cared that much what they hunted or where at that point, it was mostly Dickie's idea to begin with, and he didn't show up, and maybe no settled, pinpointed location had been determined.

Dickie's bike was found at the roadside, his mother spotted it, she was actively looking for it. If he had it laid down in a ditch, he was likely (?) trying to conceal it. If he was trying to conceal it, he was conscious of the fact that theft was a possibility. If conscious that theft was a possibility, why leave shells with it? It's a calling card that a gun is nearby, if the shells, bike, and lunch aren't enough for the thief, maybe the gun will be of interest, provided thief has his own gun and the element of surprise. And wondering... why leave bike at the roadside at all, why not walk with it and wheel it in a small distance if he wants concealment? Some kind of incline might make not wheeling it in reasonable, otherwise, that doesn't make a lot of sense to just leave it at the roadside. But maybe it's still dark, so concealment's not such an issue.

But if it is still dark, going into the woods will be an issue, did he have a flashlight? Seeing others have already been wondering on this. If he didn't, he might actually be tempted to wait himself at the roadside for light, maybe hoping he'd see his friends on the road as he waited. This would increase opportunities for a potential abduction. If he does have the flashlight, he goes into the woods... He has gun and flashlight, two hands, why leave the gun case behind? Why not keep the gun in the case, which would possibly (?) free up one of his hands for lunch and/or shells? There had to be something he had that would have made free hands possible, as both hands were free to ride the bike to the site. If he didn't, and that gun was being awkwardly carried on that bike somehow, that opens the door to some potential perp curbing him and chastising him over the gun and that could develop into something incredibly perilous.

And if he had a flashlight-- where is it? It is gone like the gun.

The only way the placement of that bike really makes sense is with an abduction scenario, but it's jmo. (And apologies on the length of this post, I know it's large, but I made my way through the entire thread to write it up/editing as I try to shorten this)

Some excellent points in there,  snooptroop88.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Much thanks on this, I saw the Scots mentioned. So glad I was at least somewhat on the right track. But I also saw the Falcons because certain sources were confusing Mapletons (think they were talking about a team in Mapleton North Dakota with the Falcons).

Am glad you have contacted the museum about the game/schedule, and my guess is that piece of info will be confirmed, but it's guess only at this point.

Continue to fear abduction in Dickie's case, but agree it doesn't seem likely someone from a carnival with weeks having passed since the event. I don't know, though, I still find it strange anything "carnival" is popping up in terms of the article at all. No matter what, carnivals of any kind can potentially bring travelers, but totally agreed that's true with some carnivals a lot, lot more so than others. And agreed, this Rochester event sounds like... no midway. But the population of Rochester MN was about 30,000 in 1951. So this event drew 1,000 people, that's pretty impressive. Adjusted for inflation, I think they made what would be about $7,000 today.

There's a campground quite close to where Dickie went missing, right? Daly Park & Campground. I wonder if that place was there back in the day & what it was like. I can find current reviews, it seems like a tranquil, pretty place, and a nice campground setup. Of note, the Beatles had played at Metropolitan Stadium (now Mall of America) in Bloomington (just outside Minneapolis) towards end of August that year.

I believe Dickie's sister when she says Dickie asked to borrow that bike, and I believe her when she says she found it unusual he asked because he usually rode it without asking. And am wondering why he'd have asked that particular day. Had Dickie been accused recently of taking something he shouldn't have taken... been chastised for taking something without permission by someone? Questioned about ownership of some item?

Was the point where Dickie's bike was found like a full half hour ride on the bike? When I look at maps, that appears to be the case, but I'm not local. But if so, that's a long way to go on a bike out in a pretty rural area. Even if "busy" by rural standards, I'm guessing you could be on that road without a soul other than yourself.

We for sure were the Mapleton Scots. The cheerleaders even wore short little kilts and we had large paintings of Bagpipers on the gym walls well into the 80’s before we consolidated with nearby towns Amboy/Good Thunder. Later in 1989 we consolidated with Minnesota lake and became what is known today as Maple River. So you are in the right track if you found info for the Mapleton Scots.

 

[Pressureandheat]

I think that the first mention of a possible "carnival" or "circus" connection to this case was as wild speculation in an old newspaper article. The context was NOT that a carnival worker might have abducted Dickie but rather that he might at some time (months earlier) have met a boy who had run away from home and took up with a carnival - and that maybe Dickie had chosen to likewise run away from home. Not the most likely scenario for many reasons.

By all accounts (his parents, sisters, and five different potential hunting buddies) it was Dickie's expressed intention to go goose hunting that Saturday morning.

The bicycle, packed lunch, and extra shells were all found 4 miles south of town in an area (or on the route to an area) Dickie had hunted before.

What isn't clear is where exactly Dickie planned to hunt. His mother assumed it would be at the Heally farm. Chuck Heally recently stated that he had expected to hunt with Dickie that morning, but that he never arrived. The bicycle and supplies were found at the side of the road between the Huerkamp home in town and the Heally farm.

What did the three other hunting buddies (McGregor, Johnson, and Fitzgerald) tell investigators? They admitted to going to Dickie's house to get him, but that they then drove north to a park near Mankato to hunt squirrels. Did they go first to an area south of town? Where did they all originally plan to hunt geese? Was it at or near the Heally farm?

Dickie was reportedly very upset (crying) about missing his ride with the three guys. He evidently wanted very much to hunt with others, rather than simply hunt alone. Was it his plan to find the other guys at a pre planned place? Had he called Chuck Heally to make alternate hunting arrangements

Much thanks on this, I saw the Scots mentioned. So glad I was at least somewhat on the right track. But I also saw the Falcons because certain sources were confusing Mapletons (think they were talking about a team in Mapleton North Dakota with the Falcons).

Am glad you have contacted the museum about the game/schedule, and my guess is that piece of info will be confirmed, but it's guess only at this point.

Continue to fear abduction in Dickie's case, but agree it doesn't seem likely someone from a carnival with weeks having passed since the event. I don't know, though, I still find it strange anything "carnival" is popping up in terms of the article at all. No matter what, carnivals of any kind can potentially bring travelers, but totally agreed that's true with some carnivals a lot, lot more so than others. And agreed, this Rochester event sounds like... no midway. But the population of Rochester MN was about 30,000 in 1951. So this event drew 1,000 people, that's pretty impressive. Adjusted for inflation, I think they made what would be about $7,000 today.

There's a campground quite close to where Dickie went missing, right? Daly Park & Campground. I wonder if that place was there back in the day & what it was like. I can find current reviews, it seems like a tranquil, pretty place, and a nice campground setup. Of note, the Beatles had played at Metropolitan Stadium (now Mall of America) in Bloomington (just outside Minneapolis) towards end of August that year.

I believe Dickie's sister when she says Dickie asked to borrow that bike, and I believe her when she says she found it unusual he asked because he usually rode it without asking. And am wondering why he'd have asked that particular day. Had Dickie been accused recently of taking something he shouldn't have taken... been chastised for taking something without permission by someone? Questioned about ownership of some item?

Was the point where Dickie's bike was found like a full half hour ride on the bike? When I look at maps, that appears to be the case, but I'm not local. But if so, that's a long way to go on a bike out in a pretty rural area. Even if "busy" by rural standards, I'm guessing you could be on that road without a soul other than yourself.

Much thanks on this, I saw the Scots mentioned. So glad I was at least somewhat on the right track. But I also saw the Falcons because certain sources were confusing Mapletons (think they were talking about a team in Mapleton North Dakota with the Falcons).

Am glad you have contacted the museum about the game/schedule, and my guess is that piece of info will be confirmed, but it's guess only at this point.

Continue to fear abduction in Dickie's case, but agree it doesn't seem likely someone from a carnival with weeks having passed since the event. I don't know, though, I still find it strange anything "carnival" is popping up in terms of the article at all. No matter what, carnivals of any kind can potentially bring travelers, but totally agreed that's true with some carnivals a lot, lot more so than others. And agreed, this Rochester event sounds like... no midway. But the population of Rochester MN was about 30,000 in 1951. So this event drew 1,000 people, that's pretty impressive. Adjusted for inflation, I think they made what would be about $7,000 today.

There's a campground quite close to where Dickie went missing, right? Daly Park & Campground. I wonder if that place was there back in the day & what it was like. I can find current reviews, it seems like a tranquil, pretty place, and a nice campground setup. Of note, the Beatles had played at Metropolitan Stadium (now Mall of America) in Bloomington (just outside Minneapolis) towards end of August that year.

I believe Dickie's sister when she says Dickie asked to borrow that bike, and I believe her when she says she found it unusual he asked because he usually rode it without asking. And am wondering why he'd have asked that particular day. Had Dickie been accused recently of taking something he shouldn't have taken... been chastised for taking something without permission by someone? Questioned about ownership of some item?

Was the point where Dickie's bike was found like a full half hour ride on the bike? When I look at maps, that appears to be the case, but I'm not local. But if so, that's a long way to go on a bike out in a pretty rural area. Even if "busy" by rural standards, I'm guessing you could be on that road without a soul other than yourself.

So Daily Park brings up a good point. I know first hand in the 80’s it was a camp ground that us kids would ride our bikes out to and sit by the water. It was a fairly large area, (not sure how many acres) but pretty dense in trees and brush, so could be very secluded if you went off the pathways. The paths were wood chips if that gives you an idea. Bathrooms/showers, a little ice cream stand (that was never open at least in my time) but mainly just camp sites. Something that I hadn’t really considered before was what was it like in 1965? And were there any logged campers for the weekend Dickie went missing given that his bike and supplies were found a mile”ish” down the road from there.

As for the bike ride being 30 min from Mapleton, that would be one slow ride out. In ideal conditions I’d say 10 min, maybe 15. But given the bike wasn’t a 10 speed or anything like that, pitch black and hauling all his stuff with him, 25-30 min might be right given those conditions. But you are correct in the road even in the 80’s was not a high traveled road. I’d ride my bike out to Daily Park in the middle of a summer day and never have a car pass by. So it’s easy to conclude that at 5am on Sat in 1965, he probably didn’t see anyone else. The only thing he would have passed by on that road is crop fields and a few farms. And I believe the people that I have talked to said the crops had already been brought in by the day he went missing. So it wasn’t like tall stalks of corn fields that you couldn’t see through. You are able to see for great distances when those fields are plowed.

Having spoken personally to Dickie’s dear friend that was with him the night before, he stated the second he saw how the bike and brown sack lunch and everything was found he felt even as a teenager that it was staged. That Dickie would have never left those things the way they were. A kid that grows up where money is tight like it was, takes extra care of possessions, especially someone’s else’s that he could never have afforded to replace. As Dickie’s friend, he said that always felt “off” to him.

Much thanks on this, I saw the Scots mentioned. So glad I was at least somewhat on the right track. But I also saw the Falcons because certain sources were confusing Mapletons (think they were talking about a team in Mapleton North Dakota with the Falcons).

Am glad you have contacted the museum about the game/schedule, and my guess is that piece of info will be confirmed, but it's guess only at this point.

Continue to fear abduction in Dickie's case, but agree it doesn't seem likely someone from a carnival with weeks having passed since the event. I don't know, though, I still find it strange anything "carnival" is popping up in terms of the article at all. No matter what, carnivals of any kind can potentially bring travelers, but totally agreed that's true with some carnivals a lot, lot more so than others. And agreed, this Rochester event sounds like... no midway. But the population of Rochester MN was about 30,000 in 1951. So this event drew 1,000 people, that's pretty impressive. Adjusted for inflation, I think they made what would be about $7,000 today.

There's a campground quite close to where Dickie went missing, right? Daly Park & Campground. I wonder if that place was there back in the day & what it was like. I can find current reviews, it seems like a tranquil, pretty place, and a nice campground setup. Of note, the Beatles had played at Metropolitan Stadium (now Mall of America) in Bloomington (just outside Minneapolis) towards end of August that year.

I believe Dickie's sister when she says Dickie asked to borrow that bike, and I believe her when she says she found it unusual he asked because he usually rode it without asking. And am wondering why he'd have asked that particular day. Had Dickie been accused recently of taking something he shouldn't have taken... been chastised for taking something without permission by someone? Questioned about ownership of some item?

Was the point where Dickie's bike was found like a full half hour ride on the bike? When I look at maps, that appears to be the case, but I'm not local. But if so, that's a long way to go on a bike out in a pretty rural area. Even if "busy" by rural standards, I'm guessing you could be on that road without a soul other than yourself.

So Daily Park brings up a good point. I know first hand in the 80’s it was a camp ground that us kids would ride our bikes out to and sit by the water. It was a fairly large area, (not sure how many acres) but pretty dense in trees and brush, so could be very secluded if you went off the pathways. The paths were wood chips if that gives you an idea. Bathrooms/showers, a little ice cream stand (that was never open at least in my time) but mainly just camp sites. Something that I hadn’t really considered before was what was it like in 1965? And were there any logged campers for the weekend Dickie went missing given that his bike and supplies were found a mile”ish” down the road from there.

As for the bike ride being 30 min from Mapleton, that would be one slow ride out. In ideal conditions I’d say 10 min, maybe 15. But given the bike wasn’t a 10 speed or anything like that, pitch black and hauling all his stuff with him, 25-30 min might be right given those conditions. But you are correct in the road even in the 80’s was not a high traveled road. I’d ride my bike out to Daily Park in the middle of a summer day and never have a car pass by. So it’s easy to conclude that at 5am on Sat in 1965, he probably didn’t see anyone else. The only thing he would have passed by on that road is crop fields and a few farms. And I believe the people that I have talked to said the crops had already been brought in by the day he went missing. So it wasn’t like tall stalks of corn fields that you couldn’t see through. You are able to see for great distances when those fields are plowed.

Having spoken personally to Dickie’s dear friend that was with him the night before, he stated the second he saw how the bike and brown sack lunch and everything was found he felt even as a teenager that it was staged. That Dickie would have never left those things the way they were. A kid that grows up where money is tight like it was, takes extra care of possessions, especially someone’s else’s that he could never have afforded to replace. As Dickie’s friend, he said that always felt “off” to him.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Inspired by @GatorsNorth on this, am picking through here again, page by page and post by post. As I pick through, here are the theories I've seen advanced thus far:

Family involvement-- the whole family would have to be on board with this. A high level of collusion and lengthy period of coordinated outrageous lies. I just doubt it. If it was the father only, he had to conceal the crime from all other members of the family. Take incredible chances on moving that dead body around. I just don't think so, but jmo. Bad tempered people obviously can resort to murder, but they're usually not going to operate with the level of calculation necessary to conceal their crime to the extent this potential murderer did. And while I find it weird nobody heard the doorbell, they are associated with tavern work, that can involve late hours. Hunting accident with coverup. A bunch of young guys that age likely could not make a body disappear for decades while going through those decades having engaged in such collusion with closed mouths for that period of time, jmo. They'd need an adult participant to make it happen jmo, that's one more mouth that needs to stay closed for decades, and the adult would have to be of incredibly dubious character to hop on board. Any of these theories is possible, but don't think so. Drowning. But nothing ever found? How likely is this? Suicide to me is the same situation, how's nothing found? Vehicular accident, how so with no damage we're aware of to vehicle? Theft/to steal gun. I can't picture a gun thief risking murder charges for a shotgun. Runaway he'd need to eat, why leave the lunch and shells, and why leave the shells behind but take the gun? And how many vehicles are going to pull over for a young guy with his thumb up on one hand and holding a shotgun in the other? Even with some adult cooperating, why would the gun be gone but shells left?

@Richard mentioned an article that included a theory involving bogs/quicksand. Area had mind-blowing floods back in April '65, evacuated parts of Mankato, National Guard, saw pictures where like half a church was underwater. Record levels for Minnesota, St. Paul, Mississippi Rivers. So theoretically, this actually could have happened, which I find terrifying. But when I research this further, I'm not seeing this recognized in MSM as a legitimate life-threatening hazard except for areas like Utah & Arizona. With that said, the flooding they experienced in the area where Dickie went missing that year... It was incredible, someone may have been swallowed up in a bog.

The bike may hold the answers, jmo. Am making a guess that the boys Dickie was waiting for had a car. They at least drove for some of the distance that day per at least one source, if they had a car, no wonder Dickie was so upset. Now, he'd have to travel at 5am in pitch blackness on a bike with all his gear. While heading off into the woods in pitch blackness with other guys isn't so scary, I don't think it is nearly as approachable for a single boy without light, and natural light's not going to come until about 6:20 that morning, based on sources. He's going to be there before that time. So where is he, what will he do?

Moreover, don't necessarily think he was rushing to meet his friends because they may not have settled on an exact location for this venture, maybe only general reference points were discussed. It may have been unlikely to the point of impossible that once they left that doorstep he'd ever find them. That may be why they didn't feel bad changing the location later, too. Don't think anyone was trying to ditch Dickie, don't think the boys cared that much what they hunted or where at that point, it was mostly Dickie's idea to begin with, and he didn't show up, and maybe no settled, pinpointed location had been determined.

Dickie's bike was found at the roadside, his mother spotted it, she was actively looking for it. If he had it laid down in a ditch, he was likely (?) trying to conceal it. If he was trying to conceal it, he was conscious of the fact that theft was a possibility. If conscious that theft was a possibility, why leave shells with it? It's a calling card that a gun is nearby, if the shells, bike, and lunch aren't enough for the thief, maybe the gun will be of interest, provided thief has his own gun and the element of surprise. And wondering... why leave bike at the roadside at all, why not walk with it and wheel it in a small distance if he wants concealment? Some kind of incline might make not wheeling it in reasonable, otherwise, that doesn't make a lot of sense to just leave it at the roadside. But maybe it's still dark, so concealment's not such an issue.

But if it is still dark, going into the woods will be an issue, did he have a flashlight? Seeing others have already been wondering on this. If he didn't, he might actually be tempted to wait himself at the roadside for light, maybe hoping he'd see his friends on the road as he waited. This would increase opportunities for a potential abduction. If he does have the flashlight, he goes into the woods... He has gun and flashlight, two hands, why leave the gun case behind? Why not keep the gun in the case, which would possibly (?) free up one of his hands for lunch and/or shells? There had to be something he had that would have made free hands possible, as both hands were free to ride the bike to the site. If he didn't, and that gun was being awkwardly carried on that bike somehow, that opens the door to some potential perp curbing him and chastising him over the gun and that could develop into something incredibly perilous.

And if he had a flashlight-- where is it? It is gone like the gun.

The only way the placement of that bike really makes sense is with an abduction scenario, but it's jmo. (And apologies on the length of this post, I know it's large, but I made my way through the entire thread to write it up/editing as I try to shorten this)

All very good points. I tend to disagree with the Family Involvement point though. Kriengl Brothers were digging tilling ditches all around Mapleton at the time. And when i say that, basically the road in front and all around Dickie’s house, the road in front of the tavern, etc all had large trenches dug. At 3 or 4am in 1965, no one is gonna see anything happening in Mapleton. Trust me. Having grown up there, it’s not a busy town. In fact in the 60’s it was still called a village. After the taverns last call, everyone goes home. If an argument went bad at say 2 or 3am no one is gonna see someone carrying a 4’9” kid to a giant ditch next to the tavern and easily shoveled some dirt over him. Mathias worked for Kriengl Brothers, so Saturday morning he could have easily cranked up a backloader like he was just moving it somewhere else and added some dirt to make ensure full coverage and literally no one would have thought twice about it. Just as no one would have seen a thing if at 2am he put Dickie in the trunk of the car parked just outside the door and drove him to the farm. And having as much farm land as the family did just north of Mapleton, no one is gonna see or hear anything. And his sisters were young at that time so they were probably in bed by the time the parents came home from the tavern. And Dickie not being present when they woke up Saturday morning could have easily been explained that he already left to go hunting.

All I’m saying is that it could have been Mathias acting alone, keeping the secret. Taking the truth to his grave. (Mathias died less than 2 years later)

I agree with your Hunting Accident
Assessment - So in speaking to friends of Dickies, my understanding is Dickie had gotten permission to hunt on private property and was looking for people to join him. So I can see it very plausible that after Dickie didn’t answer the door that morning the boys went to a public location to hunt. Which was Hungry Hollow, north of Mapleton. (not in biking distance btw) The question on why they didn’t go south could simply be that they didn’t either know where Dickie planned to hunt or the fact that it was private property and they didn’t have permission.

 

[GatorsNorth]

Any chance we can ask for the files through the FOIA? Or will LE say that it’s an ongoing investigation?

 

[Richard]

...
I agree with your Hunting Accident
Assessment - So in speaking to friends of Dickies, my understanding is Dickie had gotten permission to hunt on private property and was looking for people to join him. So I can see it very plausible that after Dickie didn’t answer the door that morning the boys went to a public location to hunt. Which was Hungry Hollow, north of Mapleton. (not in biking distance btw) The question on why they didn’t go south could simply be that they didn’t either know where Dickie planned to hunt or the fact that it was private property and they didn’t have permission.

We don't know what the three other young hunters told investigators concerning their original plans to hunt geese with Dickie - or why they changed them to go squirrel hunting some 15 miles to the north. One of the boys (the driver McGregor) DID live on a farm southeast of town and not far from where Dickie's bicycle was found.

A friend of Dickie's, Chuck Heally was quoted in the Maple River Messenger article (October 2025) as recalling that he was expecting Dickie to arrive at his parents' farm the morning of 2 October 1965 to hunt with him, but that Dickie never showed up. He also recalled Mrs. Huerkamp calling his house several times the next day to see if Dickie was there.

It is possible that Dickie rode his bicycle to a field or driveway close to either the Heally farm or the McGregor farm hoping to meet his buddies, met with a hunting accident, his body hidden/buried, and his bicycle and gear staged where later found.

It is also possible that he was the victim of a kidnapping at the site where his bicycle was found. That would explain why he would leave his things there and completely disappear. However, a number of things would tend to argue against an abduction. First is the remoteness of the area, the early morning hour, the short time that he would have been on the road, and the randomness of it all. Second would be that Dickie went missing along with his shotgun (which was not in its case). Why would a kidnapper stick around long enough to remove the shotgun from its case? If it WAS an abduction, it would have been a totally random crime of opportunity - probably by a serial offender. But were there other similar cases in that area or time frame?

If the bicycle, shells, lunch, and empty shotgun case were staged by someone hoping to mislead police into thinking Dickie set out there to hunt and then fell in the river to drown, that didn't work out well. Why wasn't the shotgun or other items like his hat placed somewhere near the river to be found? Why leave the lunch and shells with the bike?

There are many theories, but with each possible scenario, many unanswered questions. Dickie has never turned up alive and his body has never been found. He has been missing for over 60 years.

 

[snooptroop88]

All very good points. I tend to disagree with the Family Involvement point though. Kriengl Brothers were digging tilling ditches all around Mapleton at the time. And when i say that, basically the road in front and all around Dickie’s house, the road in front of the tavern, etc all had large trenches dug. At 3 or 4am in 1965, no one is gonna see anything happening in Mapleton. Trust me. Having grown up there, it’s not a busy town. In fact in the 60’s it was still called a village. After the taverns last call, everyone goes home. If an argument went bad at say 2 or 3am no one is gonna see someone carrying a 4’9” kid to a giant ditch next to the tavern and easily shoveled some dirt over him. Mathias worked for Kriengl Brothers, so Saturday morning he could have easily cranked up a backloader like he was just moving it somewhere else and added some dirt to make ensure full coverage and literally no one would have thought twice about it. Just as no one would have seen a thing if at 2am he put Dickie in the trunk of the car parked just outside the door and drove him to the farm. And having as much farm land as the family did just north of Mapleton, no one is gonna see or hear anything. And his sisters were young at that time so they were probably in bed by the time the parents came home from the tavern. And Dickie not being present when they woke up Saturday morning could have easily been explained that he already left to go hunting.

All I’m saying is that it could have been Mathias acting alone, keeping the secret. Taking the truth to his grave. (Mathias died less than 2 years later)

I agree with your Hunting Accident
Assessment - So in speaking to friends of Dickies, my understanding is Dickie had gotten permission to hunt on private property and was looking for people to join him. So I can see it very plausible that after Dickie didn’t answer the door that morning the boys went to a public location to hunt. Which was Hungry Hollow, north of Mapleton. (not in biking distance btw) The question on why they didn’t go south could simply be that they didn’t either know where Dickie planned to hunt or the fact that it was private property and they didn’t have permission.

Ditches are a red flag, but Dickie had asked the sister to borrow the bike that morning and she was wondering why he asked because he usually just took it. This is an interesting response because it sounds very authentic, I'd wonder myself in such a scenario, you know, why's he asking all of a sudden?? (And still do wonder on this.) There's just no denying the ditches, the tavern, the private property, the availability of equipment... as a legitimate concern because the opportunity was there. But the mother, wouldn't she be there and witness such an argument? Wouldn't someone in the family have noticed the father missing when all of this would be going on? Wouldn't the father have had at least one thing, some thing, anything... he'd have to "explain away"? Because that's all it would take for his luck to potentially run out in such a scenario. Plus, Dickie had all these people to meet that day, he had all these activities planned. The father arguably had better opportunities available to him than "that night." It could have been another night, with a less busy day to follow. I still don't think so, but it's jmo, and can see strength in this theory.

We don't know what the three other young hunters told investigators concerning their original plans to hunt geese with Dickie - or why they changed them to go squirrel hunting some 15 miles to the north. One of the boys (the driver McGregor) DID live on a farm southeast of town and not far from where Dickie's bicycle was found.

A friend of Dickie's, Chuck Heally was quoted in the Maple River Messenger article (October 2025) as recalling that he was expecting Dickie to arrive at his parents' farm the morning of 2 October 1965 to hunt with him, but that Dickie never showed up. He also recalled Mrs. Huerkamp calling his house several times the next day to see if Dickie was there.

It is possible that Dickie rode his bicycle to a field or driveway close to either the Heally farm or the McGregor farm hoping to meet his buddies, met with a hunting accident, his body hidden/buried, and his bicycle and gear staged where later found.

It is also possible that he was the victim of a kidnapping at the site where his bicycle was found. That would explain why he would leave his things there and completely disappear. However, a number of things would tend to argue against an abduction. First is the remoteness of the area, the early morning hour, the short time that he would have been on the road, and the randomness of it all. Second would be that Dickie went missing along with his shotgun (which was not in its case). Why would a kidnapper stick around long enough to remove the shotgun from its case? If it WAS an abduction, it would have been a totally random crime of opportunity - probably by a serial offender. But were there other similar cases in that area or time frame?

If the bicycle, shells, lunch, and empty shotgun case were staged by someone hoping to mislead police into thinking Dickie set out there to hunt and then fell in the river to drown, that didn't work out well. Why wasn't the shotgun or other items like his hat placed somewhere near the river to be found? Why leave the lunch and shells with the bike?

There are many theories, but with each possible scenario, many unanswered questions. Dickie has never turned up alive and his body has never been found. He has been missing for over 60 years.

Can't help but continue to wonder on that abduction idea here. But completely agreed, why Mapleton? Keep thinking of that campground. I used to wonder on the tavern, but thanks to posters noting all the information in the chat, have realized some interloper venturing into that tavern unnoticed on or around that day-- impossible. Football game, all locals. That car accident? We don't have any idea about it, never get the details, but I would guess if they're salient, LE has them. Dickie seeing the need to ask to borrow a bike when he's used it quite often in the past without asking. And the crying. Why's he crying? Okay, oversleeping, but so upset he's driven to tears. For me, a couple of different possibilities emerge here re: possible abductor:

-abductor "passing through" @Richard has had a listing on here since early on for reasons out-of-towners might be in the area. World Series. University of Minnesota v University of Missouri game. Also wondering about Oktoberfests. That campground nearby makes me pretty nervous on this theory
-abductor had at some point prior "passed through," took specific note of Dickie either initially or on return to area/Events that could have prompted this: MN State Fair, Falcon Heights, end of Aug till Sept 6, 1965, Falcon Heights just under 2 hrs (if driving today) north of Mapleton; Beatles played Bloomington end of August 1965, Bloomington an hour and a half north of Mapleton; and that carnival Dickie had attended where he made a friend, were some of the workers associated with it by any chance returning to the area for an Oktoberfest or some other event? And that football game we're talking about, was that the homecoming game? There can be festivals/parades associated with homecoming games. The family having a tavern makes me especially nervous on this "passed through prior" theory generally. Maybe something brought someone back into the area.

As someone from Chicago, I have Gacy "on the brain" as I do searching in some cases. I don't want that to cause me to "jump the gun"and assume this is an abduction. But things of note that kind of make my antenna go up on this so far: pool tables in the tavern, Gacy's a drinker and he had a pool table in his house; Gacy's a traveler and into "clowning," someone spotted him clowning at a parade way back in his Iowa years, some timelines put him in Iowa as early as 1964; Gacy had fake badges, spotllights on his car to make himself look like LE, and a red emergency light for the roof of his car, handcuffs, gun; Gacy supposedly promoted a Kinks concert representing the Jaycees in Springfield IL June 1965, the Beatles were in Bloomington end of Aug 1965; Gacy often lured victims by dangling financial incentives like a job. I will say, though, I've never seen Gacy noted to be a camper, so while I find the campsite interesting, that's definitely not reading Gacy for me.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Ditches are a red flag, but Dickie had asked the sister to borrow the bike that morning and she was wondering why he asked because he usually just took it. This is an interesting response because it sounds very authentic, I'd wonder myself in such a scenario, you know, why's he asking all of a sudden?? (And still do wonder on this.) There's just no denying the ditches, the tavern, the private property, the availability of equipment... as a legitimate concern because the opportunity was there. But the mother, wouldn't she be there and witness such an argument? Wouldn't someone in the family have noticed the father missing when all of this would be going on? Wouldn't the father have had at least one thing, some thing, anything... he'd have to "explain away"? Because that's all it would take for his luck to potentially run out in such a scenario. Plus, Dickie had all these people to meet that day, he had all these activities planned. The father arguably had better opportunities available to him than "that night." It could have been another night, with a less busy day to follow. I still don't think so, but it's jmo, and can see strength in this theory.

Can't help but continue to wonder on that abduction idea here. But completely agreed, why Mapleton? Keep thinking of that campground. I used to wonder on the tavern, but thanks to posters noting all the information in the chat, have realized some interloper venturing into that tavern unnoticed on or around that day-- impossible. Football game, all locals. That car accident? We don't have any idea about it, never get the details, but I would guess if they're salient, LE has them. Dickie seeing the need to ask to borrow a bike when he's used it quite often in the past without asking. And the crying. Why's he crying? Okay, oversleeping, but so upset he's driven to tears. For me, a couple of different possibilities emerge here re: possible abductor:

-abductor "passing through" @Richard has had a listing on here since early on for reasons out-of-towners might be in the area. World Series. University of Minnesota v University of Missouri game. Also wondering about Oktoberfests. That campground nearby makes me pretty nervous on this theory
-abductor had at some point prior "passed through," took specific note of Dickie either initially or on return to area/Events that could have prompted this: MN State Fair, Falcon Heights, end of Aug till Sept 6, 1965, Falcon Heights just under 2 hrs (if driving today) north of Mapleton; Beatles played Bloomington end of August 1965, Bloomington an hour and a half north of Mapleton; and that carnival Dickie had attended where he made a friend, were some of the workers associated with it by any chance returning to the area for an Oktoberfest or some other event? And that football game we're talking about, was that the homecoming game? There can be festivals/parades associated with homecoming games. The family having a tavern makes me especially nervous on this "passed through prior" theory generally. Maybe something brought someone back into the area.

As someone from Chicago, I have Gacy "on the brain" as I do searching in some cases. I don't want that to cause me to "jump the gun"and assume this is an abduction. But things of note that kind of make my antenna go up on this so far: pool tables in the tavern, Gacy's a drinker and he had a pool table in his house; Gacy's a traveler and into "clowning," someone spotted him clowning at a parade way back in his Iowa years, some timelines put him in Iowa as early as 1964; Gacy had fake badges, spotllights on his car to make himself look like LE, and a red emergency light for the roof of his car, handcuffs, gun; Gacy supposedly promoted a Kinks concert representing the Jaycees in Springfield IL June 1965, the Beatles were in Bloomington end of Aug 1965; Gacy often lured victims by dangling financial incentives like a job. I will say, though, I've never seen Gacy noted to be a camper, so while I find the campsite interesting, that's definitely not reading Gacy for me.

Totally agree with you. Random kidnappings did happen. Like you with Gacy, Jacob Wetterling is always on my mind regarding this case. So many similarities. Oct 1989 11 year old Jacob Wetterling,
was kidnapped at gun point by a stranger on a country road just outside St Joesph MN, about 2 hours north of Mapleton. Danny Heinrich kidnapped Jacob at gun point, as he, his brother and best friend Aaron returned home on bikes and scooters from the local gas station after getting a movie rental. Heinrich took Jacob to a nearby quarry, sexually assaulted him and when he heard the cop cars nearby, shot and killed Wetterling, burying him in the quarry. It was 27 years before we knew what happened to Jacob that night. Heinrich went on living in the community and for a long time no one was the wiser. DNA from another boy Heinrich had molested broke the case wide open. Heinrich was found with of incredible amount of child p*rn and eventually admitted to Jacob’s murder.

Heirinch wasn’t watching Jacob or learning his schedule. He happened upon him on a quiet road on the outskirts of town. At gunpoint Heinrich ordered Jacob and the others off their bikes/scooters and they left them in the ditch. Heinrich took Jacob by car to a nearby quarry and no one saw/heard a thing. He planned to just SA Jacob and return him but when he heard the cop cars around town he ended up killing him. He operated some quarry tractor to dig a hole and cover Jacob’s body and eventually he went back after some time and moved to body to another hole.

So unfortunately stranger kidnappings did happen, even in small town Minnesota. And Jacob’s case sort of puts similar details back into focus when you see how the chain of events happened that night and it took 27 years to find Jacob. For police Jacobs case had a head start, they knew he was kidnapped. Dickie’s case, leaves all sorts of scenarios possible…