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

[MadMcGoo]

Richard John “Dickie” Huerkamp (1950-1965) - Find...

www.findagrave.com

RICHARD JOHN ‘DICKIE’ HUERKAMP

Missing Since: October 2, 1965
Missing From: Mapleton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Sex: Male
Race: White
Age: 15 years
Date of Birth: September 1, 1950
Height: 4’9”
Weight: 78 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Clothing: Grey coveralls, a red shirt, blue jeans, a hunting cap and hunting boots with high buckles. He was carrying a 12-gauge shotgun that hasn’t been found.

Circumstances of Disappearance: He left his home alone around 5:00 am to go goose hunting. His mother reported him missing after finding his bicycle, lunch and a box of shotgun shells alongside County Road 7, about four miles south of Mapleton. Bloodhounds later tracked his scent from the bicycle to the Maple River, but no trace of him was ever found.

Richard Huerkamp Disappearance/Search

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 10/4/1965. Richard Huerkamp Disappearance/Search

www.newspapers.com

Article clipped from The Minneapolis Star

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 10/5/1965.

www.newspapers.com

Article clipped from The Minneapolis Star

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 10/6/1965.

www.newspapers.com

Article clipped from St. Cloud Times

Clipping found in St. Cloud Times published in Saint Cloud, Minnesota on 10/27/1965.

www.newspapers.com

Article clipped from The Minneapolis Star

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 10/30/1965.

www.newspapers.com

Article clipped from The Minneapolis Star

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 11/2/1965.

www.newspapers.com

Richard Huerkamp

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 3/9/1966. Richard Huerkamp

www.newspapers.com

Richard Huerkamp-2

Clipping found in The Minneapolis Star published in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 3/9/1966. Richard Huerkamp-2

www.newspapers.com

 

[Brightchaser47]

Given what we're told about this, I doubt he drowned-- searchers would've found something. He looks to me like a sweet, responsible kid who may've been bullied. I'd like to know more about the kids who were to join him, but never showed up. jmo

 

[Satch]

Given what we're told about this, I doubt he drowned-- searchers would've found something. He looks to me like a sweet, responsible kid who may've been bullied. I'd like to know more about the kids who were to join him, but never showed up. jmo

Possible abduction I would suspect,
If he drowned or committed suicide, they would have found his body.

Satch

 

[Brightchaser47]

Possible abduction I would suspect,
If he drowned or committed suicide, they would have found his body.

Satch

I agree abduction is a possibility, but how? The dog tracked him from the bike to the river, then nothing. Nothing at the road, and surely a boat would've been seen.

 

[MadMcGoo]

This is pretty close to the where CR 7 meets the Maple River today. It’s not a very wide or deep river, but rain had apparently raised the water level at the time. It doesn’t seem like he would have ended up too far away had he drowned near where his bike was found.

 

[Pressureandheat]

This case has fascinated me since I was a kid, as there is a memorial in my parents year book about him. He was in one of my uncle’s class. There were rumors in town about foul play at the hands of his father but nothing ever proven. Nothing was ever found floating up like he had drowned. The town doesn’t have a single stoplight, that’s how small it is. But 7 is one of 2 major roads through to other towns/highways, easy shot to Iowa. I have always wondered about kidnappings. Took 20+ yrs for police to connect Jacob Wetterlings kidnapping to other nearby cases. Having lived there my whole life I can easily see how someone could snatch a kid off 7 and just keep driving south. I do find it interesting that I really could never find much about it in the local papers, The Mapleton Scot or the Mankato Free Press. Have considered doing a FOIA to see what the police even have on it.

 

[Pressureandheat]

Given what we're told about this, I doubt he drowned-- searchers would've found something. He looks to me like a sweet, responsible kid who may've been bullied. I'd like to know more about the kids who were to join him, but never showed up. jmo

They did show up. Rang the doorbell and no one answered, so they left and went hunting without him. Reportedly they went to Hungry Hollow which is the opposite direction to where “Dickie” went hunting. It’s north on 22 about 30ish min away.
I have always found it “odd” that no one heard the doorbell. It’s all very rural, farm land. Long gravel driveways, and almost everyone has a dog that would bark if a car or someone came on the property. Makes me wonder if the rumors about his dad had some truth.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Have considered doing a FOIA to see what the police even have on it.

RSBM
I wish you luck with the FOIA request. Depending on the status and nature of the case, LE may or may not grant it.

 

[Brightchaser47]

They did show up. Rang the doorbell and no one answered, so they left and went hunting without him. Reportedly they went to Hungry Hollow which is the opposite direction to where “Dickie” went hunting. It’s north on 22 about 30ish min away.

My apologies. I must've missed that in the newspaper articles McGoo posted earlier. I'm assuming Dickie didn't know where they were to hunt, as he ended up in the opposite direction of the other kids. Had he known, I'd think he'd head for that same general area to catch up.

I have always found it “odd” that no one heard the doorbell. It’s all very rural, farm land. Long gravel driveways, and almost everyone has a dog that would bark if a car or someone came on the property.

The Huerkamps were tavernkeepers. They probably weren't early risers, and may've been heavy sleepers. In fact, it must've been hard for Mathias to do farm work and keep a tavern (odd hours).

Makes me wonder if the rumors about his dad had some truth.

I don't know what the rumors were, but just going by the newspapers, Dickie's parents portray him as a rather sensitive boy, imo (maybe dad resented that). He was a high school sophomore, yet allegedly cried because he overslept (yet didn't sulk when physically disciplined by his mother the previous night, which is also interesting, imo).
Also, although we're told he hunted regularly in the area, and there are two livehoods mentioned, Dickie had to borrow so many items, just to go hunting nearby.
He apparently undertook the hobby of hunting entirely on his own. He took the hunting course through school and regularly borrowed the shotgun from a friend. His dad never mentions having gone with him or taught him, yet considers him a "responsible" hunter. Interesting. Of course, this is all jmo.

 

[Richard]

Just a few comments on this interesting case:

First, if the make and model of shotgun - and possibly its serial number, if it had one - were known, it might be possible to list it as a stolen firearm and might turn up somewhere along the line. A remote possibility at this late date, but why was it not specified back in the 1965 news reports?

Second, much is made of the tracking dog efforts, even though the dogs took two separate scent paths. My question would be, was it actually Dickie's scent they were following, or simply a scent they picked up near the abandoned bicycle? If the latter was the case, it could mean that someone intentionally dumped the bike and items there and then walked away hoping to misdirect search efforts.

Third, anyone who was as dedicated a hunter as Dickie is reported to have been, certainly would not have dumped his bike and important supplies by a driveway alongside a highway and then proceeded to go hunting without them. It is a possibility that he was abducted at or near the site of the bike and taken away from the area. If the abductor did not take the shotgun, perhaps someone else found and stole it, leaving the rest of the items behind.

 

[Richard]

The neighbor who loaned Dickie his shotgun:

Roger Charles Otto Schultz​

BIRTH 29 Oct 1921, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
DEATH 7 Jul 1995 (aged 73) Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
BURIAL Union Cemetery, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA

 

[Richard]

Richard John “Dickie” Huerkamp​

BIRTH 1950
DEATH 1965 (aged 14–15)
Memorial stone at Calvary Cemetery, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
LINK:

Photos of Richard John “Dickie” Huerkamp - Find a...

www.findagrave.com

 

[Richard]

Both of Dickie's parents have passed away. Their obituaries can be seen at the following links:

Winifred Agnes “Winnie” O'Connor Madsen ...

Winifred “Winnie” A. (O'Connor) Madsen, age 86 of Mankato, died Saturday, August 23, 2014 at Pathstone Crossing with her family by her side. Private services will be held at Northview – North Mankato Mortuary 2060 Commerce Drive, North Mankato, MN 56003. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery...

www.findagrave.com

Mathias P Huerkamp (1920-1968) - Find a Grave...

www.findagrave.com

 

[Brightchaser47]

Deleted by me

 

[Brightchaser47]

Both of Dickie's parents have passed away. Their obituaries can be seen at the following links:

Winifred Agnes “Winnie” O'Connor Madsen ...

Winifred “Winnie” A. (O'Connor) Madsen, age 86 of Mankato, died Saturday, August 23, 2014 at Pathstone Crossing with her family by her side. Private services will be held at Northview – North Mankato Mortuary 2060 Commerce Drive, North Mankato, MN 56003. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery...

www.findagrave.com

Mathias P Huerkamp (1920-1968) - Find a Grave...

www.findagrave.com

Mathias came from a huge family. I wonder if he kept in touch with any of his siblings, or if Dickie was close to any of them.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Richard John “Dickie” Huerkamp​

BIRTH 1950
DEATH 1965 (aged 14–15)
Memorial stone at Calvary Cemetery, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, Minnesota, USA
LINK:

Photos of Richard John “Dickie” Huerkamp - Find a...

www.findagrave.com

That's a very nice marker (not sure what they call it when there's no body).

 

[Pressureandheat]

My apologies. I must've missed that in the newspaper articles McGoo posted earlier. I'm assuming Dickie didn't know where they were to hunt, as he ended up in the opposite direction of the other kids. Had he known, I'd think he'd head for that same general area to catch up.

The Huerkamps were tavernkeepers. They probably weren't early risers, and may've been heavy sleepers. In fact, it must've been hard for Mathias to do farm work and keep a tavern (odd hours).

I don't know what the rumors were, but just going by the newspapers, Dickie's parents portray him as a rather sensitive boy, imo (maybe dad resented that). He was a high school sophomore, yet allegedly cried because he overslept (yet didn't sulk when physically disciplined by his mother the previous night, which is also interesting, imo).
Also, although we're told he hunted regularly in the area, and there are two livehoods mentioned, Dickie had to borrow so many items, just to go hunting nearby.
He apparently undertook the hobby of hunting entirely on his own. He took the hunting course through school and regularly borrowed the shotgun from a friend. His dad never mentions having gone with him or taught him, yet considers him a "responsible" hunter. Interesting. Of course, this is all jmo.

 

[Pressureandheat]

My understanding is that he couldn’t yet drive or didn’t have a car to drive. Either way to catch up with the other boys he would have needed a car to get there.

Full disclosure, I grew up not even 5 min from where his bike was found, so I know the area like the back of my hand. And it’s a very small town, my family knew his family, but were not close friends or anything.

I do find it odd that he had to borrow a gun from a friend. I don’t know a single farmer that didn’t have several readily available. We grew up with a high sense of respect for guns.

 

[Richard]

Newspaper descriptions of Dickie's clothing include a rather vague mention of him wearing high top "parachute" boots with a buckle on the top. This could mean that he had obtained a pair of Army surplus boots - a very common thing for hunters in the 1950's and 60's.

The standard issue Army boot in World War II had a two buckle top which went around the laces. The Paratrooper boots, however, were higher and had no buckles. They were usually laced in a sort of "ladder" style by jumpers.


Parachute jumper boots laced in ladder style.



US Army "double buckle" style combat boots of WW II.

 

[Brightchaser47]

Newspaper descriptions of Dickie's clothing include a rather vague mention of him wearing high top "parachute" boots with a buckle on the top. This could mean that he had obtained a pair of Army surplus boots - a very common thing for hunters in the 1950's and 60's.

The standard issue Army boot in World War II had a two buckle top which went around the laces. The Paratrooper boots, however, were higher and had no buckles. They were usually laced in a sort of "ladder" style by jumpers.


Parachute jumper boots laced in ladder style.



US Army "double buckle" style combat boots of WW II.

Nice catch,  Richard. If they were military surplus, I wonder whether they actually fit him, or were a bit large (since he was small for his age, and smaller sizes in surplus clothing can be hard to find).