Unfortunately, many hours passed since her disappearance, and the chance of anyone finding her nearby was slim. When the DOJ was alerted to this confession in 1981, they dismissed it as hearsay.. He is the author of a series of published mystery novels and holds a degree in criminal psychology. It's a case that involves a triple-slaying and a missing child whose remains. [19] John's throat was slashed. Investigators claim that she was having her own affair at the time. He also told investigators that his stepson, Justin, might have seen something on the night of the murder without the killer detecting the boy. The Keddie Murders is an unsolved 1981 American quadruple murder that took place in Keddie, a former resort town in the foothills of Northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains. The oldest boy, John, and his buddy, Dana, had spent the day in Quincy. Like her son, her throat had been cut. "I've paid the price of your love & now I've bought it with four people's lives," ABC10 reports the letter said. In the evening, the two girls went to the Seabolt family house next door in Cabin 27, just 15 feet away. "[17], Martin Smartt died of cancer in Portland, Oregon, in June 2000. Many people believe that the police were either incompetent or corrupt and covered up the crime for some reason. Keddie had been a bustling resort town since its revival in 1978. Investigators discovered two bloody knives, a hammer, and a plastic piece from a BB gun. Great! A butcher knife and claw hammer, both also bloodied, were side-by-side on a small wooden table near the entry into the kitchen. All victims had suffered blunt-force trauma by hammer or hammers. [24] Additionally, she alleged that Martin "hated Johnny Sharp with a passion". Killers Von Taylor, and Edward Deli, were ex-cons, and on the run from their half-way house. Although both Martin Smartt and Bo Boudebe are now deceased, new DNA evidence has pointed investigators to other suspects who may have had a hand in these murders, and who are still alive. Deputy Hank Klement was the first to arrive on the scene and he reported blood everywhere on the walls, the bottoms of the victims shoes, Sues bare feet, the bedding in Tinas room, the furniture, the ceiling, the doors, and on the back steps. [22][23], Sheila and the Seabolt family (with whom Sheila had spent the night in the neighboring home) heard no commotion during the night;[6] a couple living in nearby house #16 was awakened at 1:15 am by what sounded like muffled screaming. Several new leads were announced in the 21st century, including the discovery of a hammer in a pond in 2016, as well as announcements regarding the discovery of new DNA evidence. Four people were killed in a small California resort town, including Sue Sharp, her son John, daughter Tina, and John's friend Dana. The three youngsters were hanging out at the house since the afternoon. Relatives of the victims and the public anxiously await the day when investigators bring justice to the killings of Sue, John, Tina, and Dana. Im not as I guess Im more cautious of my surroundings., That night Sheila, now 50, a married mother of three and grandmother of two, lost her mom Sue, 36; brother Johnny, 15; and sister Tina, 12, along with Johnnys friend Dana Wingate, 17. The discovery of Tinas remains raised even more questions than before. There were some bloodstains on her bedding, which suggested that she might have been kidnapped from her bed after the murders. The oldest boy, John, got the ground-floor basement all to himself. Neighbors said that for the most part, she kept to herself but the family was integrating well. On the night of April 11, 1981, four people were brutally murdered in Cabin 28 of the Keddie resort in Northern California. The only thing authorities found that may reveal the identity of the killer, or killers, was DNA collected from a piece of medical tape used to bind the victims. She mentioned, however, that she doesnt talk to her brothers about it because she wants to protect them. Sue was gagged deeply with a bandana and her underwear. Findings confirmed that the weapons used on the victims heads were two different hammers and a BB gun in Sues case. There were four victims: Sue Sharp, her son John, her daughter Tina, and John's friend Dana. Victims,. Some evidence, such as a second bloody knife, turned up in a trash bin behind the Keddie general store. [17] He later admitted to having briefly entered the home through the back door to see if anyone was still alive, potentially contaminating evidence in the process. Upon entering the restaurant with several guns, including a 9mm automatic pistol and a semiautomatic rifle, Huberty demanded everyone Were convinced that there are a handful of people that fit those roles who are still alive.. Sue packed her children up and moved across the country from North Carolina to the Golden State. Given the extent of the brutality of the Keddie cabin murders, there was plenty of evidence left behind. 35 Years Later, New Clues May Solve Keddie Murder Mystery. Three years after the slayings occurred, part of a skull was found 29 miles away near Camp Eighteen in neighboring Butte County. His throat had been slit. Sue urged them not to hitchhike, but passersby spotted John and Dana on a street corner trying to flag a ride home around 9:30-10:00 that evening. Determined to find more survivors, Jamie crept up the back stairs. Electrical cording and medical tape bound their wrists and ankles. You May Also Like: The Disappearance of the Five Sodder Children. Forty years after the incident, the quadruple murder in the woods still baffles the nation. In one of the bedrooms, authorities found Rick, Greg, and their friend Justin Eason Smartt, unharmed. Justin said that he was watching TV in the boys room before he fell asleep. Also note how close the cabin is to its neighbor. It has been 40 years since the tragedy took place in rural Plumas County. The artist won the Doug Moran in 2011 for his portrait of Baz Luhrmann, and he has won the Archibald people's choice four times - once, in 2013, for another portrait of Keddie. [6] The house's telephone had been taken off the hook and the cord cut from the outlet, and the drapes were closed. The anonymous counselor told him that in May 1981, Martin Smartt had confessed to killing Sue and Tina Sharp. A mom, son, and son's best friend were found murdered. Watch our new 10-part true crime show, People Magazine Investigates, which airs Mondays (9 p.m. His ankles were tied with electrical wire which was wound also around Johns ankles so that the two were connected. Keddie28reported Sue Sharp began dating a man named Dareyl approximately one week before she was killed. It is true that longtime cold cases can find warmth even after several decades. He also told authorities he had a hammer, which went missing around the same time the murder occurred. The Keddie murders are an unsolved quadruple homicide which took place over the night of April 1112, 1981, in Keddie, California, United States. On . Glenna Sue Sharp was a dark-haired, attractive single mother with five children. Marilyn moved out of Cabin 26 the day after the murders. [6] Blood spatter evidence from inside the house indicated that the murders of Sue, John, and Dana had all taken place in the living room. Between them lies the forgotten tape of the anonymous phone tip left in 1984, rediscovered in 2013. Gary Mollath, who owned one of the failed resorts, turned his cabins into long-term rental units for low-income families. The fragments were eventually determined to belong to the missing girl Tina. [16] The remains were confirmed by a forensic pathologist to be those of Tina in June 1984. Blood was all over the victims, the floors, walls, ceiling, both bedroom doors, and on the railing of the outside stairs. Justin said both men were wearing glasses. Following his arrest in 1996, police looked at the . The East Area Rapist used electrical cords to bind victims. Sheila would spend the night at the Seabolts. ET) on Investigation Discovery, One of the main things I have a hard time with is getting close to people, for fear that somethings going to happen, Sheila says in an exclusive clip from the after show. And I know I always look around. They happened upon John and his friend, Dana Hall Wingate (born February 8, 1964),[3] hitchhiking at the mouth of the canyon from Quincy to Keddie and picked them up, then driving about 6 miles (9.7km) away to Keddie. KEDDIE, Calif. It has been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie Murders took place in rural Plumas County. Between them lies the forgotten tape of the anonymous phone tip left in 1984, rediscovered in 2013. called the Sacramento Department of Justice. The discovery prompted a thorough examination of the area, revealing a jawbone and several other bones. Blog. When Sheila returned home early the next morning to find her mother, brother, and his friend bloodied on the living room floor, she bolted back to her neighbors house. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. [27], On April 22, 1984, three years and eleven days after the murders, a bottle collector discovered the cranium portion of a human skull and part of a mandible at Camp Eighteen[17] near Feather Falls in neighboring Butte County,[28] roughly 100 miles (160km) from Keddie. After learning about the Keddie cabin murders, read about another unsolved murder, the Lake Bodom homicides that continue to confound authorities. Most descriptions of Marty say that he was an unsavory individual with a criminal record and a mean demeanor. The murders took place in cabin 28, during the late evening of April 11, 1981 and/or early morning of the 12th. Sue began renting out Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort in 1980 when she relocated to Northern California after separating from her husband. On the floor lay her mother Glenna (Sue) Sharp36, her brother Johnny Sharp15, and Johns friend Dana Wingate17. A recording of this call was found at the bottom of an evidence box at some point after 2013 by a deputy who was assigned the case. [19] She had been stabbed in the chest,[20] her throat was stabbed horizontally, the wound going through her larynx and nicking her spine, and on the side of her head was an imprint matching the butt of a Daisy 880 Powerline BB/pellet rifle. On the night of the Keddie cabin murders, Marilyn, Boubede (or Bo as they called him), and Marty had been out together at the local bar. Strangled. Gamberg sent the tape to other law enforcement agencies for analysis and possible leads. Tina remained a missing person until April 1984, when her skull and several other bones were recovered at Camp Eighteen, California, near Feather Falls in Butte County. In September 1980, Sharp found a larger home in the former resort town of Keddie, California. Listen Now For our friends in the Deaf and Signing community, you can view an ASL version of this episode HERE. He was placed under hypnosis in an attempt to recall any details of the night. Martys counselor at the Veterans Administration in Reno told police that Marty confessed to killing Sue and Tina but not the two boys. The police never admitted this letter as evidence. The new investigators and people online who re-investigated the Keddie Murders have done a very good job digging up some new evidence and analyzing the small amount available. Authorities also interviewed Marty's close friend, John "Bo" Boubede, who lived with Marty and his wife, and was out with Marty on the night the murders occurred. After looking around and searching for survivors, he rejoined the others outside. "I believe there are two individuals that are alive and accessories after the fact,"Detective Mike Gamberg saidin an April 2021 interview with ABC10. It would also explain why the Smartt boy and the other Sharp boys in the adjoining room were spared. As reported by Historic Mysteries, Smartt was Justin's stepfather. Gamberg also stated that at that time, six potential suspects were being examined. Were they protecting their informant? What else do you want?. Based on Justin's description of the attackers, detectives identified Martin "Marty" Smartt as one of the primary suspects in the cabin murders. Whoever attacked them bound them with medical tape. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Marty had a friend, John Boubede, who had been living at Martys house. [24] According to Justin, John and Dana then entered the home and began heatedly arguing with the men. Keddie is a tiny settlement in Plumas County on the outskirts of Quincy, California. Although Marilyn gave it to authorities, Historic Mysteries reports there is no record that the jacket was entered into evidence. Along with the three murders, the younger Sharp daughter, Tina (12) was . Mysteriously, the recording was at the bottom of an unopened evidence box. [15] Tina was absent from the home, while the three younger childrenRick, Greg, and Justinwere found physically unharmed in an adjacent bedroom. In addition to confirming Sue, John, and Dana were dead, the officers concluded they were murdered. In press releases accompanying the sketches, the suspects were described as being in their late 20s to early 30s; one stood between 5feet 11inches (1.80m) to 6feet 2inches (1.88m) tall with dark-blonde hair, and the other between 5feet 6inches (1.68m) and 5feet 10inches (1.78m) with black, greased hair. Is this why detectives seemed to turn a blind eye to many clues and disregarded evidence? Although the identity of the murderer is still a mystery, new information has surfaced in the last decade and could help to solve the Keddie cabin murders. However, he did not have any involvement in the case at the time. The Keddie Murders Unresolved. During the interrogation after the murders, Boubede told police that he worked as a police officer in Chicago for 18 years. Dana had multiple head injuries and had been manually strangled to death. The sheriff at the time of the murders, Doug Thomas, and his deputy. He lives in the West Midlands, UK with his wife and son. Even though Marilyn admitted in a 2008 documentary that she thought her husband his friend Bo was responsible, Sheriff Doug Thomas contradicted this and stated that Martin had successfully passed a polygraph test. Sues ex-husband was in the military when they divorced, and the Navy gave her $250 a month to start her new life. The former Sharp home was condemned and demolished in 2004. Gamberg is on a special mission to solve the 37-year-old murder case, where four people were brutally murdered, and probably all within the tiny railroad town and former resort community called Keddie. A person matching the description Justin gave became a primary suspect in the investigation Justins stepfather, Martin Smartt, also known as Marty. Marty, his wife Marilyn, and Marilyns two sons lived in Cabin 26 near the Sharps house just across the lane. Sue's two younger sons, Rick and Greg, as well as their friend Justin Smartt, were also in the house but were unharmed. They had apparently slept through the entire massacre which had unfolded mere feet from their beds. This murder is shrouded in mystery, leaving behind a messy and compelling trail of clues. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. The girls shared one, and the younger boys shared the other. The weapons included a steak knife that came from Sues kitchen. It would take the police hours to realize that a fourth victim, Tina, was missing. Her brother, who would help her and the children start a new life, lived in Quincy, California, about 150 miles north of Sacramento. Joe Turner is a freelance writer of crime with a passion for unsolved mysteries. [30] However, in the 2008 documentary, Sheriff Doug Thomas said he had personally interviewed Martin and that he had passed a polygraph examination. Corona, Marcella. His friend Dana was on the floor beside him on his stomach. [29], In a 2008 documentary on the murders, Marilyn Smartt claimed that she suspected her husband Martin and his friend John "Bo" Boubede (erroneously reported as "John Boudee" by author Robert Scott)[a] were responsible for the murders. Keddie is a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains, located roughly halfway between Redding and Reno. As she opened the door, she screamed as she discovered the bodies of her mother, Glenna "Sue" Sharp, older brother John Sharp . Authorities arrived at the scene shortly after 8 a.m. [29] He later criticized the quality of the initial investigation, saying: "You could take someone just coming out of the academy and they'd have done a better job. The Keddie Murders have been referred to as a cold case suddenly getting warm. More evidence uncovered in Keddie murders case. Did Genene Jones Kill As Many As 60 Children As A Pediatric Nurse? Her friends dad retrieved the three unharmed boys through their bedroom window so they would not have to see the scene. When they returned to the bar much later, they were wearing suits, as if they had spent the evening at a business meeting. Keddie Case Cabin 28. keddie28.com.Little, Jane Braxton. Justin reported then that John and Dana entered the home and argued with the men which resulted in a violent fight. Keddie murders revisited part 1: New evidence discovered links living suspect to grisly scene - Plumas News The Sharp family's home shortly after the infamous murders took place in 1981. The following fall, she moved to house #28 in the rural Sierra Nevada railroad town of Keddie. A renewed investigation has caused the cold case to heat up, according to the People Magazine Investigates episode entitled Cabin 28: Horror in the Woods.. John and his 17-year-old friend Dana had hitchhiked to a nearby town of Quincy for a party and returned sometime later that evening. Thats the way my mom raised us, she says. 5 Topics 16 Posts Last post Portola Reporter April 12, 20 . A back view of cabin 28 where the family had lived for a year. For 35 years, Sheila Sharp has tried to repress the memory of finding the brutally murdered bodies of her mother and older brother in her familys cabin home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains a crime that remains unsolved. Dana also had severe head injuries, but he had also been strangled. A fight ensued,[24] after which Tina entered the room and was taken out of the cabin's back door by one of the men. Keddie Cabin 28: What Happened? Young John was closest to the front door, face-up, his hands blood-covered and bound with medical tape. Near the remains detectives also found a childs blanket, a blue nylon jacket, a pair of jeans with a missing back pocket, and an empty surgical tape dispenser. He also exaggerated about how long he had lived in Keddie. 7. A bent steak knife was on the floor. Of the suspects who are still alive, Gamberg said: They better batten down the hatches because were coming. It would have been intentionally put there. [15], Sue was discovered lying on her side near the living room sofa, nude from the waist down[19] and gagged with a blue bandana and her own underwear, which had been secured with tape. It's an unsolved murder of a mother, two of her children and her son's friend. However, Historic Mysteries reports he was never arrested or charged in the murders. Keddie Resort Murder. (Metcalf: 2018). [24], According to a 2016 article published by The Sacramento Bee, Martin had left Keddie and driven to Reno, Nevada, shortly after the murders; from there, he sent a letter to Marilyn ruminating on personal struggles in their marriage, which he concluded with: "I've paid the price of your love & now I've bought it with four people's lives. Keddie Murders Revisited Part 1: New Evidence Discovered Links Living Suspect to Grisly Scene, November 15, 2019.Whelan, Micheal. According to the story, Marty said he was angry that Sue had convinced Marilyn to leave him. In 2016, Gamberg met with a counselor at the Reno Veterans Administration. KEDDIE (CBS13) - The stretch of I-70 in the Feather River Canyon appears to be one of the most peaceful settings in Plumas County, but three decades ago, a monster invaded the town of Keddie.. The Keddie Cabin murders was a case that involved a triple-slaying as well as a missing child whose remains were later discovered. Clipping from Reno Gazette-Journal, April 13, 2016.DMAC. Claw hammered. Multiple leads and suspects were examined in the intervening years, though no charges were filed. However, investigators must have buried these facts until 2016 when new discoveries reignited the case. ABC10's Madison Wade spoke with. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. At the centre of its hub was Keddie Resort, a collection of 33 rustic cabins which could be rented out long term for around $170 per month. They had died . The murders took place in house No. Victims of the Keddie cabin murders: John Sharp, Tina Sharp, Dana Wingate, and Glenna Sharp, aka Sue. Unfortunately, they couldnt determine where the sounds came from and went back to sleep. However, though the three boys initially claimed to have slept through the massacre, Rickey and Gregs friend Justin Smartt did later say that he saw Sue with two men in the house that night. Tina was missing from the scene. [21] Carla McMullen, a family acquaintance, later told detectives that Dana Wingate had recently stolen an unknown quantity of LSD from local drug dealers, though she was unable to provide proof of this claim. Amid the attack, Tina came out of her room and was carried out of the house by one of the men, who came back inside the house without her. If she did turn in a jacket, the police, once again, did not acknowledge it as evidence. [24] Around 2:00 am on April 12, she stated she awoke to find the two burning an unknown item in the wood stove. [24] In his later account of events, told under hypnosis,[17] he claimed to have awoken to sounds coming from the living room while asleep in the bedroom with Rick and Greg. 27 min listen. Although the counselor initially reported Martys statements to the police not long after the killings, the police did not log the information as evidence or follow up with this information. Dmac does not agree on this point. In 2013, he located the recording of the anonymous 911 phone call that came in after Tinas remains surfaced. Authorities concluded at least one of the knives, which was a steak knife, came from the kitchen of the cabin. Keddie28 reports she was attending business classes at the Feather River Community College, where she was purportedly a "good student" who worked hard to maintain high grades. Further, the home did not indicate forced entry, though detectives did recover an unidentified fingerprint from a handrail on the back stairs. All three returned home later, but Marty and Bo went out again. Since then, no arrests have been made, and the names have never been released to the public. Inside The Unsolved Shooting Of Brooklyn's Hip-Hop King. Over the years, the Keddie Resort fell into disrepair, and in 2004, Cabin 28 was demolished. Watch the People Magazine Investigates After Show, available now on the new People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). [26], Tina's disappearance was initially investigated by the FBI as a possible abduction,[19] though it was reported on April 29, 1981, that the FBI had "backed off" the search as the California State Department of Justice was doing an "adequate job" and "made the FBI's presence unnecessary. Investigation Police arrived at around 8:00 am and began their investigation of the murders. Sheriff Hagwood believes that the location couldnt have been accidental and that someone intentionally threw it in the water. Any case without an apparent motive is the toughest to solve, Stoy recalled to the Sacramento Bee in 1987. 109 min listen. As reported by The Mystique, Justin began having vivid dreams in the days after the murders. Missing from the cabin was Sue's twelve-year-old daughter, Tina. The back door left ajar. [24], The house in which the murders occurred was demolished in 2004. Boubede told authorities he was a former Chicago police officer and that Marilyn was his niece, which were both later revealed to be untrue. Trampling through dead leaves, they stepped inside the perimeter of where the cabin once sat. Due to the chaos, it took police quite a few hours before anyone realized that Tina was nowhere to be found. They also all sustained multiple stab wounds. Sheilas sister, 12-year-old Tina Sharp, was nowhere to be found. Its my belief that there were more than two people who were involved in the totality of the crimethe disposal of the evidence and the abduction of the little girl, Hagwood said. In his dream, he had tried to stop the bleeding in Sues chest with towels, and he covered her with a blanket. The plastic piece that the police found in Cabin 28 matched up to a Daisy 880 BB gun. As reported by Keddie28, they initially rented a trailer home owned by Sharp's brother. When she opened the front door to the living room, she discovered a massacre. He began hearing noises out in the living room and claimed to have seen Sue with two men. She remarried and is still alive. 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. Later that year, a knife was recovered in a trashcan outside the Keddie General Store; authorities also believed this item to be linked to the crimes. The entire site has since been abandoned. Was it possible that he either witnessed the murders or awoke at some point during the night but had blocked it out? Welcome! Further, it came to light that Marilyn Smartt, Martys wife and mother of Justin, had left her husband on the day of the murder discovery. On July 18, 1984, a lone gunman James Oliver Huberty entered a crowded McDonald's with a plan: "hunting for humans." He opened fire on the customers inside the fast-food chain, killing 21 and wounding 19 others. You May Also Like: The Servant Girl Annihilators of Texas. The Keddie Murders: A cold case suddenly getting warm. A daughter was kidnapped and her remains were later found. On April 11, 1981, Sue and the kids were in and out of Cabin 28 throughout the day. Justin said he saw one of the men stab Sue Sharp. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Always busy trying to better her situation, Sue took a typing class with financial aid. [24] Shortly after announcing the discovery, the Butte County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous call that identified the remains as belonging to Tina, but the call was not documented in the case.
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