But I don't remember that. Broke my heart. "I struggle with that. Gamberg is having professionals analyze the tape recording comparing that male voice to recorded voices of others identified as potential or known suspects. Of Marty and Boubede, he said, "The only thing I knew is, they hung out together. He was also familiar with Cabin 28 in Keddie. The three were killed using knives and a hammer. "It's my belief that there were more than two people who were involved in the totality of the crime--the disposal of the evidence and the abduction of the little girl," Hagwood said. And also, as I'm growing older, what can I expect in my later years? The discovery came three years after Tinas disappearance by a man out hunting bottles. Also, the murders had nothing to do with Dana, or John, or Tina. Copyright information and disclaimer here. says Sheila, now a 50-year-old mother of three and grandmother of two. 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. Victoria didnt do any research for this one and it sounds like Gamberg is part of the problem! "It struck this community harder than anything," he said of the killings. Keddie murders revisited part 2: Following the clues. All three victims sustained brutal blows to the head with a hammer or hammers, and they were stabbed, sometimes repeatedly. 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. 2. Until now, lack of fingerprints and identifiable DNA left at the scene by the perpetrators has stymied investigative efforts. It was 2013. He accepted the job and the challenge of following the evidence and leads that still existed. Smartt would have been in his early 30s at the time of the Keddie murders. It's been hard to cover up the emotions stirred by the 35-year-old mystery. Its not about what was done, but what was not done. And that was plenty. It contained a tape recording of an anonymous caller to Butte County dispatch. Sharps oldest daughter, Sheila, had been at a sleepover when she returned to the family home, Cabin 28, to find her murdered family. And a crime that was committed so many years earlier doesnt have the priority recent crimes receive, he said. The three other children present in a second bedroom escaped physical harm. The evidence proves Dana and John died as true heroes, running to the defense of Sue and Tina. "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. He was also familiar with Cabin 28 in Keddie. "I know we are closer than we've ever been.". And I have every confidence that they either participated after the fact or they have first-hand information. My reasons are simple: there is no evidence tying either of these men to the murders. Its here he would roll up his sleeves and begin going through the evidence. Another person of interest also lived in Butte County. 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. Updated on July 15, 2019. Editors note: This story contains information that some readers might find unsettling or objectionable. Decades after the horrific incident, there is still significant public interest in the unsolved case. An envelope with a cassette recording of a man telling a sheriff's dispatcher about a body that was found three years of the murders that could be one of the victims who was kidnapped from the murder scene. Dead were Sheila's mother, brother and a family friend. 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. * Watch the full episode of the People Magazine Investigates After Show on the Keddie case, available Nov. 28 on People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). I guess it was the mother in me trying to keep them safe.". When he opened the front door he saw the bodies on the green-carpeted floor, according to Gamberg. Three of them were murdered that night, and one of the children remained missing until years later. 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. However, she did recognize her ex-husband's handwriting. The Keddie Cabin Murders: With Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford. The footfalls stopped close to me for a moment, but then started up again, moving closer to where the cabin had been. Hagwood, in his third year of office, had many priorities to contend with inside his department and in the county. Someone from that cabin ran to the lodge and reported the crime. 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. Another piece of perhaps vital evidence that Gamberg discovered was in an envelope that was never opened. 28 of the Keddie Resort. What was ignored was an alleged admission of guilty by one of the suspects. Both left the area. ", "I would like my kids and grandkids to know that she was a very caring and kind person," Sheila says of Sue. ET on Investigation Discovery. "The most vivid image I have is of my brother laying there," she says. It's a case that's gathered far more dust than clues over the years. 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. 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. The one he missed or more accurately wasnt allowed to cover was the Keddie murder case, he said recently. 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. Hagwood was a teenager at the time and knew some of the victims. But both Marty Smartt and "Bo" Boubede are now dead, questioned by law enforcement after the killings but never charged. In the coming days, the hammer and knife will be scoured for any possible DNA evidence, and the tape will be examined by the FBI to see if there's a possible voice-match with anyone who has already been interviewed in connection with this case. "I don't think there really is any type of final closure in a murder case. His department was short of funding and he was short staffed. Good question! She was dutiful in her attention to each of us, and while we lived in relative poverty, we also lived in a home of love. 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. The items inside were never entered into evidence a crucial part of the chain of evidence necessary in crime investigation. 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). 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. But that rain can't wash away the horror of what happened in the now-empty lot in the tiny resort town of Keddie. Sue had left a broken and abusive marriage and was described as a "quiet woman who loved her kids." Thomas recently addressed these accusations: In 2013, the case was reopened by current Sheriff Greg Hagwood and investigator Mike Gamberg. He was their coach in martial arts and other activities. I just stood there, staring at the spot when I thought I heard someone walking behind me, Kendall said. Many others suspect the police on the case may have been involved in a cover-up. And the cops have DNA. Smartt died in 2006. What Gamberg first encountered was the Keddie murders crime scene room. Investigators now seek any biological material including skin, hair, blood and other bodily fluids at crime scenes, according to Randy James in a 2009 feature on DNA testing for TIME. "I thought the adults would do something. 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. Just three years after reopening the case, Gamberg was talking to the media about new evidence that was recovered namely a hammer that matches one Smartt said went missing before the murders, and a hunting knife, recovered in Keddie. 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. There are people locally who know more than theyve said, and I believe weve identified some of them, and we know who they are, and we know where they are. This includes the living room carpet, wallboard and other items marked with blood and other potential evidence. In one of the bedrooms, authorities found Rick, Greg, and their friend Justin Eason Smartt, unharmed. Even his leads in the case were ignored. While two of the lead suspects Martin Smartt and his friend John Boubede are now dead, others are alive and have been identified, said Hagwood recently. As he sorted he found one bag of evidence that was never opened. Tina's (the sister whose body was not found in the cabin) skull had been found due to an anonymous tip called into the police on the. She personally believes that the murders of her family were carried out by Marty Smartt and Bo Boubede. Hagwood personally knew them. There have been a lot of rumors floating around and unfortunately people are considering them as the truth, instead of checking and doing the research. Backpackerverse.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. And I go through my moments of, I start crying for no reason. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. But for some, Keddie is synonymous with murder and despair. 'People Magazine Investigates': Did Pam Hupp Stab Her Friend More Than 50 Times? What else do you want?". The mystery endures about who brutally murdered the Sharp family single mom Sue Sharp, 36; her son Johnny, 15; daughter Tina, 12; and Johnny's friend Dana Wingate, 17 in the small Sierra Nevada community of Keddie, California. He soon moved on to another job and has since retired. 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to Gamberg, right after the murders, Sheriff Doug Thomas contacted the DOJ in Sacramento. She was also tightly gagged. His ankles were firmly tied with electrical cord that linked him to John whose ankles were also bound. A blue bandana and her panties were used first and medical tape then applied. Wonderful-Variation 2 yr. ago Six people coming together to commit a murder is an extraordinarily unusual situation. I could ask a hundred people what started this and Id probably get the same rehashed rumors from most of them. 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. 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. 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 Special investigator Mike Gamberg took us back to where that hammer was found near the crime scene and just a stone's throw away from the cabin where investigators strongly believe the killers were staying at the time of the murders. They had died. KEDDIE, Calif. It has been 40 years since what is known as the Keddie Murders took place in rural Plumas County. Their bodies were found by Shiela Sharp, who, unlike the rest of her family, had slept at a friend's house next door. 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. 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)? 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. 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. An April 11, 1981 Keddie became known all over the country for a brutal and horrific murder. Sue Sharp was found lying very close to the sofa. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! I wanted to protect my brothers from it. November 22, 2016. And both Hagwood and Gamberg can pinpoint their errors and omissions. 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. It said, "I've paid the price for your love and now that I've bought it with four peoples lives, you tell me we are through? Spring showers replenished the waterways near the Feather River, giving life to the picturesque landscape in Plumas County, about 140 miles northeast of Sacramento. The three were tied up, bludgeoned and stabbed to death. (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? Outside of organized crime, that basically never happens, and even within the world of organized crime it is probably quite rare to have so many people in on a hit. 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. Just as important, Gamberg and Hagwood wonder if they've also recovered another of the murder weapons. 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. "My mother's kindness and grace also extended beyond her own family, which may have ultimately been her downfall.". "She would have done anything for them and probably spoiled them rotten.". Sheila tells PEOPLE that Sue would have been 71 this year, at the end of March. When finding out about Sue's interference with his marriage, Marty reportedly went "ballistic" about it. / CBS Sacramento. The Keddie Cabin murders was a case that involved a triple-slaying as well as a missing child whose remains were later discovered. It sounded like a door that rested on rusty hinges, if I had to pinpoint it, she nodded, brows furrowed. Hagwood personally knew them. 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. Sharp's oldest daughter, Sheila, had been at a sleepover when she returned to the family home, Cabin 28, to find her murdered family. Sue was covered by a yellow blanket; her hands and feet were bound by electrical wiring. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Now, an Alleged Serial Killer Has Confessed, Police Say, Judge Orders Release of Adnan Syed as Murder Conviction of 'Serial' Subject Is Vacated. We aim to bring a resolution to cases which remain open. In addition to confirming Sue, John, and Dana were dead, the officers concluded they were murdered. Authorities also interviewed Marty's ex-con friend "Bo" Boubede, who had moved in with Marty. Locals describe it as a beautiful woodsy town, one with a strong sense of community. The Primary Suspects Are Dead But Authorities Are Still Pursuing Justice, 3. It sounded within two feet of me, but nobody was around. Years of No Answers and a Theory of the Crime. It has been 40 years since the tragedy took place in rural Plumas County. 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. Yes, this case was intentionally made to grow cold. Dana Wingate was at his house just the day before he died. 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. In many ways there was even less trust following the deaths. 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. They claimed to have witnessed ghost writing on the walls. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. Those left dead at the scene included the mother, Sue Sharp; her son, John Sharp, 15; and his friend, Dana Wingate, 17. The only way this decision by DOJ makes sense is in considering the background of one of the suspects. ", "It's obviously a worthwhile pursuit," he says. 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.". She ultimately settled into the small town of Keddie nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains only five miles. Subscribe now to PEOPLE for more on this case. Its known that Sue Sharp was home with her daughter Tina, 12, and her two sons, Rickey, 9, and Greg, 5. S.C. Gamberg said he has hunches about what happened to it, but it hasnt been recovered. "I've paid the price of your love & now that I've bought it with four people's lives, you tell me we are through," Marty wrote. Police was on the scene for a short while before they . This murder is shrouded in mystery, leaving behind a messy and compelling trail of clues. I worked with them the entire summer before the murders," he said. It would take those at the scene at least several hours to realize that fact. Sheila's 12-year-old sister, Tina, was missing. Some even believed the furniture moved around by itself. Crim from the divisions organized crime unit not from homicide to investigate. ", "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. Then he got fired. Many were questioned, but without sufficient evidence nobody was convicted. It was just left scattered. WANTED: The Keddie Cabin Killer Episode Summary A family's brutal murder rocks a tiny California town and leaves behind too many unanswered questions. Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood described what happened in Cabin 28 in 1981, where single mother of five Glenna Sue sharp was murdered with her teenage son John and his friend Dana Wingate. 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. 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. Interest in the now-empty lot in the true crime Newsletter as the Cabin! Walking behind me, Kendall said and I have every confidence that they either participated after the horrific incident there... On this case was reopened by current Sheriff Greg Hagwood and Gamberg can pinpoint their errors and.! Blanket ; her hands and feet were bound by electrical wiring their friend Justin Eason,... And has since retired to have witnessed ghost writing on the scene for a moment, it. Were used first and medical tape then applied when finding out about 's... Most of them others identified as potential or known suspects a worthwhile pursuit, '' she.... 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