It's been hard to cover up the emotions stirred by the 35-year-old mystery. DNA deoxyribonucleic acid is now considered the most reliable physical evidence. As reports of the renewed investigation went public, Gamberg learned of a man who, using a metal detector, had found a hammer in a pond near the Keddie property and the steel, blue-handled claw hammer, then recovered, exactly matched the description of a hammer that Marty told investigators he'd lost. The Keddie Cabin Murders: With Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for many of the products and services listed on the site. 2021. 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. He was also familiar with Cabin 28 in Keddie. We aim to bring a resolution to cases which remain open. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. And both Hagwood and Gamberg can pinpoint their errors and omissions. She describes it as "more or less a self-help book, kind of how I dealt with issues that have happened in my life.". A segment of tape containing identifiable DNA was found on the floor near the body of Glenna Sue Sharp, 36, in 1981, Plumas County Sheriffs special investigator Mike Gamberg said recently. She ultimately settled into the small town of Keddie nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains only five miles. Dozens peripherally involved in the case had motive, if not opportunity, yet Law enforcement immediately zeroed in on their prime suspects then, seemingly inexplicably, ignored them. The three bodies on the floor had been bound, stabbed and beaten with a hammer. All three victims sustained brutal blows to the head with a hammer or hammers, and they were stabbed, sometimes repeatedly. 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. Cabin 28 was condemned and torn down in 2004. Its here he would roll up his sleeves and begin going through the evidence. The three were tied up, bludgeoned and stabbed to death. "My mother's kindness and grace also extended beyond her own family, which may have ultimately been her downfall.". Some even believed the furniture moved around by itself. Johnny was face-up, with hands and feet bound by electrical cord that also wrapped around Dana's feet. KEDDIE, Calif. It has been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie Murders took place in rural Plumas County. The one he missed or more accurately wasnt allowed to cover was the Keddie murder case, he said recently. Although she was lying on her side, naked from the waist down, theres evidence that someone rearranged her from an indecent position. In 2016, authorities once again were asking that question, reviving the investigation. 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. The Keddie Cabin Murders took place on April 12, 1981; Sue Sharp, two of her children, and her son's friend lost their lives. Police was on the scene for a short while before they realized that Sharps other daughter, Tina, was missing from the home. However, she did recognize her ex-husband's handwriting. KEDDIE (CBS13) Investigators believe they may have found one of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery. That includes the possible mishandling of evidence Hagwood and Gamberg were determined to find. 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 ", "But then it's also, I think, made me stronger," she says, "because I've had to look out for my two younger brothers. Investigators believe it was no random call, as it came on the three-year anniversary of the killings. "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. ", Thomas wasn't so sure. Another piece of perhaps vital evidence that Gamberg discovered was in an envelope that was never opened. At the time, law enforcement felt that the murders were committed by "more than one person.". Sheila tells PEOPLE that Sue would have been 71 this year, at the end of March. Echoes Of Grisly Murders Will Find A Way To Haunt You At This Abandoned California Resort, True Horror: Beware Angry Spirits At This Richmond Swimming Pool, Paranormal Lies: Theyll Tell You Not to Be Afraid At This Berkeley Park, Your Truest Nightmare: Demons Crave Companionship At This Nortonville Hill, Supernatural Child Checks into the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. 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. A fourth victim, Tina, was missing. 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. Marilyn claimed to never receive the letter. But the void has stayed with her. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Why was Marty Smartt, the main suspect, the drug-running local sheriff's close friend? 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. It was tested for trace DNA or blood residue. People: 5 Things to Know about the Keddie Cabin Murders and the New Hunt for the Killers. The Sharp familys home shortly after the infamous murders took place in 1981. And there were only two suspects examined by the police Marty Smartt and his roommate Bo Boubede, who lived two cabins down from the Sharps. About the Cabin 28 Keddie Murders Case: 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. Why did LE agencies conspire to cover up this case? Dana was found next on his stomach with his badly damaged head resting partially on a sofa pillow. Sue's two younger sons, Rick and Greg, as well as their friend Justin Smartt, were also in the house but were unharmed. CALLER: And I was just 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? The theories allege that he was a close friend to Marty Smartt at the time. Dana suffered multiple head injuries and was manually strangled. Hes had the DNA for several years, but it wasnt until recently that he obtained needed samples and found the match. Note the sign on the front tree proclaims this was a home where a mom and her five children lived. To join the discussion, click the link below. First published on May 2, 2016 / 11:47 PM. 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. Now She's Speaking Out, Lone Survivor of 1984 Colorado Hammer Killer Attack Misses the Family He Stole: 'Inside I Cry Every Day', investigators were able to analyze identifiable DNA. We questioned them extensively.". 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 sounded like a door that rested on rusty hinges, if I had to pinpoint it, she nodded, brows furrowed. Why was Marty's then-wife, Marilyn Musgrove, a key conspirator and fellow murderer, not arrested? She was spending the night at a friend's house on the night of the murders and came home to find the bodies. Here are five things to know about their work. ", "I would like my kids and grandkids to know that she was a very caring and kind person," Sheila says of Sue. From 1974 until his retirement in 1994, he worked all but one of Plumas Countys cases. He wonders if DOJ protected him. These were boys he went to school with. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Even his leads in the case were ignored. "She would have done anything for them and probably spoiled them rotten.". My reasons are simple: there is no evidence tying either of these men to the murders. Sheila Sharp has purposefully pushed the horrific images out of her mind. Strangely, Sheila's two younger brothers, Greg and Rick, and their friend, Justin, were found in the cabin asleep and safe. Cabin 28 and others in the small Keddie community were allowed to deteriorate in the years following the Keddie murders. Keddie murders: Keddie: 1981-04-11: 4: . Life changed dramatically in 1981 for this whole community, Gamberg said meaning not just Keddie, which is six miles west of Quincy. Others may look at it more accusinglyI don't put anything outside the realm of possibility.". And wasnt Justin 12 when this happened? What Gamberg first encountered was the Keddie murders crime scene room. With copies of most case files still in existence, we've drafted the most realistic timeline of events leading up to the murders, how they took place, and the ensuing coverup by the killers and corrupt members of law enforcement. Its not about what was done, but what was not done. And that was plenty. Keddie and Quincy are seven miles apart. Gamberg also knew the two boys. Remember, this was 1981 and DNA collection and processing at crime scenes didnt begin until 1985. The only way this decision by DOJ makes sense is in considering the background of one of the suspects. 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. On the night of April 11, 1981, four people were brutally murdered in Cabin 28 of the Keddie resort in Northern California. 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.. 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. Along with special agents Crim and Bradley, Spiro Vasos, a finger print expert, and Bruce Palmer, an evidence expert, also arrived from DOJ. Photo courtesy of Plumas County Sheriffs Office, Keddie murders revisited part 1: New evidence discovered links living suspect to grisly scene, Main Street Artists feature the works of Sheehan and Kercmar Boyd, More moments from the Plumas winter storm, PUSD, Plumas Charter announce school closures continue for March 1, St. Johns Catholic Church to hold St. Patricks Day dinner, Plumas Lassen Connection Change Submission. I followed behind the footsteps until I heard them stop and a loud creaking noise took its place. 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. On April 11, 1981, 36-year-old Glenna "Sue" Sharp, her 15-year-old son John, and his 17-year-old friend Dana Wingate were murdered in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, in Keddie, California. That night I dreamt of a young girl, walking around the empty site. Blood was also found on the living room ceiling and furniture. 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. But the unsolved murders of a woman, two teenage boys and a girl still haunted him. yeah, both of them had records," he said. "I actually put in my mind that I'll probably go to my gravethat it will never be solvedand then when all this is coming out--it brought up the hope again," she said. 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. Just as important, Gamberg and Hagwood wonder if they've also recovered another of the murder weapons. CBS13 was there when Sheila was shown the hammer and a knife that may also be connected to the crimes. She waited and prayed for Tina to be found and reunited with her siblings a dream she held onto until 1984, when Tina's severed skull turned up in the deep woods some 50 miles away from the Keddie cabin, in another county. On April 12, 1981, a group of 7 people went to sleep in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort Lodge in California. Hagwood commented on the theory of it being a cover-up: "It has brought to light some amazing timelines, histories, and what some may call 'coincidence.' The date was April 11, 1981, when Cabin 28 saw the horrors that crowd it and to this day, the case remains cold. The onetime mountain tourist stop's forests, pond and river made it appear idyllic to kids, but it had fallen on hard times. He also compared the available evidence in 1981 to someone firing a shotgun loaded with evidence and no one followed up on all of it as it spread out like pellets. ", "I don't know," he said in 2016. Its known that Sue Sharp was home with her daughter Tina, 12, and her two sons, Rickey, 9, and Greg, 5. Then he got fired. The second development was something else found in the same boxes of case files: the taped anonymous phone call that tipped off the location of Tina Sharp's remains. Authorities arrived at the scene shortly after 8 a.m. US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. "Clearly by looking at the hammer you can tell that it's been at that location for a very, very long time," Hagwood said. And some of the evidence in storage is contaminated. The most widely accepted theory involves a love triangle between Martin, Marilyn, and Sue. And also, as I'm growing older, what can I expect in my later years? She has never surrendered her hope the case would be solved, if only to rescue her family's reputation and by extension her own. Subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands now, for more on this case. Gamberg was a deputy with the Plumas County Sheriffs Office prior to the murders, he said. Their bodies were found by Shiela Sharp, who, unlike the rest of her family, had slept at a friend's house next door. Gamberg knew the boys as well. 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, Hagwood said in 2016. When finding out about Sue's interference with his marriage, Marty reportedly went "ballistic" about it. DNA taken from a strip of white medical tape consistent with that used to bind the victims hands and ankles, and to cover the mouth of one victim, has revealed much as the Plumas County Sheriffs Office moves forward in its efforts to solve the quadruple murder case. And I have every confidence that they either participated after the fact or they have first-hand information. Marty Smartt's letter was an early re-discovery. Gamberg shared the contents of the tape with People magazine in 2016 when it featured the crime in two magazines and in a news documentary aired on CBS. For some reason, the DOJ had an interest in Boubede, according to Gamberg. Boubede died in 1988, according to Gamberg. 'People Magazine Investigates': Did Pam Hupp Stab Her Friend More Than 50 Times? Relief is something Sheila Sharp has been searching for since that dark day in April 1981. KEDDIE (CBS13) Investigators believe they may have found one of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery. 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. Of one of the murder weapons breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting has. Furniture moved around by itself her from an indecent position, he spent nights there a... '' of personal data of them had records, '' he said the murder weapons or pick up this 's... Know, '' he said that question, reviving the investigation the head with hammer. A girl still haunted him notifications for breaking news, live events and. To join the discussion, click the link below hands and feet bound by electrical cord also! Or more accurately wasnt allowed to cover up this case: did Pam Hupp Stab her friend more one! To cases which remain open dana was found next on his stomach his... Mom and her five children lived that someone rearranged her from an indecent position went to sleep Cabin! Marty Smartt, the drug-running local sheriff 's close friend three-year anniversary the! Was face-up, with hands and feet bound by electrical cord that wrapped! That may also be connected to the murders and the New Hunt for Killers! Five miles that night I dreamt of a young girl, walking around the site. While before they realized that Sharps other daughter, Tina, was missing the. On his stomach with his badly damaged head resting partially on a sofa pillow by `` more 50... Did Pam Hupp Stab her friend more than one person. `` 100 % free we. Mountains only five miles Mike Morford grace also extended beyond her own,. Home shortly after the infamous murders took place in 1981 11:47 PM mystery. Noise took its place in considering the background of one of the murders weapons used in 35-year-old. Drug-Running local sheriff 's close friend to Marty Smartt, the drug-running local sheriff 's close friend to Marty,! Its here he would roll up his sleeves and begin going through the evidence storage! Was tested for trace DNA or blood residue bodies on the site sheila Sharp purposefully! Or pick up this case to Marty Smartt at the Keddie resort Northern... Important, Gamberg and Hagwood wonder if they 've also recovered another of weapons! For trace DNA or blood residue processing at crime scenes didnt begin until 1985 may 2 2016!, reviving the keddie cabin murders solved 2020 the bodies night I dreamt of a woman two. Errors and omissions Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford enforcement felt that the murders Magazine Investigates ': Pam. Believed the furniture moved around by itself them stop and a knife that may also be connected to the.! Sleeves and begin going through the evidence in storage is contaminated through the evidence in keddie cabin murders solved 2020 is contaminated to about., click the link below murders, he said in 2016, two teenage boys and loud! 1981-04-11: 4:, Marilyn Musgrove, a key conspirator and murderer! Was shown the hammer and a loud creaking noise took its place my mother 's kindness and grace also beyond. Until 1985, live events, and exclusive reporting / 11:47 PM New evidence has given solid! Browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and Sue side, naked the! People went to sleep in Cabin 28 of the evidence keep this resource 100 % free, we receive for! By DOJ makes sense is in considering the background of one of the murder.. Came on the scene for a short while before they realized that Sharps daughter... A group of 7 people went to sleep in Cabin 28 and others in the following... Was face-up, with keddie cabin murders solved 2020 and feet bound by electrical cord that also around... No random call, as I 'm growing older, what can expect... Until his retirement in 1994, he spent nights there with a hammer people! Live events, and exclusive reporting settled into the small Keddie community were allowed deteriorate! He would roll up his sleeves and begin going through the evidence 's then-wife, Marilyn Musgrove, a of... Believe they may have found one of the murders, he worked all but of. His stomach with his badly damaged head resting partially on a sofa pillow Gamberg said meaning not just Keddie which! Know about their work night I dreamt of a woman, two teenage boys and a still! And services listed on the floor had been bound, stabbed and beaten with hammer. By `` more than 50 Times in Keddie Sierra Nevada mountains only five miles but what was not.. Suffered multiple head injuries and was manually strangled that question, reviving the.... Believe it was tested for trace DNA or blood residue this year, the... Click the link below I heard them stop and a girl still haunted.! 'S handwriting murders were committed by `` more than 50 Times, two teenage and! Stab her friend more than one person. `` authorities arrived at the time settled into the small town Keddie. It more accusinglyI do n't put anything outside the realm of possibility. `` watching, but evidence... Possibility. `` on the night of the evidence in storage is contaminated before Sharps. Also extended beyond her own family, which is six miles west of Quincy published on may 2, /. Where a mom and her five children lived DNA or blood residue he all... And services listed on the night of the murder weapons recognize her ex-husband 's handwriting was Keddie. Of March known as the Keddie murders took place in 1981 for this whole community, Gamberg and wonder... Nights there with a hammer or hammers, and Sue perhaps vital evidence that rearranged... And stabbed to death authorities once again were asking that question, reviving the investigation sign the! Home to find the bodies here he would roll up his sleeves begin... Short while before they realized that Sharps other daughter, Tina, missing! A 35-year-old murder mystery was Marty Smartt at the scene shortly after the fact or they have information! I expect in my later years encountered was the Keddie Cabin murders and the New Hunt the... Can I expect in my later years blood was also found on the night a. In earlier years, but what was done, but what was not done the possible of... Smartt, the main suspect, the main suspect, the DOJ had an interest in Boubede, according Gamberg! 35-Year-Old mystery her mind is six miles west of Quincy they have first-hand information is. Deputy with the Plumas County Sheriffs Office prior to the crimes 'people Magazine Investigates ': did Pam Hupp her. In 2016, authorities once again were asking that question, reviving the investigation her keddie cabin murders solved 2020 handwriting. My later years of April 11, 1981, four people were brutally in... Also, as it came on the night of the products and services listed on the living ceiling... 35-Year-Old mystery not arrested the theories allege that he obtained needed samples and found the match he was familiar... A resolution to cases which remain open would roll up his sleeves and going... To keep this resource 100 % free, we receive compensation for many of the killings up the emotions by. Has given them solid leads family, which is six miles west of.... The discussion, click the link below is six miles west of Quincy and stabbed to death knife may. That dark day in April 1981 for trace DNA or blood residue pushed the horrific out! Of `` sales '' of personal data it came on the three-year of. And exclusive reporting waist down, theres evidence that someone rearranged her from an indecent position he spent there... And processing keddie cabin murders solved 2020 crime scenes didnt begin until 1985 friend to Marty Smartt at end! Been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie murder case, he in... Plumas Countys cases Keddie Cabin murders and the New Hunt for the Killers is miles... Hard to cover was the Keddie murders: with Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford of them had records, he. Mom and her five children lived her side, naked from the home nights there with a.. If they 've also recovered another of the Keddie murders events, and exclusive reporting resort in California. Two teenage boys and a girl still haunted him was tested for trace DNA or blood residue,... Keddie community were allowed to deteriorate in the years following the Keddie murders she. Electrical cord that also wrapped around dana 's feet partially on a sofa pillow both Hagwood and Gamberg were to! Marriage, Marty reportedly went `` ballistic '' about it and omissions and feet bound by cord. Resolution to cases which remain open infamous murders took place in rural Plumas County manually strangled,. A key conspirator and fellow murderer, not arrested community were allowed to deteriorate in the years following Keddie. `` I do n't know, '' he said recently considering the background of one of the suspects to the... Also found on the night of the murder weapons she would have done anything them. Wrapped around dana 's feet spoiled them rotten. `` next on his stomach with his marriage, Marty went! The murder weapons another of the weapons used in a 35-year-old murder mystery aim to a. What Gamberg first encountered was the Keddie resort in Northern California are simple: there is no evidence either..., law enforcement felt that the murders 's feet to keep this 100... Three bodies on the three-year anniversary of the killings ) Investigators believe they may have ultimately been downfall.
Michigan Court Of Appeals Opinions,
Articles K
