"Even still today I sit here and think, What would my life be like with her here?" More to follow. And 2022 could be the year this murder finally gets solved. The DNA matches that of a known living suspect, according to Gamberg. I worked with them the entire summer before the murders," he said. Why did a enforcer from the mob, 'Bo' Boubede, move in with Smartt just prior to the murders? But knowing the details, the minutiae of the crimeit was not a pleasant place to be. Growing up in Taylorsville, Kendall (Name changed for privacy) had heard about the Sharp murders from a fairly young age. Detectives say they are closer than ever to solving the Keddie Murders case | Unsolved California 28,296 views Apr 30, 2021 It has been 40 years since the most horrific crime in Plumas County. She was spending the night at a friend's house on the night of the murders and came home to find the bodies. On April 11, 1981, Sue's 14-year-old daughter, Sheila, spent the night at a friend's cabin, returning home to her own cabin the now infamous cabin number 28to discover her mom, one of her brothers (Johnny, 15) and his friend Dana Wingate (17) brutally murdered. Living far away from Keddie, Sheila felt a growing hopelessness that someone would ever be made to answer for what happened to her family. Hagwood became sheriff in 2010, and in June 2013 he brought Gamberg back from retirement to organize the boxes of Keddie reports and evidence with an eye toward reviving the case. ", "To have this solved would finally give my family some closure, some answers as to why it happened and why it took so long to solve," Sheila says. 2021. The two say they've zeroed in on longtime suspects, and they believe they've discovered new evidence and re-discovered old evidence that was either forgotten or overlooked that could point to a resolution. I am not by nature a conspiracy theorist, but there are facts and circumstances the number and the nature of which I cant ignore anymore, Hagwood told People magazine. For most people, Keddie is a beautiful, and rural town in Northern California. Boubede died in 1988, according to Gamberg. It's debated whether it was the murders themselves that led to less interest in renting in the once-busy area, or if it was the allegedly poor management of the cabins themselves that led to fewer people being willing to live there. Adding to the mystery: Sheila's younger brothers Greg and Rick, ages 5 and 10 at the time, were asleep and unharmed in an adjacent bedroom of the cabin, along with a friend, Justin Smartt. His Case Was Reopened When Investigators Looked into Murdaugh Murders, 'People Magazine Investigates' : Inside Decades-Old Disappearances of 5 People Along the Snake River, An Ohio High School Forensics Class Joins the Hunt for a Young Mother's Killer. But for some, Keddie is synonymous with murder and despair. Hence them throwing Marty's roommate Bo (who was an ex-con) into the case as an accomplice. He lived there with his mother and stepfather, Marilyn and Martin Marty Smartt, and his brother. Dead were Sheila's mother, brother and a family friend. On April 12, 1981, a group of 7 people went to sleep in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort Lodge in California. As with other related evidence, the process of scientific evaluation is slow. Both Hagwood and Gamberg said residents had very little trust or confidence in the sheriffs department before the murders. Cabin 28 was condemned and torn down in 2004. He was their coach in martial arts and other activities. They were such bad parents that, had this case been properly investigated, their lack of stewardship over Justin would have led directly to capital murder convictions, a punishment which had been re-instated in 1977. * Watch our new true crime show, People Magazine Investigates, which continues with an episode on the Keddie cabin murders on Monday at 10 p.m. April 12, 1981, the bodies of 36-year-old Sue Sharp, her 15-year-old son John and his 17-year-old friend Dana Wingate were found in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, north of Quincy. Among those questioned in the killings was Sue's neighbor Marty Smartt, who lived two cabins away with his wife (and Justin Smartt's mother), Marilyn. And both Hagwood and Gamberg can pinpoint their errors and omissions. DNA deoxyribonucleic acid is now considered the most reliable physical evidence. Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood described what happened in Cabin 28 in. Those left dead at the scene included the mother, Sue Sharp; her son, John Sharp, 15; and his friend, Dana Wingate, 17. The following participated in the planning and/or execution of these murders: Sheila Sharp, Glenna Meeks, Marilyn and Marty Smartt, Bo Boubede, Dee Jay Lake, Wade and Richard Meeks, John Blaine Greubert, Tony Garedakis. Copyright information and disclaimer here. A GRAPHIC Look Back at the Keddie Murders On the morning of April 11, 1981, 14-year-old Sheila Sharp returned from a neighbor's house after a sleepover and stumbled upon the most disturbing and gruesome scene that she and the rest of Keddie, California, had ever seen. "The fascinating aspect of that discovery is that the envelope had never been opened," Hagwood said. As I stood there, fighting to breathe, I couldnt help but think of Dana Wingate, and how she had been strangled to death in the house. From 1974 until his retirement in 1994, he worked all but one of Plumas Countys cases. ', In 2012, Sheila wrote a book with her husband, Richard Whittle: How to Survive Your Visit to Earth. As I listened for more sounds, I suddenly found myself severely short of breath. Until now, lack of fingerprints and identifiable DNA left at the scene by the perpetrators has stymied investigative efforts. Good question! * Stream our true crime show, People Magazine Investigates on Investigation Discovery, which includes an episode on the Keddie cabin murders. That should shut a lot of traps, and destroy many of the rumors that have floated around for 37 years. I could still see where the cabin itself once stood, but nature had started to take over the area once more. ", "It's obviously a worthwhile pursuit," he says. "It struck this community harder than anything," he said of the killings. Of Marty and Boubede, he said, "The only thing I knew is, they hung out together. We aim to bring a resolution to cases which remain open. Updated 2/11/2020 Sue Sharp, her son John and his friend Dana were found in the Sharp family cabin beaten and strangled to death in the family room. Although Sheila wouldnt realize it until later, the order of the bodies was her brother, John, who was closest to the front door. It's been hard to cover up the emotions stirred by the 35-year-old mystery. Keddie Cabin Murders Solved?Listen: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ghost-town/e/67103419?autoplay=trueTrue Crime Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuy_Via5vtA\u0026list=PLv5QzOH7CKqBf9WTQVbfJw-sVrF0GtrDnSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4iUdTQnVVmyjM8je06uzR3Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpodContact: ghosttownpod@gmail.com\r#keddiecabinmurders #truecrime\r\rTranslated titles:\rAsesinatos de cabina de Keddie\r\rKeddie Cabin Murders This case is as screwed up as a soup sandwich, Gamberg said recently. The Keddie Cabin Murders: With Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. Yet Gamberg and Sheriff Greg Hagwood believed the evidence leaned toward those two as the culprits. They looked through every box in connection with the case and found a recording of a man believed to be one of the killers, or at the very least an accomplice. But that anonymous 911 caller said it was Tina's before the medical examiner confirmed it through dental records. "I know we are closer than we've ever been.". An April 11, 1981 Keddie became known all over the country for a brutal and horrific murder. Both now share a common goalsolving the brutal quadruple murder that sat largely untouched for many years. Keddie Cabin Murders Solved? In the coming days, the hammer and knife will be scoured for any possible DNA evidence, and the tape will be examined by the FBI to see if there's a possible voice-match with anyone who has already been interviewed in connection with this case. Lone pools of blood on the living room floor and on the sofa pillow indicate the boys bodies were also moved and staged, Gamberg said. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. That family included James Sr.; his wife, Zonita; daughters Alysa and Paula; and son, James Jamie Jr. At 8:05 a.m., Sunday, April 12, the sheriffs dispatch received a call from Jan Albin, co-owner of the Keddie Resort. By. According to Gamberg, right after the murders, Sheriff Doug Thomas contacted the DOJ in Sacramento. He would have been in his 50s during the murders. Most of the suspects wore gloves, Gamberg said. In a way, their work has only just begun. The Scene Suggests More Than One Killer. ", "I have a measure of confidence that we've identified some of them and we're gonna be--we're gonna be coming," he said. "I am not by nature a conspiracy theorist but there are facts and circumstancesthe number and the nature of whichI can't ignore anymore," he said. They had died. But because the aunt already had several children, the Sharp kids were eventually placed in foster care first together and later apart. A vital thread, Gamberg said, is who knew about Tina's remains placed in an isolated wooded area in neighboring Butte County and who may have helped to put them there. Thats when Hagwood asked Gamberg, a private investigator, if hed like to take over the investigation. They claimed to have witnessed ghost writing on the walls. Its known that John Sharp, and his friend Dana were in Quincy and caught a ride home sometime between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., Gamberg said. In Gambergs opinion, You could take someone just coming out of the academy and theyd have done a better job, of investigating the case. solved 40 years later with DNA evidence: 20: Murder of Betty Van Patter: . And more developments are anticipated. The FBI was also involved because it was believed that Tina Sharp was abducted. Even though the tape was never voice-analyzed, the audio of that phone call is now being compared with audio of suspects to find a match. It's a believe long-shared by the victims' family. In 2016, authorities once again were asking that question, reviving the investigation. Many others suspect the police on the case may have been involved in a cover-up. Box after box of evidence, file drawers filled with information and other evidence were all in disarray. Dana Wingate was at his house just the day before he died. 5 People Vanished Along the Snake River Beginning in 1979: Will Police Finally Catch a Serial Killer? I taught Dana Wingate that year at the highschool. There are people locally who know more than theyve said, and I believe weve identified some of them, and we know who they are, and we know where they are. ET on Investigation Discovery. A bent steak knife lay on the floor, and a butcher knife and claw hammer, both also bloodied, were side-by-side on a small wooden table near the entry into the kitchen. He writes under dmac and Dee Mack but his name is David McNarie. In the rural town of Keddie, California, a mother and three children were attacked on Saturday, April 11, 1981. I wanted to protect my brothers from it. First published on May 2, 2016 / 11:47 PM. At the time, law enforcement felt that the murders were committed by "more than one person.". The Keddie Cabin murders was a case that involved a triple-slaying as well as a missing child whose remains were later discovered. "I guess I don't want to relive that," she tells PEOPLE in this week's issue of the memory 35 years ago when, at age 14, she opened the front door of her family's northern California cabin to find their bloodied bodies on the living room floor. Three of them were murdered that night, and one of the children remained missing until years later. Gamberg said he was fortunate in that he was able to get his piece of DNA processed in a timely manner. "She's a hard one to talk about," Sheila says. CBS13 was there when Sheila was shown the hammer and a knife that may also be connected to the crimes. Dana was found next on his stomach with his badly damaged head resting partially on a sofa pillow. There have been a lot of rumors floating around and unfortunately people are considering them as the truth, instead of checking and doing the research. "Whoever did this and there was more than one person had to have blood all over them," said Doug Thomas, who was the Plumas County sheriff at the time of the murder and led the investigation. Some also consider Marilyn a conspirator as well. She personally believes that the murders of her family were carried out by Marty Smartt and Bo Boubede. Locals describe it as a beautiful woodsy town, one with a strong sense of community. The call came just after someone discovered a skull and a few bones about 80 miles down the Feather River Canyon in a spot known as Camp 18 about 5 miles from Feather Falls. I could ask a hundred people what started this and Id probably get the same rehashed rumors from most of them. Dee Mack, Are you related to Angelique or Angels Mother Hester Mack then later Hester McCormick? Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). And also, as I'm growing older, what can I expect in my later years? "I want to remember the happy times," she says. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. KEDDIE, Calif. It has been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie Murders took place in rural Plumas County. "I was told the suspects were told to get out of town, so to me that means it was covered up," Sharp said. The onetime mountain tourist stop's forests, pond and river made it appear idyllic to kids, but it had fallen on hard times. During the revived investigation in 2016, sheriff's investigator Mike Gamberg was made aware of a letter written by Marty to Marilyn shortly after the crimes. His department was short of funding and he was short staffed. "There is not an expiration date on homicides, and to the extent that we have surviving siblings and family members, it is our fundamental obligation to them to understand who did this and why. It has been 40 years since the tragedy took place in rural Plumas County. ", Of her mother, Sheila adds, "I miss talking to her, going to her if I have an issue. I don't think either one of them were involved.". Outside of organized crime, that basically never happens, and even within the world of organized crime it is probably quite rare to have so many people in on a hit. The Seabolts didnt have a telephone. He said, And I was wondering if they thought of the murder up in Keddie up in Plumas County a couple years ago where a 12-year-old girl was never found.. But she doesn't get to the great-grandkids, she doesn't have that. When he was reinstated, Thomas kept him out of the investigation. Both left the area. In earlier years, before the Sharps moved in, he spent nights there with a friend and his family. While the crime was being reported, Jamie Seabolt, Sheila Sharp and possibly Zonita Seabolt helped the three young boys out a side bedroom window of the cabin. Relief is something Sheila Sharp has been searching for since that dark day in April 1981. And a crime that was committed so many years earlier doesnt have the priority recent crimes receive, he said. ", Thomas wasn't so sure. The Sharp familys home shortly after the infamous murders took place in 1981. I felt this strong pressure on my throat. 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