It was believed she was abducted. Sue had just divorced her husband and brought her children from Connecticut to Keddie in Northern California. Immediately, the two lead suspects were Justin Smartts father and the Sharps neighbors, Martin Smartt and his houseguest, ex-convict John Bo Boudebe who was known to have connections to organized crime in the area. The children were attending school in Quincy and were making friends. until 2013 when the case was reopened with new investigators Plumas Sheriff Greg Hagwood and Special Investigator Mike Gamberg. Nevertheless, authorities were determined to follow any possible leads. The murders took place in house No. or. 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. It seems possible that Marilyn learned about an affair between Marty and Sue. Sheriff Hagwood believes that the location couldnt have been accidental and that someone intentionally threw it in the water. [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. Sue and John were beaten, stabbed, and slashed. WebThose who were inside Cabin 28 the night and/or early morning hours of April 11 and 12, 1981, were somewhat prepared, according to Gamberg. With new significant evidence emerging thanks to the meticulous work of the local authorities, the mystery of Cabin 28 could soon be solved. One of them was tall with blonde hair and a mustache, while the other was shorter, dark-haired, and clean-shaven. Her friends dad retrieved the three unharmed boys through their bedroom window so they would not have to see the scene. In 1984 police received an anonymous tip telling them where to look for Tinas remains; a few pieces of her skull were found near a place called Feather Falls approximately 60 miles away from Keddie. Photo: Plumas County Sheriffs 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). All three returned home later, but Marty and Bo went out again. This would account for Marilyn leaving her husband the day of the murder discovery. The next morning at around 7 am, Sheila returned home from her sleepover next door. I think there was something about Tina that could not be left there to be discovered. She was also considered a great beauty, which was another strike against her. The trio had been stabbed, bludgeoned, and strangled to death. When she opened the door, Sharp was horrified to find the bodies of her mother, brother John, and her brother's friend, Dana Wingate, covered in blood on the floor of the front room. Unfortunately, there is no record of this ever happening. Some neighbors near Cabin 28 reported that muffled screams or groans woke them up between 1:00 am and 2:00 am. Furthermore, it suggests an answer as to why this case was handled so sloppily, remains unsolved, and is seemingly not a priority to the Sacramento DOJ. Sue turned them down, she stayed home with her babies instead. Despite the multitude of evidence and a few suspects, no arrests took place. 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. I researched this case for several years, read everything I could get my hands on. The family had been living in relative poverty in a town of 66 people. On April 11, 1981, Sue and the kids were in and out of Cabin 28 throughout the day. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. "[27] A grid pattern search of the area covering a 5-mile (8.0km) radius around the house was conducted with police canines, but the efforts were fruitless. SMH. WebEven sheriff Thomas completely upends Blaine's BS, because he saw Blaine pacing nervously outside 28 at 11:30 AM (when DT actually was arriving at the crime scene), The Sharp family had just moved in to cabin 28 the year before. If she did turn in a jacket, the police, once again, did not acknowledge it as evidence. According to the story, Marty said he was angry that Sue had convinced Marilyn to leave him. He lives in the West Midlands, UK with his wife and son. Many people believe that the police were either incompetent or corrupt and covered up the crime for some reason. The former Sharp home was condemned and demolished in 2004. WebThe 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 In 2016, Gamberg located a hammer believed to be one of the murder weapons in a dried-up pond in Keddie. If they suffered any injuries during the event, it wasnt serious, although they did leave some DNA on a piece of tape. In 1979, Glenna "Sue" Sharp left her abusive husband and moved herself and her five children from Connecticut to Quincy, California. Had she fallen prey to a sex ring? We could sit here for days going over details, but this is the gist of it. Joe Turner is a freelance writer of crime with a passion for unsolved mysteries. Originally, police believed the murdered victims to be Sue, John, and Tina; the bodies had been in such bad shape they couldnt tell. As reported by Historic Mysteries, Smartt was Justin's stepfather. 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. Although the therapist alerted authorities, nothing was reportedly done. On Saturday, April 11, 1981, Sheila Sharp spent the night with neighbors, as she planned to attend church with them the following morning. In his dreams, he saw two men in the front room of the cabin. Justin said that he was watching TV in the boys room before he fell asleep. Unfortunately, they later went into foster care as their aunt already had several children and couldnt handle more. The Keddie police, at that time, were dirty. Think about it; if you make a person an accomplice, and that person knows the police are dirty, they are much more likely to keep their silence. Unless you are very familiar with this case, the docs will be confusing. . Although Marilyn gave it to authorities, Historic Mysteries reports there is no record that the jacket was entered into evidence. Like her son, her throat had been cut. As reported by Keddie28, all three victims were bound with cords, medical tape, and wire. The Keddie Cabin Murders: Inside The Grisly Quadruple Homicide That Still Haunts California. Their throats were slashed, and they both had multiple stabbings and blunt force trauma to the head. The former Sharp home was condemned and demolished in 2004. Its speculated that the victims were stood against the wall and knives were thrown at them. Tape secured the gag in place. All rights reserved. In addition to confirming Sue, John, and Dana were dead, the officers concluded they were murdered. However, when this failed, the Keddie Resort owner Gary Mollath turned a series of cabins into low-income rental housing. 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. Justin reported then that John and Dana entered the home and argued with the men which resulted in a violent fight. Any case without an apparent motive is the toughest to solve, Stoy recalled to the Sacramento Bee in 1987. Even sheriff Thomas completely upends Blaine's BS, because he saw Blaine pacing nervously outside 28 at 11:30 AM (when DT actually was arriving at the crime scene), and he asked Blaine many Qs where the answers made NO SENSE, and CONTRADICT the stories Blaine's told ever since: In reality, he didn't drive to Keddie or He is the author of a series of published mystery novels and holds a degree in criminal psychology. The murders at Keddie Cabin 28 appeared to be random acts of cruelty. The 2 boys claim not to remember anything, maybe theyve blocked it all out. Various weapons were found at the scene, including a table knife, a butcher knife, and a bloody hammer. Sue and Tina were forced out into the living room where the murders took place. When she opened the front door to the living room, she discovered a massacre. They had apparently slept through the entire massacre which had unfolded mere feet from their beds. All victims had suffered blunt-force trauma by hammer or hammers. One of the psychics But curiously, instead of sending homicide detectives, they sent organized crime investigators to Keddie. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Smartt was found in the spare bedroom and gave conflicting stories, saying both that he witnessed the murders and was dreaming. Whoever made the call knew something specific about what happened at Keddie. [24] Plumas County Sheriff Sylvester Thomas, who presided over the case, later stated that Martin had provided "endless clues" in the case that seemed to "throw the suspicion away from him. WebThe Disturbing Keddie murders cabin 28. The case remains cold. My articles are never personal, I try to be impartial and as factual as humanly possible. Recently one of the missing murder weapons has been found, a hammer. On April 12, 1981, a group of 7 people went to sleep in Cabin 28 at the Keddie Resort Lodge in California. This call wasn't investigated initially as it was left in evidence for Detective Mike Gamberg to find. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. I was just wondering if you thought of the murder up in Keddie. Justin also claimed that Tina came out shortly after, and one of the men abducted her out the back door. 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