Above: Gary circa, 1974
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: April 30, 1974
Missing From: Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: circa, 1968
Age: 6 years old
Height and Weight: 4’0″ and 60 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Male, Brown hair, Blue eyes
Details of Disappearance
Gary was last seen in Phoenix, Arizona on April 30th 1974. He disappeared from his home near Cave Creek and Greenway roads at some point during the night and has never been seen or heard from since. Gary was not reported missing when he initially disappeared in 1974.
Gary was reported as missing on January 11th 1994 after his twin brother, Jerry, came forward to police and told them that their mother, Charlene Hose, killed Gary back in 1974. Investigators believe this as well and so does Gary and Jerry’s older brother, Guy. According to both of them, Guy and his two twin brothers were physically and brutally abused by their mother and stepfather, Walter Hose.
Guy remembers that Walter did go crazy with the belt on them sometimes but that it was Charlene who was responsible for any broken bones, severe beatings, and the hospitalizations. Guy says he was abused but that he got a fraction what the twins got. The twins were abused more horrifically. Jerry was said to be the more passive twin but Gary was defiant.
As a result of his defiant attitude, Gary was often locked in a closet. On the night of his disappearance in April of 1974, Gary ran away from his home but was brought back by police. Guy alleges that he awoke in the middle of the night to voices that came from the living room and that he got up and saw Gary with his two parents in the living room.
Guy says Gary was standing by Charlene and was covered in head to toes with bruises. He disappeared after that. Just days after Gary went missing, the family moved out of their home they lived in. They then moved to a trailer located on a 3-acre desert parcel on North Maple Street. This location was just outside of Maricopa County.
They lived in that home for about a year until moving away. Charlene and Walter have never set foot on that property since moving away decades ago. For many years after his disappearance, Guy hoped that Gary was still alive and had been sent to live with a family in Texas who later adopted him. He no longer suspects this actually happened.
The Hose family moved to Boise, Idaho. While in Idaho, Charlene continued to abuse Jerry and Guy until she was arrested for child abuse. A teacher at Eagle Elementary School, where Jerry attended school, noticed several marks on his face, legs, and his back. She was charged with felony abuse and was sentenced to 5 years probation.
Jerry was removed from her and Walter Hoses care by child protective services and was placed in foster care. Guy and the youngest boy in the family, Jeff, remained in their care, however. Jerry was later imprisoned for statutory rape.
Guy believes Charlene beat Gary to death that night and that Walter helped her cover up the crime. He believes his brothers remains were buried somewhere on the 3-acre property they lived in after his disappearance. There was once a tip that Gary’s body was buried behind the home they lived in with him and was concealed in cement. Searches uncovered nothing.
Investigators also dug up a portion of the 3-acre property and utilized cadaver dogs in search of Gary’s remains but nothing was uncovered. News of the dig and the increased interest in Gary’s case brought along new witnesses which included a neighbor of the Hose family and a babysitter. They both recalled Charlenes abusive nature.
The babysitter, Dora Wolf, remembers how Charlene used to abuse and beat Gary and his twin brother. Whenever Dora came to babysit, Charlene would instruct her to leave the twins locked in their bedroom and to not feed them or give them water. Dora would always disobey and feed them and give them water. She was unaware that Gary was missing until 2015.
A former neighbor of the Hose family, Mary Fields, was also able to recall the abuse from Charlene. Mary often saved the boys from their cribs in their bedroom which was said to be filled with feces. They were starved so often sometimes, the children would eat their own feces to live. They even called her grandmother sometimes.
Mary remembers the boys screams for help when Charlene was beating them. She describes Charlene as a cruel, mean woman who was seriously mentally ill in 1974. She reportedly told Walter to get her the help she needed and had close calls with Charlene herself. Charlene once charged at Mary with a kitchen knife.
Mary stated that on the night Gary went missing and was presumably killed, Walter Hose had a strange night himself. Walter reportedly came to her patio door and banged relentlessly on it, scaring her and her pet poodle. She was alone that night with her husband away at the hospital. He ran away before she had time to put on her robe.
She believes Walter was there because he was going to confess something had happened to Gary that night. He often came to her whenever Charlene turned the violence into him. The family moved away just days after this. She remembers saying good riddance due to their troubling nature as a family. Mary at one point helped Guy Hose with a burnt hand.
Charlene our Guys hand through a furnace to “teach him a lesson.” She stated when tried to live the boys as much as she could to give them the life Charlene was denying them. Mary recalled that she often called the police and even the Arizona Department of Child Safety but whether they investigated her claims or not remains to be seen.
Guy remains convinced that his brothers remains and the key to solving his disappearance lies somewhere on the 3-acre property. He believes police did not search enough and experts have also pointed out that only a sliver of that land was searched. Charlene and her husband made an oath that the property would remain untouched until both of them passed away. Charlene previously confessed that Gary’s body would be found on that property during a lucid episode.
Guy and his girlfriend, Mechele Monet, have a troubled relationship with the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office who is investigating Gary’s disappearance and presumed murder. Guy, Monet, and Jerry have each accused the police of neglecting to look for Gary and that they she’s shown Charlene more protection and service than Gary.
The lead detective feels that Guy and his girlfriend have interfered with the investigation and that they have not allowed her to properly do her job. Guy eventually ordered a backhoe to dig up the septic tank and search for his brothers remains along with Monet. They were stopped by police.
According to the property rights that Charlene still possessed, Guy and Jerry were not permitted to be on that property. Guy and Monet would’ve been arrested but the lead detective did not have any action over the property so they were instead asked to leave. It’s unknown if another search will ever be done on the property.
Charlene was going to pass the property down to Jeff, Guy and Jerry describes him as being her favorite. Charlene passed away on October 29th 2016. She had multiple health problems prior to her death. Walter Hose passed away from lung cancer in February of 2014. Neither of them were ever questioned by police nor charged with Gary’s murder.
At the time of his disappearance, Gary was a kindergarten student at Campo Bello School along with Jerry. His disappearance remains unsolved and foul play is suspected. His family hopes to locate him and give him a proper burial.
Other Victims:
Images: Jerry Hose, circa 1970s
Suspect Information:
Image: Charlene Hose, circa 1974
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Maricopa County Sheriffs Office 602-876-3868
Source Information