Memorial Planned for 2 Sarpy County Boys Murdered in 1983
Papillion – Sarpy County plans to put up a permanent memorial for two young boys who were brutally murdered in 1983.
The memorial for Danny Joe Eberle and Christopher Walden will serve as a reminder of their lives and represent the county’s commitment to seeking justice for crime victims, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office said Nov. 23.
“We must not forget this devastating case,” Sheriff Jeff Davis said in a news release. “This memorial will allow us to publicly recognize and remember that these boys’ lives – and all crime victims’ lives –meant something.”
The project is a collaboration between the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Leadership Sarpy, a program through the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce. Davis proposed the memorial as a Leadership Sarpy legacy project.
Eberle, 13, was delivering newspapers for The Omaha World-Herald when he went missing on Sept. 18, 1983. His body was found a few days later in rural Bellevue, just 4 miles from where he was last seen.
Walden, 12, went missing while walking to school on Dec. 2, 1983. It was the first day his mother allowed him to do so since Eberle’s murder. His body was recovered on Dec. 5.
“This is a significant part of Sarpy County history, and as the county grows, a lot of people may not know about it,” said Sarpy County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jonathan Raughton, a member of Leadership Sarpy. “We’re proud to carry out Sheriff Davis’s vision to raise awareness to future generations of Sarpy County residents.”
Fundraising is underway for the memorial, which will be placed in the Sarpy County Courthouse Complex. The design is in the early stages, though it will include a plaque with the story of Eberle and Walden.
Lisa Summers, a member of the Leadership Sarpy group working on the memorial, went to the same junior high as Eberle and remembers not being able to play outside after his abduction.
“This story has been with me – always,” said Summers, who is director of resident services with Hillcrest Health Services. “I’m just glad to be part of this project, something that is so powerful.”
Jon McCarville, a civil engineer for LEO A DALY and a Leadership Sarpy member, said the case made a huge ripple throughout the community.
“We hope this memorial recognizes everyone affected by senseless crime – from the victims and their families, to first responders and beyond,” McCarville said.
For more information about how to contribute to the memorial, visit the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Foundation Fund through the Midlands Community Foundation and include Crime Victims’ Memorial in the notes.
Donations can also be mailed to the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Foundation Fund, 8335 Platteview Road, Papillion NE 68046. Be sure to include Crime Victims’ Memorial on the memo line.
The Daily Record contributed to this report.
User login
Omaha Daily Record
The Daily Record
222 South 72nd Street, Suite 302
Omaha, Nebraska
68114
United States
Tele (402) 345-1303
Fax (402) 345-2351