Robert and Benjamin Moore were best friends and brothers who spent most of their time together. They were smart and good-looking and both were naturally funny. In fact, it was rare to see either of them without a smile on his face. Like most boys their age, they liked to tease their little sister, play video games, and ride their bikes.
When Robert and Ben disappeared on the morning of August 30, 1993, their mother Roberta had left the house to care for her elderly father who lived nearby. The boys’ father, John Moore, was home with their three children. When John called Roberta to tell her that the two boys were missing, she rushed home. From that day forward, her life was a daily struggle with the deep visceral pain of loss and confusion.
Join us at the quiet end for Close to Home: The Disappearance of Robert and Benjamin Moore. John Moore’s behavior that day and his recollections of what happened should have been a cause for concern and suspicion by investigators, but they somehow accepted implausible conclusions. Today we’ll analyze the religious obsessions and small-town politics that led to a botched investigation. In doing so, we’ll search for reasons why two innocent brothers were taken from their mother and their young, promising lives were ended so close to home.
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Sources
Brothers Silenced by Kathryn Jewel
Racine County The Journal Times archives
Comments
2 Comments
For more schadenfreude related to incompetent and corrupt coroners and the rationale behind, and history and effect of, having the office be by appointment or election without regard to the qualifications of the coroner, here’s an interesting book that will probably just piss you off LOL
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33296669-the-cadaver-king-and-the-country-dentist
I am so happy when I get into the office on Tuesday morning. I look forward to your podcast every week. You two are great at what you do. Your personalities compliment each other & you can her the great love and respect you have for each other. I’m a fan forever!