True Crime Garage: Missing Paperboys /// Chapter 2 /// Nebraska Nightmare

Original Air Date: April 8, 2026
Hosts: Nic and the Captain

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is the second in the “Missing Paperboys” series, focusing on the 1983 abduction and murder of 13-year-old paperboy Danny Joe Eberly in Bellevue, Nebraska, and its parallels to the still-unsolved case of Johnny Gosh in Iowa a year prior. Nic and the Captain discuss the investigation's development, the evolving role of the FBI in child abductions, witness accounts, behavior profiling, and pivotal moments that shaped modern approaches to these tragic cases.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime: Danny Joe Eberly’s Disappearance and Discovery

• [02:31] September 18, 1983: Danny, 13, goes missing while delivering newspapers early Sunday morning in Bellevue, Nebraska.
• Only three newspapers were delivered; Danny’s bike and bag were found inside a fenced yard on his route.
• Danny’s parents responded quickly, and police were notified right away—faster than responses in previous cases like Johnny Gosh.
• [13:26 | 22:22] Two and a half days later, Danny’s body was found in tall grass along a country road near the Iowa border, four miles from where his bike was found.

2. Investigative Response and FBI Involvement

• After Johnny Gosh’s abduction, families lobbied for better law enforcement response and direct FBI involvement.
• [06:22] FBI agents (including Robert Ressler, one of the original Mindhunters, and profiler Peter Klismet) are brought in.
  • Quote [07:00]: “He goes, I didn't feel much like an expert arriving to the scene of a missing child case.” —Nic, reading Klismet’s reflection
• Notably, the FBI's full engagement so quickly was still novel in the early ‘80s.

3. The Crime Scene and Physical Evidence

• [23:00] Danny was hogtied, tape over mouth/hands, stripped to undershorts, stabbed, neck slashed, mutilated (incl. odd crisscross pattern). No evidence of conventional sexual assault.
• Scene appeared quickly chosen for body dump—killer likely acted out of fear of being seen, opting for tall grass near road instead of the nearby river.
  • Quote [23:00]: “The offender or offenders made that choice simply out of fear... worried about headlights from other vehicles, about being seen...” —Nic, paraphrasing Ressler’s analysis
• Rope and bindings would become focal points for the investigation (possibly rare/unique rope).

4. Witness Accounts and Community Impact

• [13:18] No direct witnesses to the abduction or body dump, but:
  • Danny's older brother reported being followed by a young white male in a tan car in weeks prior.
  • Other boys gave less specific but similar accounts.
• [15:08 | 19:13] Community shaken: search efforts involved many volunteers; normalcy shattered.
  • Quote [16:10]: “Crimes like this... puncture a community. And that community’s belief that life is predictable.” —Host 1

5. Behavioral Profiling and FBI Methodology

• [34:52 | 36:00] Profilers Robert Ressler and Peter Klismet lead the behavioral analysis.

  • Emphasis placed on not just “what” happened, but “why” and “how.”
  • Educated local detectives on thinking beyond obvious facts.
  • Quote [36:50]: “If you can concern yourself and figure out how it happened, why it happened, that might tell you who did this.” —Ressler, paraphrased

• [45:23 | 46:56] Ressler’s preliminary offender profile:

  • Young white male, late teens to early 20s
  • Local, likely single, high school education or less, menial work or unemployed
  • Likely has rope/tying experience (possibly from a farm or military)
  • May have a tan vehicle, possibly access to the local Air Force base
  • Driven by domination, humiliation, fantasy—sexually motivated without “typical” sexual assault
  • May have had recent stressors like job/family trouble
  • Might try to insert himself into the investigation
  • Caution urged: Don’t publicize composite sketches/profiles too early to avoid pushing perpetrator away
  • Quote [51:58]: “…often pointed to a young male offender with little genuine sexual experience. Someone driven toward domination, humiliation and fantasy...” —Host 1, quoting Ressler

6. Investigative Strategies & Lessons Learned

• [55:42 | 56:57] Multiple crime scenes likely: abduction site, vehicle, murder site, body dump.
• [57:30] Rope is a crucial piece of evidence—may be rare/unique. Military connection suspected due to proximity to Air Force base.
• [60:00] Cross-referencing new base arrivals and tan vehicle ownership is advised (though number of transfers complicates things).

7. Aftermath and Warning of Further Crimes

• [65:02] Forensic analysis of rope: confirmed as unique, but no immediate matches.
• Witness hypnosis attempted—for minimal new information.
• [66:30] In December 1983, while still unresolved, another nearby boy abduction occurs—Ressler’s warning about repeat offenders tragically realized.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Profile Education:
  “People with sadistic inclinations tend to want to completely immobilize their victim. It gives them a feeling of control, power over their victim, and it lets them do exactly what he wants without any resistance.”
  —Robert Ressler (via Host 1, [35:45])

• Urgency of Early Action:
  “Those type of technicalities do not comfort grieving parents.”
  —Ressler on delays in FBI involvement ([09:47])

• On Holding Back Information:
  “Don’t release my profile to the public and don’t release a composite sketch yet to the public, because the chance that the killer or killers would want to insert themselves into the investigation—you need to give them time...”
  —Host 1, conveying Ressler’s strategy ([54:56])

• On Community Impact:
  “Crimes like this don’t just take a life. They puncture a community.”
  —Host 1 ([16:11])

• Profiling Philosophy:
  “Profile is living, breathing. It can be altered and should be altered when new or better information is found.”
  —Host 1 ([51:05]), echoing John Douglas

Key Timestamps

• 02:31 – Danny Eberly’s disappearance timeline
• 06:17 – 07:00 – Law enforcement & FBI involvement; Ressler called in
• 13:18 – Witnesses and Danny’s brother’s account
• 22:22 – Discovery of body and details of the crime scene
• 34:52 – 39:07 – FBI profiling process & training detectives
• 45:23 – 48:29 – Ressler’s detailed offender profile
• 54:56 – Reasons for not publicizing composite sketch/profile
• 57:30 – Rope’s significance, possible military connection
• 65:02 – 66:30 – Forensics, hypnosis tactics, second boy’s abduction

Summary & Flow

The hosts recount Danny Joe Eberly’s tragedy with detail and empathy, emphasizing the emotional devastation to families and communities. They draw a clear line between local and federal investigative advances spurred by missing child cases in the ‘80s—highlighting how the pressure from previous high-profile abductions led to fast, coordinated action. Key insights from FBI pioneers like Robert Ressler and Peter Klismet show the birth of modern criminal profiling, as behavioral and circumstantial evidence guided the hunt for Danny’s killer.
The episode stands out for its deep dive into investigative psychology, practical police work, and the chilling realization—underscored by Ressler’s warnings—of predator recidivism. The hosts maintain a serious but accessible tone, engaging listeners keen on true crime, investigative evolution, and the human cost of unsolved mysteries.

Next Episode Preview:
The story continues with another chilling abduction—Join the Garage next week for the series conclusion.