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. "She was a kind and loving mother who was doing her very best to raise five children alone. "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. In addition to confirming Sue, John, and Dana were dead, the officers concluded they were murdered. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. In a way, their work has only just begun. ", "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. And more developments are anticipated. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! KEDDIE (CBS13) Investigators believe they may have found one of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery. "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. It was tested for trace DNA or blood residue. The 1981 Keddie cabin murders of three family members and a teenage friend shook the small Sierra Nevada mountain communities of Keddie and Quincy in northern California, beginning a. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! The theories allege that he was a close friend to Marty Smartt at the time. But because the aunt already had several children, the Sharp kids were eventually placed in foster care first together and later apart. After I got older, you call the sheriff's department every once in a while, and you hear, 'No new leads, nothing's going on. How did Doug Thomas keep Gamberg out of the investigation if Gamberg was terminated in March 1981 and wasnt reinstated until 1983 (2 years after Thomas resigned)? Both Gamberg and Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood believe that possibly as many as six people were involved in one capacity or another in the murders or the cover-up. 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. In it, he describes a body found in connection with the Keddie murders. Sheriff's investigators say they submitted more. May 2, 2016 / 11:47 PM It sounded within two feet of me, but nobody was around. "If a case needs to be pinned there," Hagwood told PEOPLE at the time, "we'll pin it. Cabin 28 had already been demolished, but she decided to check out the site regardless. He found a letter written by Marty Smartt to his wife reportedly written soon after the murders. The 1981 Keddie cabin murders of three family members and a teenage friend shook the small Sierra Nevada mountain communities of Keddie and Quincy in northern California, beginning a mystery that lingers decades later. 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. He was their coach in martial arts and other activities. Please enter valid email address to continue. The items inside were never entered into evidence a crucial part of the chain of evidence necessary in crime investigation. He had known connections with organized crime in Chicago.Boubede also had at least two known aliases as Bobby Lake and John DeSantis, according to the Keddie 28 online site administrator dmac. Hagwood, in his third year of office, had many priorities to contend with inside his department and in the county. In her book, Sheila wrote, "My mom's character has been subject to all manner of cruel supposition including accusations that she was a drug addict, drug dealer, prostitute, or at the very least an unfit mother.". As police continued to search for Tina, other officers brought in multiple suspects. According to the crime scene report, the boys' bodies on the living room floor were bloodied around their heads and necks. Although two of the main suspects, Smartt and Boubede are dead, they were alive at the time of Tina Sharps discovery. I just stood there, staring at the spot when I thought I heard someone walking behind me, Kendall said. Marty Smartt's letter was an early re-discovery. Gamberg thinks the tape was deliberately ignored when it arrived at the Plumas County Sheriffs Office. * Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Neither Hagwood nor Gamberg are willing to divulge specifics on whom theyre watching, but new evidence has given them solid leads. In earlier years, before the Sharps moved in, he spent nights there with a friend and his family. He reportedly left for Reno, Nevada after the murders. It's been hard to cover up the emotions stirred by the 35-year-old mystery. On April 12, 1981, 14-year-old Sheila Sharp was returning from a sleepover when she discovered three dead bodies in her family's cabin at the Keddie Resort: her 36-year-old single mother, Sue; her brother Johnny, 15; and Johnny's friend Dana Wingate, 17. November 22, 2016. What occurred next shocked the country: The Disturbing Murders at Keddie Cabin . Deputy Hank Klement was the first to arrive on scene. The Scene Suggests More Than One Killer. In the rural town of Keddie, California, a mother and three children were attacked on Saturday, April 11, 1981. And Ive seen speculation being treated as fact over the years, even when it can be discredited by the facts that get ignored. Dee Mack, Are you related to Angelique or Angels Mother Hester Mack then later Hester McCormick? It haunted people. People: 5 Things to Know about the Keddie Cabin Murders and the New Hunt for the Killers. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. ET) on Investigation Discovery. 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. The Primary Suspects Are Dead But Authorities Are Still Pursuing Justice, 3. ", Thomas wasn't so sure. From 1974 until his retirement in 1994, he worked all but one of Plumas Countys cases. This case is getting old and unless new eyes come in it will go nowhere. But I don't remember that. But that anonymous 911 caller said it was Tina's before the medical examiner confirmed it through dental records. I taught Dana Wingate that year at the highschool. The one he missed or more accurately wasnt allowed to cover was the Keddie murder case, he said recently. It became a top priority when Hagwood took over several years ago and he hired Gamberg to focus on the murders. Hence them throwing Marty's roommate Bo (who was an ex-con) into the case as an accomplice. Dead were Sheila's mother, brother and a family friend. "I was told the suspects were told to get out of town, so to me that means it was covered up," Sharp said. Those left dead at the scene included the mother, Sue Sharp; her son, John Sharp, 15; and his friend, Dana Wingate, 17. Public File for KMAX-TV / Good Day Sacramento. Identifiable footprints were not recovered inside. Although someone had covered the body of the mother with a blanket, it did little to relieve the horrific scene the teen and law enforcement encountered. His department was short of funding and he was short staffed. Keddie murders revisited part 2: Following the clues. ", "It's obviously a worthwhile pursuit," he says. The throats of Sue and her son were cut. Yet Gamberg and Sheriff Greg Hagwood believed the evidence leaned toward those two as the culprits. "There are people locally who know more than they've said," Hagwood told PEOPLE, "and I believe we've identified some of them, and we know who they are, and we know where they are. KEDDIE, Calif. It has been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie Murders took place in rural Plumas County. In Gambergs opinion, You could take someone just coming out of the academy and theyd have done a better job, of investigating the case. 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. It was just left scattered. The three were killed using knives and a hammer. Marilyn claimed to never receive the letter. Subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands now, for more on this case. more. Although a lot of potential evidence was collected and catalogued, very little worthwhile information was realized from the scene. The murders took place in house No. The girl's skull was found in the woods three years later, some 50 miles away in another county. 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. CBS13 was there when Sheila was shown the hammer and a knife that may also be connected to the crimes. Unsolved in California: The Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders January 12, 2022 / Jamie Day The little town of Keddie California lies nestled in the mountains to the north-eastern part of the state in Plumas County. KEDDIE (CBS13) Investigators believe they may have found one of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery. A psychic online claims she visited the house and could hear the screams of the victims. 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. Copyright information and disclaimer here. It was 2013. Despite a thorough investigation and numerous suspects, the case remains unsolved to this day, leaving many questions unanswered and a small community in shock. Sheila's sister was missing her remains were found in the woods three years later. He also said there are at least six people of interest. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. The problem there is that its become disorganized. Every bit of evidence that can still be recovered is important to this case, according to Gamberg as he continues to search for leads and re-interviews anyone linked to the Keddie murders. Truly a case of wrong place, wrong time. It was discovered later that 12-year-old Tina Sharp was missing. Thomas recently addressed these accusations: In 2013, the case was reopened by current Sheriff Greg Hagwood and investigator Mike Gamberg. An April 11, 1981 Keddie became known all over the country for a brutal and horrific murder. Hes also shared some important information with the Plumas County Sheriffs Office. DNA deoxyribonucleic acid is now considered the most reliable physical evidence. The onetime mountain tourist stop's forests, pond and river made it appear idyllic to kids, but it had fallen on hard times. First published on May 2, 2016 / 11:47 PM. Strangely, Sheila's two younger brothers, Greg and Rick, and their friend, Justin, were found in the cabin asleep and safe. In many ways there was even less trust following the deaths. He soon moved on to another job and has since retired. Spring showers replenished the waterways near the Feather River, giving life to the picturesque landscape in Plumas County, about 140 miles northeast of Sacramento. She left behind a broken marriage with a military man, now deceased, whom Sheila says was abusive to his wife and two daughters. Someone from that cabin ran to the lodge and reported the crime. In 2018, investigators were able to analyze identifiable DNA from a piece of white medical tape that was used to bind the victims' hands and ankles. "I stayed in the cabin probably a dozen times," he said. S.C. Gamberg and Hagwood reiterated their position that a resolution was imminent in a 2021 interview on the anniversary of the murders, saying that they were "close" to solving the case. For Sheila, it's a mystery she's never been able to escape and a loss that defined her. she says. "We're convinced that there are a handful of people that fit those roles who are still alive. kannada chowka full movie download. Even his leads in the case were ignored. "She would have done anything for them and probably spoiled them rotten.". Meredith Corporation. I could still see where the cabin itself once stood, but nature had started to take over the area once more. That includes the possible mishandling of evidence Hagwood and Gamberg were determined to find. What else do you want?". 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. Also, a man recently discovered a steel blue claw-hammer using a metal detector that matched the description of one that Marty had told investigators he lost. 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. 2021. 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. He was a sweetheart of a kid. 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 Gamberg knew the boys as well. I honestly believe that Marty Smartt and Bo Boubede had nothing to do with the Keddie Cabin 28 murders, and that it's awful convenient how they were fingered as suspects years after both of them were dead. Gamberg said he has hunches about what happened to it, but it hasnt been recovered. 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. However, she did recognize her ex-husband's handwriting. Brenda Brown, Ryan Becker, 2020 "Murder in California: Serial Killers and Unsolved Murders", Marques Vickers, 2019; References This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 06:27 (UTC). 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).