IL IL - Everett Hawley, 74, Winnebago County, 20 Feb 1976

[TheArtfulDetective]

Everett Hawley​

Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: February 20, 1976
Location Last Seen: Winnebago County near the Ogle County Line, Illinois
Missing From: Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois

Description:

• Date of Birth: December 22, 1901
• Age: 74 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: 6' 1" - 6' 5" (73 - 77 inches)
• Weight: 220 - 225 lbs
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown
• Nickname/Alias: Unknown
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Wears glasses.
• Clothing & Personal Items: Business attire with a light over-coat. Possibly glasses.
• Associated Vehicle: 1966 gold two-door Chevrolet Impala
• Identifiers: Unknown

Circumstances of Disappearance:
Hawley and his business partner, Clarence Owens, were last seen at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County Line in Illinois on February 20, 1976. The men loved to visit auctions and always had cash on hand just in case they saw a good bargain.

Owens picked up Hawley in his newly gold painted 1966 Chevrolet Impala on the morning of February 20. Their first stop was the American Legion Hall in Pecatonica, Illinois to attend a political rally. After the rally, they walked to Rocky's Cafe, located across the street, for pie and coffee. The two men then went to visit Owens' son, who lived nearby. He wasn't home, but they talked to his wife for about 5 minutes, mentioning they had an appointment to go assess some farm property near German Valley.

On the way to their appointment, Hawley and Owens stopped for an auction at Borgman's farm on Pecatonica Road around 3:00 PM. This was the last verified sighting of the two men. They missed the scheduled appointment in German Valley and failed to arrive home that afternoon as planned. They have never been heard from again and were reported missing the following day.

Despite extensive searches with the aid of aerial surveillance, both Hawley, Owens, and the vehicle they were driving have never been located. Their whereabouts remain unknown.



Investigators:

• Stephenson County Sheriffs Office: (815) 235-8252
  Reference Case Number: M8307118

NCIC Case Number: Not available
NamUs Case Number: MP39282
NCMEC Number: Not available

5607DMIL - Everett Hawley
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

 

[Diane Redfern]

I've never been in a farm auction. Is there any possibility to know who attended the auction?

Hawley and his business partner, Clarence Owens, were last seen at a farm auction near the Winnebago-Ogle County Line in Illinois on February 20, 1976. The men loved to visit auctions and always had cash on hand just in case they saw a good bargain.

Maybe someone at the auction saw its opportunity to get cash (or even to steal the car) from them. Other possibility is that they gave a ride to the wrong person.
I think Clarence and Everett cases should have only one thread.

There's a possible suspect, however:
In May of 1976, Fred Lickel, a cashier clerk from a farm auction had been kidnapped after the sale was finished. William Exline from Rockford had taken the cashier hostage and stolen the money collected from the sale (reportedly $85,000 in cash and checks). Exline forced the man at gunpoint to drive his company car away from the farm in Monroe, Wisconsin. The man was unharmed but badly shaken when Exline dropped him by the side of the road. Exline was later questioned about the incident after a tip was called into the Green County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department involved the FBI because Exline crossed state lines during the commission of the crime. Though Exline denied any involvement with the kidnapping, the cashier’s company car was found on the property of a campground that was owned by Exline near New Milford. Exline would later be convicted to ten years in prison for the crime.
The newspaper article emphasized the similarities between the Monroe case and the disappearance of Owens and Hawley. During the research for this story, this author interviewed others who shared the belief that these two cases were related. The authorities involved in the 1976 kidnapping case also noted the similarities but no arrests were ever made.
Source:

Into Thin Air: Everett Hawley & Clarence Owens | Haunted Rockford

www.hauntedrockford.com

 

[Diane Redfern]

This is eerie:

Freeport Journal-Standard from Freeport, Illinois - Newspapers.com

Get this Freeport Journal-Standard page for free from Monday, June 28, 1976 4 Freiport (III.) Journal-Standard.. Edition of Freeport Journal-Standard

www.newspapers.com

Lloyd, 85, and Anna, 82, died of multiple gunshot wounds-to the head, chest and upper extremities between 6 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday, according to Winnebago County Coroner John P. Seward. The coroner's office declined to release information on the type or caliber of weapon used: The Schraders were found in their bedroom, dressed in night clothes, authorities said.

It was speculated shots were fired through a screen and closed window. Coots said it appeared the house was broken into and ransacked after the couple was shot. Coots said he is not ruling out the possibility that more than one criminal was involved in the double murder. After the bodies were discovered Friday, county deputies and civil defense volunteers covered the 12-acre area surrounding the Schrader home and the footprints were found. The sheriff's department said eight deputies are working "around-the- clock" on the investigation.

The Schraders farmed in Ridott Township for 43 years before retiring. They operated a restaurant at their son Harry's Dakota Marketing Center every Tuesday. The sale barn will be closed Tuesday. Speculation Friday night prompted rumors in the area that the deaths were somehow related to the disappearance of two Freeport men, Everett Hawley and Clarence Owens.

One rumor was that the two missing men had been located in an abandoned farm building near Pecatonica. "The two men have not been found. That rumor is a lie and they are still missing," Stephenson County Sheriff Don Scofield. said this morning. Scofield said his department has continously been checking out rumors and leads but none has led to a solution of the case.

 

[oceanverde]

I'm no good with cars so I can't tell if this could be them or not but there's a car that's been pulled from the Pecatonica river nearby

Car in nearly 50-year-old cold case pulled from Pecatonica River

Investigators have a new lead into the disappearance of two northern Illinois men nearly 50 years ago.

www.wifr.com

 

[oceanverde]

Now the Sheriff has confirmed that it is the car, more details to come later.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=929689931884774

 

[imstilla.grandma]

According to the International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons, the two men were business partners and were last seen between 2:40 p.m. and 3 p.m. at a farm auction. Earlier that day, they had attended a political rally for gubernatorial candidate James Thompson at the American Legion in Pecatonica, stopped off at Rocky’s Cafe, and visited Owen’s son, who lived nearby.

The pair failed to keep a scheduled appointment in German Valley and were reported missing by their families the next day.

Contemporary reports said Hawley was a Freeport farm real estate broker and Owens was his salesman.

Their disappearance has puzzled investigators for decades.

Car found in Pecatonica River linked to 47-year-old missing persons case

A car, found in the Pecatonica River on Monday, holds the key to solving the mysterious disappearances of Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley 47 years ago, according to police.

wgntv.com

*thinking of his family now. Finally - they can rest too.

 

[renaebri]

Props to the fishermen for seeing it on sonar and reporting it! This makes the 5th decades-old case so far this year where the vehicle they went missing with has been found. I hope they will be able to find remains for more closure.

 

[dotr]

Vehicle recovered from northern Illinois river tied to 1970s cold case disappearance

A car connected to the cold case disappearance of two men in the 1970s was pulled from a Winnebago County river on Monday afternoon, according to WREX, the NBC affiliate in Rockford. Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Garuana told WREX that a 1966 Chevy Impala was recovered from the Pecatonica River...

www.nbcchicago.com

''A car connected to the cold case disappearance of two men in the 1970s was pulled from a Winnebago County river on Monday afternoon, according to WREX, the NBC affiliate in Rockford.''

''The car, which was reportedly in mud about eight to 10 feet below the surface, was recovered by dive crews in about 15 minutes, WREX reported.''

 

[Eli9]

Amazing. What a discovery and after so much time has passed.

 

[Kmjava]

According to the International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons, the two men were business partners and were last seen between 2:40 p.m. and 3 p.m. at a farm auction. Earlier that day, they had attended a political rally for gubernatorial candidate James Thompson at the American Legion in Pecatonica, stopped off at Rocky’s Cafe, and visited Owen’s son, who lived nearby.

The pair failed to keep a scheduled appointment in German Valley and were reported missing by their families the next day.

Contemporary reports said Hawley was a Freeport farmreal estate broker and Owens was his salesman.

Their disappearance has puzzled investigators for decades.

Car found in Pecatonica River linked to 47-year-old missing persons case

A car, found in the Pecatonica River on Monday, holds the key to solving the mysterious disappearances of Clarence Owens and Everett Hawley 47 years ago, according to police.

wgntv.com

*thinking of his family now. Finally - they can rest too.

My husband grew up on a farm in the area. He told me just this morning that he remembers when he was just a young boy his father talking about these two guys that went missing that they were going around buying up repossessed farms from local farmers and people were angry. rumor was somebody took care of the problem? Im sure it was just a rumor! But it makes you think.

 

[oceanverde]

That's crazy. I haven't read anything about that.

 

[oceanverde]

Human Remains have been recovered. Sounds like 2 separate sets of remains. One in the vehicle and one along the river bank.

Coroner: Human remains recovered from vehicle pulled from Pecatonica River

New details about the 1966 Chevrolet Impala pulled Monday from the Pecatonica River will be released Wednesday during a joint news conference.

www.wifr.com

 

[dotr]

Mar 14, 2024 #Illinois #ColdCase #Disappearance
After a car was found at the bottom of Pecatonica River in Illinois, 90-year-old resident Marj Herbig recalls the disappearance of Clarence Owens, 65, and Everette Hawley, 75, saying it was the "talk of the town," and hopes the decades-old case can be put to rest.