The Vanishing of Charles "Arlin" Henderson: A Cold Case That Still Haunts Missouri ​

A Summer Evening Turns Tragic

On July 25, 1991, 11-year-old Charles Arlin Leon Henderson, affectionately known as Arlin, vanished while riding his bicycle near his family's mobile home in the Fountain N’ Lakes subdivision of Moscow Mills, Missouri. He was last seen between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., wearing a camouflage-print t-shirt and pants, gray socks with red stripes, and black sneakers. Arlin had a crew cut, blond hair, blue eyes, and a noticeable gap between his teeth. He was riding a distinctive white and yellow Huffy "White Lightning" bicycle.

The Discovery of the Bicycle

Approximately three months after Arlin's disappearance, his bicycle was found abandoned in a bean field off North Ethlyn Road, about five miles from his home. The bike was in good condition, with inflated tires and no signs of damage. Investigators collected the bicycle as evidence and discovered an unidentified set of fingerprints on its frame, hoping this would lead to a breakthrough in the case.

A Dubious Confession

In 2001, a decade after Arlin's disappearance, Joshua Spangler, who was 13 years old at the time of the incident, confessed to abducting and murdering Arlin. Spangler claimed he was involved in drug activities with George and Charles "Chuckie" Gibson and was paid $10,000 to kill Arlin as a warning to a family member who allegedly owed money to Charles Gibson. He stated that he and George Gibson abducted Arlin, held him in a house in Davis, Missouri, for a few days, and then Spangler shot Arlin in the head, burying his body along the Mississippi River.

However, inconsistencies in Spangler's account led investigators to doubt his confession. Searches in the areas he mentioned yielded no evidence, and it was determined that Spangler fabricated the story to mislead authorities. He was subsequently charged with perjury and sentenced to seven years in prison. The Gibson brothers were cleared of any involvement in Arlin's disappearance. ...Read More

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