Blood spatters were found on the floor and ceiling suggesting the kind of forced used. Gamberg said he was fortunate in that he was able to get his piece of DNA processed in a timely manner. That said, he understands that some of the individuals who had the experience to work the crime scene and follow the leads werent allowed to do their jobs in 1981. Keddie murders revisited part 2: Following the clues. Sue Sharp was the mother of five beautiful children. Gamberg knew the boys as well. November 22, 2016. Gamberg still had strong opinions about what had and hadnt happened 32 years earlier. A psychic online claims she visited the house and could hear the screams of the victims. We aim to bring a resolution to cases which remain open. Sheila tells PEOPLE that Sue would have been 71 this year, at the end of March. rice farms in northern california. Subscribe now to PEOPLE, or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands now, for more on this case. 2021. But I don't remember that. Unsolved Mystery of the Keddie Cabin Murders by Joe Turner 1 Listen to this article. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I knew the two boys who were murdered. Its also believed medical tape was brought along, and theres some evidence that an 880 BB or pellet rife was there, but was not recovered at the scene. Students should, County Administrative Officer Debra Lucero announced today that Plumas will be continuing its closure due to snow except for, The snow keeps falling and our readers keep finding moments to share some of levity, others of some serious, Plumas Unified School District and Plumas Charter School announced this afternoon that there will be no school on Wednesday, March. What occurred next shocked the country: Four people were killed, three of which were found in Cabin 28. Apparently Marty had confessed to the murders in a session. "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. Enter your email address to subscribe to Plumas News and receive notifications of new posts by email. It was discovered on the once cheerful, ivy patterned wallpaper and on some bedding in the bedroom Sheila and her sister, Tina, shared with their mother. The Crime Logs mission is bring awareness to crimes which are both solved and unsolved. He was also familiar with Cabin 28 in Keddie. Although he prefers not to share his identity, dmac has been heavily investigating the Keddie murders for many years. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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? Keddie and Quincy are seven miles apart. It emerged that Marty was angry about Sue's interference in his troubled marriage. But it also recounts the killings and Sheila's theory that they were carried out by a neighbor, Marty Smartt, and his ex-con friend "Bo" Boubede, in part as revenge for Sheila's mom siding with Marty's wife in a marital dispute. Deputy Hank Klement was the first to arrive on scene. Marty was reportedly an abusive husband. To join the discussion, click the link below. The most widely accepted theory involves a love triangle between Martin, Marilyn, and Sue. Apparently, as the suspects bludgeoned and stabbed their victims to death, none of the suspects were injured or left their own blood at the scene. All three victims sustained brutal blows to the head with a hammer or hammers, and they were stabbed, sometimes repeatedly. Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, where the 1981 murders occurred. The therapist also reportedly told Gamberg that he was surprised the investigators at the time of the murder hadn't used the confession against Marty. 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. Also, the murders had nothing to do with Dana, or John, or Tina. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Although Gamberg was a deputy, he said his young sons began locking the doors to their house at night. "But rarely did I speak to the family about it. And both Hagwood and Gamberg can pinpoint their errors and omissions. In 2017, a horror film inspired by the murders, Cabin 28, was released by U.K. production company North Bank Entertainment. But that rain can't wash away the horror of what happened in the now-empty lot in the tiny resort town of Keddie. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cabin 28 had already been demolished, but she decided to check out the site regardless. 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. Copyright information and disclaimer here. Blood was discovered on both bedroom doors and outside on the handrail of the steep back stairs. And wasnt Justin 12 when this happened? The hope is the new evidence will lead to new arrests. Investigators Have a Personal Stake in the Case, 5. And the cops have DNA. The three were tied up, bludgeoned and stabbed to death. Relief is something Sheila Sharp has been searching for since that dark day in April 1981. Keddie murders: Keddie: 1981-04-11: 4: . "I stayed in the cabin probably a dozen times," he said. This was Cabin 27 where the Seabolt family lived. We still have to live on without our loved ones. A blue bandana and her panties were used first and medical tape then applied. "There were some theories that [Marty's friend] Boubede was involved, and there was some theories that some other people in Keddie were involved," Thomas said. Growing up in Taylorsville, Kendall (Name changed for privacy) had heard about the Sharp murders from a fairly young age. Moving forward, DNA might still be retrievable from evidence collected at Keddie Cabin 28 if it hasnt been compromised and DNA testing facilities are notoriously backlogged. She was also tightly gagged. It was discovered later that 12-year-old Tina Sharp was missing. Cabin 28 and others in the small Keddie community were allowed to deteriorate in the years following the Keddie murders. Of Marty and Boubede, he said, "The only thing I knew is, they hung out together. 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. Dana Wingate was at his house just the day before he died. These were boys he went to school with. 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.". Gamberg is having professionals analyze the tape recording comparing that male voice to recorded voices of others identified as potential or known suspects. The onetime mountain tourist stop's forests, pond and river made it appear idyllic to kids, but it had fallen on hard times. Both Hagwood and Gamberg said residents had very little trust or confidence in the sheriffs department before the murders. With nothing in those first weeks that tied them to the crime, Thomas said, neither were charged. * 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. What Gamberg first encountered was the Keddie murders crime scene room. Smartt would have been in his early 30s at the time of the Keddie murders. CALLER: Hello I was watching the news and they were talking about the skull they found at the Feather Falls and they asked for any help. It would take those at the scene at least several hours to realize that fact. 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. Although two of the main suspects, Smartt and Boubede are dead, they were alive at the time of Tina Sharps discovery. / CBS Sacramento. We questioned them extensively.". All had been bound and suffered extreme violence. WANTED: The Keddie Cabin Killer Episode Summary A family's brutal murder rocks a tiny California town and leaves behind too many unanswered questions. 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. ", "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. Authorities arrived at the scene shortly after 8 a.m. Wonderful-Variation 2 yr. ago Six people coming together to commit a murder is an extraordinarily unusual situation. * Stream our true crime show, People Magazine Investigates on Investigation Discovery, which includes an episode on the Keddie cabin murders. Sue's two younger sons, Rick and Greg, as well as their friend Justin Smartt, were also in the house but were unharmed. In earlier years, before the Sharps moved in, he spent nights there with a friend and his family. ", Of her mother, Sheila adds, "I miss talking to her, going to her if I have an issue. Many others suspect the police on the case may have been involved in a cover-up. Yes, this case was intentionally made to grow cold. Sharp's oldest daughter, Sheila, had been at a sleepover when she returned to the family home, Cabin 28, to find her murdered family. The Keddie murders, as the case became known, had become infamous as one of the countys leading unsolved crimes. The evidence proves Dana and John died as true heroes, running to the defense of Sue and Tina. The Scene Suggests More Than One Killer. Justin Smartt Eason, 12, one of three boys left alive in a second bedroom, was allowed to spend the night. He wonders if DOJ protected him. My kids don't know who my mom is. Keddie Cabin Murders Solved? Severin John Bo Boubede, Smartts friend. Many were questioned, but without sufficient evidence nobody was convicted. 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.' Thats when Hagwood asked Gamberg, a private investigator, if hed like to take over the investigation. * Watch the full episode of the People Magazine Investigates After Show on the Keddie case, available Nov. 28 on People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). S.C. Hes also shared some important information with the Plumas County Sheriffs Office. "The most vivid image I have is of my brother laying there," she says. People: 5 Things to Know about the Keddie Cabin Murders and the New Hunt for the Killers. With the killings of her family members, "I didn't have the big brother to look up to, and I lost my only sister, and we were close," Sheila says. 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. Subscribe now to PEOPLE for more on this case. He soon moved on to another job and has since retired. However, she did recognize her ex-husband's handwriting. "I know we are closer than we've ever been.". Why did both DOJ and sheriff Doug Thomas skate these key suspects when LE noted they were lying, and Marty FAILED his polygraph? A Daughter's 35-Year Fight For Justice: Sheila Sharp Longs to Know Who Murdered Her Family in Their Cabin Sheila Sharp who discovered the victims of the Keddie Cabin 28 murders in 1981, when . Sheila herself hopes the case will be solved. I wanted to protect my brothers from it. Some of the evidence was placed in a freezer to preserve it. Of course his DNA would be there! He was lying face up with his blood-covered hands bound together securely with medical tape. Case file update is a new column featuring previous cases involving Plumas County and its people. "They can't defend themselves. It sounded like a door that rested on rusty hinges, if I had to pinpoint it, she nodded, brows furrowed. The Keddie Cabin Murders took place on April 12, 1981; Sue Sharp, two of her children, and her son's friend lost their lives. And 2022 could be the year this murder finally gets solved. 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. Life changed dramatically in 1981 for this whole community, Gamberg said meaning not just Keddie, which is six miles west of Quincy. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, The Sacramento Bee: Mother, 2 Teen-Agers Slain in Plumas Hamlet, The San Francisco Examiner: Three brutal murders, missing girl mystify Plumas County, by Steven Capps, The Lompoc Record: 3 murders puzzle authorities, by UPI, The San Francisco Examiner: Sierra resort is rocked by nightmare murders in cabin, by Steven A. Capps, Oroville Mercury Register: Autopsies Are Scheduled in Plumas Triple Murder, by Associated Press, Oroville Mercury Register: Autopsies Show 3 Died From Blows to Head, by Associated Press, The Sacramento Bee: Motive For Triple Slaying A Puzzle, by Walt Wiley, Reno Gazette-Journal: Plumas triple murder investigation continues, Feather River Bulletin: Triple slaying in Keddie, by Marv Snow and Dave Moller, The Sacramento Bee: Triple-Slaying Probe Looks For Missing Girl, by Walt Wiley, The Chico Enterprise-Record (Chico, CA): Report on Killings Awaited, The San Francisco Examiner: Dog teams searching for girl believed slain, by Associated Press, The Sacramento Bee: Searches End For 12-Year-Old Missing After Murders Of 3 Others, Feather River Bulletin: Tina Sharp still missing, by Dave Moller, Feather River Bulletin: Tina Sharp feared dead, The Sacramento Bee: Investigators Frustrated In Search For Triple Killer, by Walt Wiley, Feather River Bulletin: Murder autopsies reveal no drugs, Feather River Bulletin: Sheriff seeks pair for questioning in Keddie murder investigation, The Sacramento Bee: New Sheriff Takes Problems In Stride, by Walt Wiley, Feather River Bulletin: Sheriff asks deer hunters for help in Keddie case, Feather River Bulletin: Human skull found, Feather River Bulletin: Murder probe continuing, by Dave Moller, Feather River Bulletin: Two ruled out in Keddie case, Oroville Mercury Register: Missing Girls Bones Identified, The Sacramento Bee: Bones found are those of girl linked to slayings, by Steve Gibson & Tom Guarino, The Chico Enterprise-Record: Girl, 12, apparent 4, The Sacramento Bee: Triple slaying still haunts resort after 3 years, by Ken Payton, Feather River Bulletin: Fourth victim found in slaying, by Dave Moller, Feather River Bulletin: Murder, by Curt Asher, Feather River Bulletin: Search for Keddie killers continues six years later, by Curt Asher, Feather River Bulletin: 1981 mass murder shocks county; case still unsolved, Feather River Bulletin: 13-year old Keddie murders still plague sheriff, by Cynthia Pack, Feather River Bulletin: Keddie: Many changes during past century, by Randy Walker, The Sacramento Bee: Drifter now a suspect in four Plumas slayings, by Jane Braxton Little, Westwood Pine Press: Former Plumas man admits murders, gets two life terms, by Dave Keller, Feather River Bulletin: The Keddie murders: 20 years later, investigation goes on, by Dave Keller, Westwood Pine Press: Memorial held for Tina Sharp, by Victoria Metcalf, Westwood Pine Press: Keddie Murders remembered, by Victoria Metcalf, Reno Gazette-Journal: Investigator closer to solving 1981 Keddie murders, by Marcella Corona, The Sacramento Bee: 81 Keddie murder case rekindled in Plumas, by Jane Braxton Little, KOLO8: The Keddie Murders: Potential evidence continues to surface, by Ed Pearce, People: 5 Things to Know about the Keddie Cabin Murders and the New Hunt for the Killers, by Jeff Truesdell, People: A Daughters 35-Year Fight For Justice: Sheila Sharp Longs to Know Who Murdered Her Family in Their Cabin, by Jeff Truesdell, Identification Discovery: People Investigates, Cabin 28: Horror in the woods, Yahoo News: Inside the Search for the Keddie Cabin Killers 35 Years After a Family Was Slaughtered, by Jeff Truesdell, Plumas News: Keddie murders revisited part 1: New evidence discovered links living suspect to grisly scene, by Victoria Metcalf, Plumas News: Keddie murders revisited part 2: Following the clues, by Staff, Plumas News: Keddie murders revisited part 3: Hypnosis, counselors revelations, mob connections, by Victoria Metcalf, ABC 10: Murder in Cabin 28: Why detectives say they are closer than ever to solving the Keddie Murders case | Unsolved California, by Madison Wade, YouTube: Keddie Murders: Cabin 28- The Keddie Murders, Pt I (2005), Uploaded by keddie28, YouTube Keddie Murders: Cabin 28- The Keddie Murders, Pt II, Uploaded by keddie28. The case was unsolved for two decades after investigators interviewed dozens of people, analyzed evidence and executed several search warrants. Keddie28 reported Sharp immediately fled the cabin and ran to the neighbors for help. It wasnt followed, he said. Others may look at it more accusinglyI don't put anything outside the realm of possibility.". As a martial arts instructor at the time, he taught both Johnny and Dana, and says Dana was at his home the day before he died. Yet Gamberg and Sheriff Greg Hagwood believed the evidence leaned toward those two as the culprits. 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. Anyone who has any information on the Keddie murders is asked to call the Keddie murders hotline at 283-6360. Sue's 12-year-old daughter Tina was taken from the cabin, but her decomposed remains wouldn't be found for another three years. But because the aunt already had several children, the Sharp kids were eventually placed in foster care first together and later apart. People Magazine Investigates' episode on the Keddie cabin murders airs Monday (10 p.m. Sue was covered by a yellow blanket; her hands and feet were bound by electrical wiring. A fourth victim, Tina, was missing. Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort, where the 1981 murders occurred. "It could have been that I blocked it out, and the shock of it all, too.". Sheila's sister was missing her remains were found in the woods three years later. 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. An April 11, 1981 Keddie became known all over the country for a brutal and horrific murder. 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