Paperboy vanished then 15 years later ‘turned up with man and told mum harrowing truth’

Johnny Gosch was only 12 years old when he disappeared, yet his story has followed his family and the public for more than four decades. On the morning of September 5, 1982, Johnny left his home in West Des Moines, Iowa, before sunrise to deliver newspapers, just as he did every weekend. It was meant to be a normal, quiet morning. Instead, it became the last confirmed time anyone saw him.

Several people later told police they noticed a blue car stopping near Johnny along his route. The driver appeared to ask him for directions, something that would not have seemed unusual to a polite and trusting child. Not long after that, witnesses reported seeing a tall man walking behind Johnny as he continued down the street. Within minutes, something clearly went wrong. Other paperboys came across Johnny’s red wagon sitting alone, with newspapers still neatly stacked inside. Johnny himself had vanished without a sound.

At home, Noreen and John Gosch had no idea their son was missing. They only realized something was wrong when phone calls began coming in from neighbors asking why their newspapers had not been delivered. Panic set in quickly. John rushed out to finish Johnny’s route, hoping he might find him along the way, while Noreen contacted the police. From that moment on, their lives became consumed by fear, confusion, and unanswered questions.

Despite searches, interviews, and years of investigation, no physical evidence was ever found. There were no signs of a struggle, no confirmed witnesses who saw the actual abduction, and no trace of where Johnny might have been taken. His disappearance became one of the most disturbing unsolved child cases in American history. Many people believed he had been kidnapped and murdered, but without proof, the case remained open and painfully unresolved.

In the months that followed, strange and unsettling reports began to surface. A woman in Oklahoma claimed she saw a boy who looked exactly like Johnny. She said he appeared terrified and was begging for help before two men grabbed him and pulled him away. Around the same time, Noreen said she received phone calls late at night from a voice that sounded just like her son’s. The caller would say “Mom” and then hang up. These moments were brief, but they were enough to keep her hope alive.

Over the years, reports of possible sightings came from different parts of the country. None of them led to solid answers, but they reinforced Noreen’s belief that Johnny might still be alive. One sheriff’s investigator even publicly stated that he believed Johnny could still be found, though he could not say when or how.

Nearly nine years after Johnny vanished, a private investigator contacted Noreen with shocking information. A young man in prison named Paul Bonacci claimed he had been involved in Johnny’s kidnapping. According to Bonacci, he had been part of a group that abducted children and forced them into horrific situations. He described Johnny being chosen because of his appearance and said he was threatened with death if he refused to take part.

Bonacci claimed he helped lure Johnny because children are more likely to trust someone their own age. He described how Johnny was forced into a car and drugged. Bonacci went on to describe abuse and said the children were moved between different locations. He even claimed to have seen Johnny alive months later in Colorado, living under the control of a powerful man known only as “The Colonel,” who allegedly kept children hidden and punished them when they disobeyed.

Law enforcement later questioned Bonacci’s claims and said they could not confirm many details of his story. Investigators stated there was no proof that Johnny had ever been held at the locations Bonacci described. Still, the story deeply affected Noreen, because it offered a possible explanation that Johnny had survived and was being held against his will.

Then, in 1997, something happened that Noreen says changed everything. Years after she and John had divorced, and while she was living alone, she claimed there was a knock at her door late at night. Two men were standing outside. One of them, she said, was her son.

According to Noreen, the man looked older but had the same eyes Johnny had as a child. She said he told her, “It’s me, Mom. I’m Johnny.” She embraced him and felt certain it was her son. She also claimed he showed her a birthmark on his chest that matched one Johnny had when he was young. At that time, Johnny would have been 27 years old.

Noreen said the man did not explain where he had been living or who the other man was. He told her he was in danger and could not stay long. He said he had been warned that she would be killed if he tried to contact her or reveal information about the people who took him. He spoke about being moved around the country and being used to compromise powerful people, including businessmen and politicians. He also mentioned “The Colonel,” which matched details from Bonacci’s earlier account.

The visit, according to Noreen, lasted about two hours. Then the two men left, and she has never seen the man again. Over the years, many people have questioned her story, suggesting the visitor may have been an impostor or that grief influenced her belief. Still, Noreen has never wavered. She has consistently said she knows what she saw and felt that night.

Today, Johnny Gosch’s disappearance remains unsolved. There is no final answer, no closure, and no certainty about his fate. For Noreen, hope has never faded. She continues to believe her son survived and that the truth about what happened to him will one day come to light, no matter how much time has passed.