Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the app for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, Xfinity, iOS and Android devices. 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. The two men, both now dead, are also the primary suspects in the narrative taking shape by the revived investigation, although the sheriff at the time, Doug Thomas, tells PEOPLE that no evidence tied either to the crimes when they occurred. "For the record, she was none of these things," Sheila wrote. (Hester changed her name to Rhyanna Cerise McCormick before she died) also, do any of you know what the name of the surviving daughter is today? WANTED: The Keddie Cabin Killer Episode Summary A family's brutal murder rocks a tiny California town and leaves behind too many unanswered questions. But knowing the details, the minutiae of the crimeit was not a pleasant place to be. It's a case that involves a triple-slaying and a missing child whose remains. An April 11, 1981 Keddie became known all over the country for a brutal and horrific murder. In 1979 she made the brave decision to leave her abusive husband and make the move from North Carolina to Northern California to be closer to her brother who lived in the town of Quincy. Another person of interest also lived in Butte County. Here are five things to know about their work. Meredith Corporation. This murder is shrouded in mystery, leaving behind a messy and compelling trail of clues. 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. 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. "I don't think there really is any type of final closure in a murder case. But that rain can't wash away the horror of what happened in the now-empty lot in the tiny resort town of Keddie. Yet Gamberg and Sheriff Greg Hagwood believed the evidence leaned toward those two as the culprits. Everybody was suspicious of everybody and afraid of everybody else, he said. Although Smartt and Boubede fled Plumas County shortly after interviews with DOJ, its known that Smartt allegedly lived in Paradise at the time of that phone call, according to dmacs research. Years of No Answers and a Theory of the Crime. "I want to remember the happy times," she says. ", "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. ", Of her mother, Sheila adds, "I miss talking to her, going to her if I have an issue. The Keddie Cabin murders was a case that involved a triple-slaying as well as a missing child whose remains were later discovered. The discovery came three years after Tinas disappearance by a man out hunting bottles. Gamberg further tracked down a therapist in Reno, Nev., to whom Marty allegedly confessed after the killings and who told Gamberg he was shocked to learn that investigators at the time didn't use that confession to solve the crimes. I guess it was the mother in me trying to keep them safe.". Gamberg also knew the two boys. 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. These were boys he went to school with. She was also tightly gagged. Although a lot of potential evidence was collected and catalogued, very little worthwhile information was realized from the scene. in 1990. Authorities arrived at the scene shortly after 8 a.m. "She was a kind and loving mother who was doing her very best to raise five children alone. It has been 40 years since the tragedy took place in rural Plumas County. "But do I really want to remember?". Even his leads in the case were ignored. Then he got fired. In 2016, authorities once again were asking that question, reviving the investigation. Sue had left a broken and abusive marriage and was described as a "quiet woman who loved her kids." "But rarely did I speak to the family about it. Cabin 28 had already been demolished, but she decided to check out the site regardless. "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. "She's a hard one to talk about," Sheila says. RELATED VIDEO: Exclusive Look at People Magazine Investigates the Keddie Murders. By. Between them lies the forgotten tape of the anonymous phone tip left in 1984, rediscovered in 2013. She describes it as "more or less a self-help book, kind of how I dealt with issues that have happened in my life.". Its almost time for the wearin of the green, and the Catholic Church in Quincy is celebrating with a St. Great. Marilyn, Marty, and Bo were only after Sue. 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. More than 35 years after a teenage girl came home to find her family brutally slain in their resort cabin, police say the cold case is heating up. Those left dead at the scene included the mother, Sue Sharp; her son, John Sharp, 15; and his friend, Dana Wingate, 17. It became a top priority when Hagwood took over several years ago and he hired Gamberg to focus on the murders. But that anonymous 911 caller said it was Tina's before the medical examiner confirmed it through dental records. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 was Cabin 27 where the Seabolt family lived. She left behind a broken marriage with a military man, now deceased, whom Sheila says was abusive to his wife and two daughters. Sheila's sister was missing her remains were found in the woods three years later. Her skull had been found 50 miles away in a different county. A fourth victim, Tina, was missing. KEDDIE (CBS13) Investigators believe they may have found one of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery. They had died. "Not knowing where she'd been for three years, or even what happened to her, it's been really, really tough.". Why did both DOJ and sheriff Doug Thomas skate these key suspects when LE noted they were lying, and Marty FAILED his polygraph? Hagwood personally knew them. "This killed this community Keddie was goneeddie was absolutely finished," Gamberg said. What occurred next shocked the country: The Disturbing Murders at Keddie Cabin . Those who were inside Cabin 28 the night and/or early morning hours of April 11 and 12, 1981, were somewhat prepared, according to Gamberg. 1. Subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands now, for more on this case. The hope is the new evidence will lead to new arrests. "I have always talked about the situation," Sheila says. In the rural town of Keddie, California, a mother and three children were attacked on Saturday, April 11, 1981. "Clearly by looking at the hammer you can tell that it's been at that location for a very, very long time," Hagwood said. Our Forum holds the facts of the case. At one point, Thomas did say he gave one session of advice to the couple but it was before the murders. Yes, this case was intentionally made to grow cold. 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). Johnny was face-up, with hands and feet bound by electrical cord that also wrapped around Dana's feet. "Great! Teacher * Psychology * Unsolved Crime * Forensics * Mystery * Animal Lover * Fashion * Southern California. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! Despite a thorough investigation and numerous suspects, the case remains unsolved to this day, leaving many questions unanswered and a small community in shock. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. "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. . In 2017, a horror film inspired by the murders, Cabin 28, was released by U.K. production company North Bank Entertainment. Advertiser Disclosure: Backpackerverse.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. 2021. Dana Wingate was at his house just the day before he died. Decades after the horrific incident, there is still significant public interest in the unsolved case. His home was just a short distance away in Cabin 26. The Seabolts didnt have a telephone. "I know we are closer than we've ever been.". It's a believe long-shared by the victims' family. The girl's skull was found in the woods three years later, some 50 miles away in another county. With nothing in those first weeks that tied them to the crime, Thomas said, neither were charged. 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. 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. But because the aunt already had several children, the Sharp kids were eventually placed in foster care first together and later apart. It was an emotional experience, but it didnt reach its peak until after I got home. Three of them were murdered that night, and one of the children remained missing until years later. When he opened the front door he saw the bodies on the green-carpeted floor, according to Gamberg. Broke my heart. Spring showers replenished the waterways near the Feather River, giving life to the picturesque landscape in Plumas County, about 140 miles northeast of Sacramento. Since 2013, Gamberg has followed the evidence that should have been investigated 37 years earlier. My reasons are simple: there is no evidence tying either of these men to the murders. Sheriff's investigators say they submitted more. The bodies of Sue, John, and Dana were found on the morning of April 12 by Sue's 14-year-old daughter, Sheila, who had been sleeping at a friend's house. Along with special agents Crim and Bradley, Spiro Vasos, a finger print expert, and Bruce Palmer, an evidence expert, also arrived from DOJ. Living far away from Keddie, Sheila felt a growing hopelessness that someone would ever be made to answer for what happened to her family. In addition to confirming Sue, John, and Dana were dead, the officers concluded they were murdered. just one thing re the headline: you want grisly, not grizzly. 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. Sheila's 12-year-old sister Tina was missing from the scene but her remains were found at a different time. Enter your email address to subscribe to Plumas News and receive notifications of new posts by email. The theories allege that he was a close friend to Marty Smartt at the time. As of November 2016, it was being tested for DNA or blood residue as a possible additional murder weapon. If someone confessed in 1981 why is it still unsolved? They're the ones that have kept me going. She'd spent the night at a friend's cabin next door to her family's cabin 28 in Keddie and was returning home on the morning of April 12, 1981, when she discovered the unimaginable. An imprint matching that of the butt of an 880 rifle was also left on Sues head. Blood was discovered on both bedroom doors and outside on the handrail of the steep back stairs. It was April 11, 1981 when Sheila Sharp, 14, opened the door to her familys two-bedroom cabin and discovered the bodies of her mother, older brother and family friend in the small living room. Please enter valid email address to continue. "The fascinating aspect of that discovery is that the envelope had never been opened," Hagwood said. He soon moved on to another job and has since retired. The tape was never admitted into evidence, and it was in fact found at the bottom of a box. Deputy Hank Klement was the first to arrive on scene. Until now, lack of fingerprints and identifiable DNA left at the scene by the perpetrators has stymied investigative efforts. she says. Just as important, Gamberg and Hagwood wonder if they've also recovered another of the murder weapons. Although two of the main suspects, Smartt and Boubede are dead, they were alive at the time of Tina Sharps discovery. Gamberg also said that much of the physical evidence taken from Cabin 28 is still in storage. 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. It has been 40 years since the most horrific crime in Plumas County history, the Keddie Murders.Subscribe at: https://goo.gl/vai8EuFind ABC10 online: https://www.abc10.com/Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.abc10.com/email Stream ABC10 on Roku: https://channelstore.roku.com/details/63398/abc10Stream ABC10 on Amazon Fire: https://www.amazon.com/Gannett-Broadcasting-ABC-10-Fire/dp/B01E0H2KZQStream ABC10 on AppleTV: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc10-news-weather-traffic/id469397853?mt=8Like ABC10 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABC10tv/ Like ABC10 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abc10tvFollow ABC10 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABC10App download Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gannett.local.library.news.kxtv\u0026hl=en_USApp download iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abc10-news-weather-traffic/id469397853 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. Its known that Sue Sharp was home with her daughter Tina, 12, and her two sons, Rickey, 9, and Greg, 5. When finding out about Sue's interference with his marriage, Marty reportedly went "ballistic" about it. Blood wasnt confined to the floor and on or around the victims. rice farms in northern california. As word spread through Keddie and the rest of Plumas County of the murders, its clearly a crime that not only affected Shelia Sharp and her remaining brothers and the boy who was spending the night, it deeply affected some members of the sheriffs office and the community, Gamberg said. The morning of April 12, 1981, Glenna Sue Sharp and her kids, Tina and John, and John's friend, Dana Wingate, were brutally murdered inside house #28 in Keddie, California. 5 People Vanished Along the Snake River Beginning in 1979: Will Police Finally Catch a Serial Killer? The tape was never admitted into evidence, and it was in fact found a. 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