Joseph Lawrence Joey Didier was 15 when he was abducted while delivering newspapers in Rockford, Illinois, on March 4, 1975. He was sexually assaulted and killed by Robert Henry Lower. Joey’s body was found 11 days later in a cabin in Jo Daviess County.

Lower was convicted of Joey’s murder in 1975 and received an indeterminate sentence of 100 to 150 years; the death penalty was not an option at the time. He first became parole-eligible in 1985 but never received a vote in favor of release. Lower died in prison in 2017. The family, including Joey’s sister Diane Didier-Adolphson, and the Rockford community pressed repeatedly to keep him behind bars.

The killing had a lasting impact on Rockford parents and the community’s sense of safety. Anyone who knew Joey or has information about him or the case is encouraged to come forward.