Missing Paperboys /// Chapter 5 /// A Need to Kill

In Chapter 5 of 'Missing Paperboys,' True Crime Garage dives deep into the chilling case of John Joubert, Nebraska’s most notorious serial child killer, through an exclusive conversation with investigative journalist Mark Pettit, author of the acclaimed book *A Need to Kill*. Pettit recounts his decades-long obsession with the case, beginning with his 1984 recruitment to KMTV in Omaha, where he was tasked with uncovering the 'why' behind the brutal 1983 murders of two young paperboys—Danny Joe Eberle and Christopher Walden—committed during a 116-day killing spree. The episode explores the psychological profile of Joubert, a former Eagle Scout and U.S. Airman, whose homicidal fantasies began at age six. Pettit reveals how Joubert confessed to an additional unsolved murder in Maine—Ricky Stetson—after a years-long correspondence that led to a landmark confession and a second trial. The narrative unfolds through rare, previously unreleased death row drawings, handwritten letters, and AI-restored color versions that expose the killer’s sexual sadism and obsession with control. Pettit also discusses the emotional toll on law enforcement, the role of behavioral profiling, and the ethical dilemma of publishing Joubert’s final, public confession on death row. The chapter concludes with Pettit’s personal closure after finally hearing Joubert’s last words, marking the culmination of a 40-year journey to tell the full, unvarnished truth.