She mentioned, however, that she doesnt talk to her brothers about it because she wants to protect them. The next morning at around 7 am, Sheila returned home from her sleepover next door. The Butte County Sheriffs Department soon received an anonymous call asking, 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?. Later, investigators learned that Boubede had a criminal record and was working as an enforcer with the mafia in Chicago. It's a marker for people driving this route daily and also a marker in the community. So very sad. Plumas County Sheriffs Department The Keddie family about four years before the murders. [10], Justin gave conflicting stories of the evening, including that he had dreamed details of the murders, though he later claimed to have actually witnessed them. His head was badly damaged as though bashed in with a blunt object and lay partially on a pillow. (Whelan). It is unclear what evidence links Boubede to the mafia. Her remains surfaced years later. Why is there an Elephant Buried Beneath the Vatican? Create new account. Why take Tina? Its my strong sense that there's something about Tina that did not allow for her to be left there," said former Plumas County Sheriff Greg Hagwood. The anonymous counselor told him that in May 1981, Martin Smartt had confessed to killing Sue and Tina Sharp. As reported by The Mystique, Justin began having vivid dreams in the days after the murders. Sue had spent the later afternoon with Sheila and Tina. WebThe four victims of the Keddie Cabin murder | Photo Credits: Vlmckay. One theory is that they really wanted people to notice them. I killed the woman and her daughter, but I didnt have anything to do with the [boys], he purportedly told the counselor. Meanwhile, Sheriff Thomas had resigned from the investigation three months in and take a job instead at the Sacramento DOJ. His ankles were tied with electrical wire which was wound also around Johns ankles so that the two were connected. Learn how your comment data is processed. It would also explain why the Smartt boy and the other Sharp boys in the adjoining room were spared. On April 12th, 1981, 14-year-old Sheila Sharp returned to her family cabin, Cabin 28 of the Keddie Resort Keddie, California after a sleep-over with a friend who lived in the same resort as her own families cabin. Oh Heck. [24], Martin Smartt, a neighbor and main suspect, claimed that a claw hammer had inexplicably gone missing from his home. The furthest away covered with a blanket. This letter was not treated as a confession nor was it followed up on at the time. Photos. Photo of the back of cabin 28 where the Keddie murders took place. The trio had been stabbed, bludgeoned, and strangled to death. 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. [3][4] She decided to relocate to northern California, where her brother Don was residing at the time. Unfortunately, they later went into foster care as their aunt already had several children and couldnt handle more. It was true that investigators failed to log numerous pieces of evidence and overlooked leads. [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. Dmac does not agree on this point. Jamie ushered them out of the house through the bedroom window to protect them from the horrifying crime scene. I think it would lift an incredible weight to clear the dark skies that have hung over that community and the surviving family members," Hagwood said. Historic Memories reports Keddie was once a bustling town with a busy railroad terminal. However, it was simply too small for the family of six. WebThe Disturbing Keddie murders cabin 28. One of the psychics "You kill three people in a cabin and you leave the remains there to be discovered. Sue had just divorced her husband and brought her children from Connecticut to Keddie in Northern California. Blood was everywhere. Darkness would no longer cloud Keddie and the minds of all those involved. "[17], Martin Smartt died of cancer in Portland, Oregon, in June 2000. Justin reported then that John and Dana entered the home and argued with the men which resulted in a violent fight. When she opened the front door to the living room, she discovered a massacre. As reported by ABC10, John Boubede died in 1988, and Martin Smartt died in 2006. He was determined to write a tell-all book a few years back, but has since changed his mind; he remains tight lipped, and it seems he is too frightened to tell what happened. Trust me on this, youre gonna wanna watch part 2 first, then watch part one.Part 2 (WATCH FIRST)https://youtu.be/1nK-dIY2c1sPart 1(WATCH SECOND)https://youtu.be/owOehiQ5jKc. [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. I thought she just died in the past month. In 2013, the Plumas County Sheriff, Greg Hagwood, hired Mike Gamberg as a Special Investigator. "[29] In a 2016 interview, Gamberg stated that the letter was "overlooked" in the initial investigation and never admitted as evidence. 0328 New Information in the Mark Wilson case. Sue was gagged deeply with a bandana and her underwear. They had apparently slept through the entire massacre which had unfolded mere feet from their beds. The police have stated that there were 6 involved, so there is still a chance for justice. Nothing shameful there, not in my eyes, but people in her neighborhood definitely begged to differ. WebInvestigations Image result for The keddie cabin Massacre Sheriff Looking Back Photo Book Cabin Chilling Sheriff Thomas and unknown inspect front wallpaper, where a blood smudge was found. Martin Smartt later told the police that he had a hammer that matched the one discovered and also that his hammer and gone missing shortly before the murders. His friend Dana was on the floor beside him on his stomach. When the boys were found, they had barricaded themselves in the bedroom. [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. Although the Sharps cabin did not indicate forced entry, detectives were able to recover an unidentified fingerprint from a handrail that led to the cabins back door. [6] The house's telephone had been taken off the hook and the cord cut from the outlet, and the drapes were closed. "I believe there are two individuals that are alive and accessories after the fact," Gamberg said. In September 1980, Sharp found a larger home in the former resort town of Keddie, California. Please note that there is a lot of misinformation published online about the Keddie murders. Between them lies the forgotten tape of the anonymous phone tip left in 1984, rediscovered in 2013. The weapons included a steak knife that came from Sues kitchen. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. [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. 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. Unless you are very familiar with this case, the docs will be confusing. The clues suggested that the perpetrators abducted her. It is believed that the boys, especially Justin, witnessed everything but were and still are too afraid to tell of what occurred that night. A back view of cabin 28 where the family had lived for a year. It has also been suggested that he was asked leading questions during hypnosis. Its thought that Marty had eyes for Sue and Marilyn was jealous; this may have been why she was killed. In 2016, a hammer, which could have been the one Smartt reportedly said he lost, was found in a pond near where the Keddie cabin once stood. [24] Marilyn claimed that on the evening of April 11, 1981, she had left Martin and Boubede at a local bar around 11:00 pm and returned home to go to sleep. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Sharp's neighbors described her as a "loner," who only made one close friend in the community. As soon as Sheila opened the front door she saw the grisly scene; the teen ran right back outside to call for help. Justin was the one who told police that Tina wasnt dead, she was gone; Dana was the third victim. The sheriff at the time of the murders, Doug Thomas, and his deputy. Gamberg also discovered a hunting knife in Keddie under some junk and sent that in for further analysis. Blood was all over the victims, the floors, walls, ceiling, both bedroom doors, and on the railing of the outside stairs. Had she fallen prey to a sex ring? Not only did Sheila Sharp make a traumatizing and gruesome discovery, but she also discovered her other siblings, Greg and Ricki, and their friend Justin Smartt, were unharmed in a spare bedroom. Allegedly, a lot of potential evidence was collected at the scene but because this was pre-DNA testing, very little helpful information was found at this time. In December 1983, detectives ruled out serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole as potential suspects. All three returned home later, but Marty and Bo went out again. Based on Justin's description of the attackers, detectives identified Martin "Marty" Smartt as one of the primary suspects in the cabin murders. [24] Around 2:00 am on April 12, she stated she awoke to find the two burning an unknown item in the wood stove. He admitted that he had a problem with his temper, and Marilyn had claimed that he tried to run her and her son over. He ran for the back door but someone was waiting outside; this person or persons captured Dana and brought him back inside. Investigators believe he was cooperating with the Department of Justice as an informant. 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. WebSheila swung open the front door of Cabin 28. Another red flag. The neighbor Sheila had been staying with called police, but before they arrived Sheila discovered that her brother were alive. It read: Ive paid the price of your love & now that Ive bought it with four peoples lives, you tell me we are through. to start my podcast and YouTube channel. You may have already wondered why the killers would have left 3 boys alive who could easily identify them, especially since these murders prove that they had no problem with hurting children. 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. On the morning of April 11, 1981, 14-year-old Sheila Sharp returned from a neighbors house after a sleepover and stumbled upon the most disturbing and gruesome scene that she and the rest of Keddie, California, had ever seen. Therefore, it appears they did not have a chance or chose not to fight back. All of their injuries happened after the killers tied them up. A neighborhood boy, Justin Eason, would spend the night with Sues two youngest sons that evening. Its said that shed seemed anxious, desperate. [5] Upon arriving in California, she began renting a small trailer formerly occupied by her brother at the Claremont Trailer Village in Quincy. A few years later, Martys wife, Marilyn, said that she had found Tinas bloody jacket in their basement and had given it to the police during the earlier investigation. She would later learn the victims were her mother, Glenna "Sue" Sharp, her brother, John Sharp, and her brother's friend, Dana Wingate. WebGlenna Sharp, who went by the name Sue, had been renting Cabin 28 in the tiny community of Keddie, California since November of 1980. Investigators discovered two bloody knives, a hammer, and a plastic piece from a BB gun. This article is by no means all inclusive, so very much has been left out. (Metcalf: 2018). This might explain why the Sacramento DOJ sent two allegedly corrupt organized crime special agents instead of agents from the homicide department. The victims were Glenna Susan "Sue" Sharp (ne Davis; born March 29, 1945); daughter Tina Louise Sharp (born July 22, 1968); son, John Steven Sharp (born November 16, 1965); and John's friend, Dana Hall Wingate (born February 8, 1964). For reasons unknown, on the evening of the murders Sue had gone door to door throughout the neighborhood trying to find random children to have a slumber party at her house. Log In Tape secured the gag in place. In the rural town of Keddie, California, a mother and three children were attacked on Saturday, April 11, 1981. Justin recalled that both men wore glasses and that the two older boys, John and Dana, came home while Sue was talking to the men. until 2013 when the case was reopened with new investigators Plumas Sheriff Greg Hagwood and Special Investigator Mike Gamberg. Theres a very good reason for this: Justin was Marilyns son, Martys step son. Copyright 2016-2022 True Crime Magazine, A Look Inside Ted Bundys Isolation Cell at Dade County Jail, Meet the 13-Year-Old Boy Who Caught Richard Ramirez, A GRAPHIC Look Back At the Hillside Strangler Murders, Revisiting Ted Bundys Issaquah Dump Site, A GRAPHIC Look Back at Zodiac Killers Reign of Terror, A GRAPHIC Look Back At Richard Chases Reign of Terror, A GRAPHIC Look Back At Ted Bundys Execution, NSFW: The Blood-Soaked Trail of the Times Square Killer. How could murder with so much evidence remain unsolved? Keddie Murders Revisited Following the Clues, May 3, 2018.Metcalf, Victoria. The following fall, she moved to house #28 in the rural Sierra Nevada railroad town of Keddie. Relatives of the victims and the public anxiously await the day when investigators bring justice to the killings of Sue, John, Tina, and Dana. Smartt was found in the spare bedroom and gave conflicting stories, saying both that he witnessed the murders and was dreaming. Though the Cabin has been torn down, there have been new discoveries. Boubede told authorities he was a former Chicago police officer and that Marilyn was his niece, which were both later revealed to be untrue. After learning about the Keddie cabin murders, read about another unsolved murder, the Lake Bodom homicides that continue to confound authorities. For only $3 you can help this site stay up and running! WebA 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 Several of the suspected murder weapons were found at the scene, including two knives and a hammer, which were covered in blood. It was believed she was abducted. [29], In April 2018, Gamberg stated that DNA evidence recovered from a piece of tape at the crime scene matched that of a known living suspect.[19]. He is the author of a series of published mystery novels and holds a degree in criminal psychology. WebKeddie28 reported Sharp immediately fled the cabin and ran to the neighbors for help. The rabbit hole with this one goes deep. Investigators told ABC10, Tina is central to this case. Near her bones in the woods, detectives also discovered a pair of jeans with a missing back pocket, a blue jacket, a blanket, and an empty surgical tape dispenser. Loved this. However, Tina was missing. Given the extent of the brutality of the Keddie cabin murders, there was plenty of evidence left behind. Sue and Tina were forced out into the living room where the murders took place. The entire site has since been abandoned. Dana was not the target, he caught the least of the abuse; the oldest teen boy was bludgeoned and strangled manually. When the DOJ was alerted to this confession in 1981, they dismissed it as hearsay.. There are rumors that she was dealing drugs and all sorts of crazy things, which is all just character assassination as theres zero proof that any of it is true. Yes, it got me thinking about the case again. When Martin discovered this, he enlisted Bo, his friend, and known mob enforcer who had lived with the Smartts a mere 10 days before the Keddie murders, to take Sue out of the picture. According to Historic Mysteries, John and Sue suffered blunt force trauma to the head and were stabbed multiple times. He was placed under hypnosis in an attempt to recall any details of the night. In 2013, he located the recording of the anonymous 911 phone call that came in after Tinas remains surfaced. [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. . This may be the reason the Department of Justice in Sacramento stepped into the Keddie case early. Three of them were murdered that night, and one of the children remained missing until years later. 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. Which is never good because I get lost in it. "I've paid the price of your love & now I've bought it with four people's lives," ABC10 reports the letter said. Then, see if you can solve any of these six inexplicable, unsolved murders. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [24] John Boubede, who allegedly had ties to organized crime in Chicago,[29] died there in 1988. Watch Part 1 of the Keddie Murders case | Unsolved California below. While the Seabolts tried to calm the distraught girl, their teenage son, Jamie Seabolt, went to Cabin 28 to see if anyone was still alive. This case upsets or disturbs me like none other. The Keddie Cabin murders was a case that involved a triple-slaying as well as a missing child whose The oldest boy, John, got the ground-floor basement all to himself. Sues ex-husband was in the military when they divorced, and the Navy gave her $250 a month to start her new life. It has been 40 years since the most horrific crime in Plumas County history, the Keddie Murders. Martin was a known drug dealer and Bo was connected to Chicago crime syndicates with financial interests in drug distribution. It was later confirmed that Martin was close with this Sheriff. [11], That same evening, Tina had plans to spend the night with the Seabolt family, who lived in adjacent #27, while Sue remained at home with Rick, Greg, and the boys' young friend, Justin Smartt. It is unclear when this happened or who did it. The most widely accepted theory involves a love triangle between Martin, Marilyn, and Sue. These people were absolutely tortured. John, 15, was the oldest boy, while the oldest girl was Sheila, 14; Tina was 12; and the two younger boys were Rick, 10, and Greg, 5. Were continuing with the investigation, and were doing interviews, and we have several persons of interest. Its speculated that the victims were stood against the wall and knives were thrown at them. There were knife holes in the living room walls, at about eye level. 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. Links Boubede to the mafia the reason the Department of Justice in Sacramento stepped into Keddie. [ 29 ] died there in 1988, and a plastic piece from a BB gun be the reason Department. 1988, and a plastic piece from a BB gun and holds a degree criminal! Two individuals that are alive and accessories after the cabin 28 keddie murders photos and was dreaming #. 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