Kenneth was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 23, 1935, to George Hager and Louise Caltrider Hager. He had six siblings: Melvin G. Hager, Robert E. Hager, Marlyn J. Hager Holdampf, Donald R. Hager, Dennis C. Hager, and June D. Hager.
The Hager family resided at 2100 block East Chase Street in Baltimore but moved to 1637 Lansing Avenue in February 1947.
Kenneth had severe epilepsy since infancy when a firecracker explosion shattered his nerves. He was also mentally disabled and had difficulty speaking. Because of this, he could not tell people his name, so his mother would sew his name and address into his clothing.
Due to his illness and disability, Kenneth had never attended school.
Disappearance of Kenneth Hager
On Wednesday, April 9, 1947, Kenneth grabbed a piece of ice from his mother and walked out the back door of his home at 10 a.m. to play outside in the neighborhood. When he did not return home 45 minutes later, Louise called the police.
James Burdett, a streetcar motorman who lived near the Hagers, reportedly saw Kenneth at Dundalk and Eastern avenues that afternoon. James did not know the boy was missing.
Kenneth last wore a blue overcoat with his name and address sewn into it, a skull cap, brown trousers, and tennis shoes. He stood 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 90 pounds.
Kenneth had briefly disappeared on one other occasion in 1945. He had traveled to his old home on East Chase Street, and someone found him talking to a neighbor. Kenneth had burn marks on his arm, allegedly from a “bad boy.”
Search and Investigation
After the Hagers reported their son missing, the Eastern and Northeastern districts of the Baltimore Police Department began a search for the missing boy that lasted several days, with no trace of the boy found or clues to his fate.
In May 1947, the Northeastern district police, headed by Sgt. John Dubbs searched relatively inhabited wooded areas near the city limits, but the team found nothing.
1962 Possible Sighting
A family friend or distant relative of the Hagers reportedly saw a young man around 27 years of age in a Dundalk grocery store in 1962. The man could not speak but handed her a grocery order to fill, which she did. He never returned to the store, and the woman never saw him again. Police could not confirm the sighting.
Aftermath
Authorities never found Kenneth Hager. His mother died at age 71 in 1981, followed by his father 15 years later in 1996 at age 87. Four of Kenneth’s siblings died between 2018 and 2023. His brother Dennis passed away on September 3 of this year. He was 81. Kenneth is not mentioned in his obituary. Kenneth’s sister, June, is the only surviving sibling. His other sister, Marlyn, named one of her sons after her missing brother. She died in 2021 at age 83.
Sources
“Boy, 11, Reported Missing From Home.” The Evening Sun (Baltimore, Maryland). April 12, 1947.
“Boy Missing Five Days Hunted.” The Evening Sun. April 15, 1947.
“Boy With Epilepsy Missing 5 Months.” The Evening Sun. September 10, 1945.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/269966823/kenneth_warren-hager: accessed November 7, 2024), memorial page for Kenneth Warren Hager (23 May 1935–9 Apr 1947), Find a Grave Memorial ID 269966823; Burial Details Unknown; Maintained by southparkisbestanime (contributor 51782347).
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/208819848/louise_h-hager: accessed November 7, 2024), memorial page for Louise H Caltrider Hager (unknown–23 Nov 1981), Find a Grave Memorial ID 208819848, citing Holly Hill Memorial Gardens, Middle River, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA; Maintained by Ron Baublitz (contributor 47625136).
“Hunt For Doctor, Boy Pressed.” The Evening Sun. April 17, 1947.
“Kenneth Warren Hager.” The Charley Project. Accessed on November 5, 2024. https://charleyproject.org/case/kenneth-warren-hager
“Kenneth Warren Hager.” The Doe Network. Accessed on November 5, 2024. https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1135dmmd.html
“Woods Searched For Kenneth Hager.” The Evening Sun. May 19, 1947.