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the case for six or seven months.About the same time, her hus hand took a call from an attorney in Omaha. Neb. who had a client In prison who claimed he abducted the boy. John Gosch was skeptical and didn't tell hts wife But he hired Roy Stephens, an Omaha private Investigator, to meet Paul Bonacci. 24.JOHN LATER met Bonacci and came away convinced he was telling the truth John told his wife about Bonacci in March 1991To test Bonacci's credibility, the Gosches gave the private Investigator a photo of the Dos Moines man they believed was in on the abduction “I didn't tell him the man's name and there was nothing on the photo to Identify the man. Noreen saysBonacci was shown a dozen photos. Including the one from the Gosches As Noreen recalls. Stephens said Bonacci picked up this one of the Des Moines man, said the guy's name, said this guy helped him kidnap Johnny, this is what his part was. and he came to the motel the night before the kidnapping with a photo of Johnny and said. This is the kid we want you to take tomorrow ’ **Noreen met Bonacci Just be fore Thanksgiving She savs he told her things he could knowonly from talking with her son.Bonacci says Johnny was sold to a pedophile In Colorado He says he was on the road with Johnny and others for about seven years and last saw him In Colorado in 1989 He claims Gosch was later shipped to * country In the area of the Neth erlatids. where this type of activity is legal. Noreen says.Bonacci says Johnny was renamed Mark, has black hair and is 6-foot-4.Bonacci. in prison for sexually assaulting three boys. Is sched uled to be released in October The Gosches took a transcript of his statement to the police, hop ing the other men would be arrested nnd the case would be solvedNo one has been arrested, and West Des Moines police haven't even Interviewed Bonacci.Noreen la baffled We have prayed for this for so long, and now that we’ve got it. they're Just going to sit on it.”Detectives say there is a good reason for their caution Bonacci has multiple personalities and only one claims to have abduct ed the boy.Noreen says she was skeptical at first about Bonaccl's multiple personalities, but psychiatrists have told her that people with multiple personalities typically don't lie.However, just as many psychiatrists would disagree, says West Des Moines detective Gary Scott, who has worked on the case for 2'. years. Because of that, he says Bonacci would make a poor witness.He also says Bonacci accused several prominent Omaha residents in 1989 of being involved in a child sexual abuse scandal He was charged with perjury and eventually rrcanted Prose cutors dropped the perjury charge because Bonacci was in prison.We already know what he is saying. Scott says. 1 have a good relationship with the family I'm not going to get into an arguing match with her. but we have reservations as to what we’re hearing from Bonacci.”TIIE GOSCHES pledge that they'll keep trying to convince police that the case Is solved I always thought it would be solved, even when I thought Johnny was dead. Noreen saysBut in reality, the little 12-year old boy that I knew Is dead'He's alive physically, but he isn't Johnny It isn't my Johnny that would come back if he's alive
Newspaper Details
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Fri, Mar 20, 1992
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Oct 2017
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