Missing Paperboys /// Chapter 5 /// A Need to Kill

Missing Paperboys /// Chapter 5 /// A Need to Kill

From True Crime Garage by TRUE CRIME GARAGE

April 21, 2026 · 1h 31m

About this episode

The episode discusses the mysterious disappearances of paperboys in the eighties and features an interview with investigative reporter Mark Pettit about the case.

In the eighties in middle America paperboys were disappearing. It started in Iowa and then moved to Nebraska. Kids were plucked off of the street and some have vanished forever. The first boy gone was Johnny Gosch. The second was Danny Joe Eberle. The third boy didn’t have a paper route at all. Christopher Walden was abducted near his home while walking to school, on December 2, 1983. John Joubert confessed to and later was convicted of murdering Danny Joe Eberle and Christopher Walden. Even with a confession Joubert was a man with many secrets. Some he told to investigative reporter Mark Pettit. Mark Pettit is the author of “A Need to Kill,” and he was kind enough to join us in the Garage for a discussion about abduction, murder, and what goes on in the mind of a serial killer.

People in this episode

Host: TRUE CRIME GARAGE

Guest: Mark Pettit

Topics covered

  • abduction
  • murder
  • serial killer
  • true crime
  • investigative journalism

Keywords

  • paperboys
  • disappearances
  • Iowa
  • Nebraska
  • serial killer
  • John Joubert
  • Mark Pettit
  • true crime

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: A Need to Kill

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