Not much remained of Huett. Police backtracked and started searching along a road that led from the Montego to the trailer and found the scattered remains of Madruga and Sterling. Hours later, back inside his car, he saw what he thought were flashlights. The reason that we bring it up is because there is an incident largely called the American Dyatlov Pass, which is the case of the Yuba County 5. Become a member of StrangeOutdoors for exclusive content, See the latest Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, Read more strange stories from California, Chris Sylvia (The disturbing Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) disappearances), The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil, The mysterious disappearance of James J. Arthur at Iron Lakes, The puzzling disappearance of Ruthanne Robert in Yosemite National Park, The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park, The strange disappearance of Peter Jackson in Yosemite National park (Member Only), The Strange disappearance of Aloys Krost in San Bernardino County (Member Only), The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders (Member only), The strange death of Elisa Lam in the LA Cecil Hotel, The disturbing case of the death of Erika Lloyd on her pandemic road trip to Joshua Tree National Park (Member only), The perplexing and controversial disappearance of Sherri Papini, The strange disappearance of Michael Ficery near Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite, The Dead man who saved Brandon Day and Gina Allen on Mount San Jacinto (Member only), https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/?utm_term=.51968ec259af, http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mathias_gary.html, https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6ni625/the_american_dyatlov_pass_five_young_men_abandon/, https://charleyross.wordpress.com/2017/06/22/lets-talk-about-it-gary-mathias-and-his-four-friends/#comments, A good video by John Lordan Brain Scratch published Jan 5th 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRT1AqntLc, Tagged: The Mathias Group from Yuba City - Strange deaths on U.S. mountains, American Dyatlov pass incident, American Dyatlov Pass Case, Mathias group from yuba city, American Dyatlov Pass, Jack Huett, William sterling, jack madruga, theodore weiher, gary mathias, Joseph Schons yuba city incident, plumas national forest deaths, mysteries plumas national forest, Mathias Group Incident, Yuba city five incident, American Dyatlov pass, Gary Dale Mathias, Jack Madruga death, Jackie Huett death, Ted weiher death, william sterling death, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, Sign Up now for a one-off fee for access to many exclusive member-only articles, The disturbing death of Evelyn Consuela Rosemann in Yosemite National Park, The strange disappearance of Derrick Engebretson from the Winema National Forest, The haunting case of the Mathias Group (Yuba County Five), Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The disturbing Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) disappearances, The strange disappearance of Peter Jackson in Yosemite National park, The Strange disappearance of Aloys Krost in San Bernardino County, The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders, The disturbing case of the death of Erika Lloyd on her pandemic road trip to Joshua Tree National Park, The Dead man who saved Brandon Day and Gina Allen on Mount San Jacinto, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRT1AqntLc, The Mathias Group from Yuba City - Strange deaths on U.S. mountains, The mysterious disappearance and death of Nicola Bulley in Lancashire, The strange disappearance of the YouTube Survivalist Finn Creaney in the Scottish Highlands, The shocking disappearance of Theresa Ann Bier, The strange disappearance of Daniel Robinson from Buckeye in Arizona, The bizarre deaths of the Gerrish family in Devils Gulch, The strange death of Lucas Renoud at the Hrisson waterfalls in the Jura Mountains, The disturbing disappearance of Daylenn Pua from Hawaiis Stairway To Heaven walkway, The puzzling disappearance of ex-paratrooper Gilbert Gilman from Olympic National Park, The strange disappearance and death of Geoff Hague in the Great Smoky Mountains, The weird disappearance of Garrett Bardsley from Cuberant Lake in Utah, The bizarre death of Cullen Finnerty in the Michigan wilderness, The puzzling disappearance of Barbara Bolick from the Bitterroot Mountains, The strange disappearance of Mike Hearon from the Great Smoky Mountains, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) report June 2021, The bizarre disappearance and death of Adrienne Quintal in Michigan, The strange disappearance of Fern Baird from the Prairie Peak Trail in Idaho, The strange deaths of David Horesay and Frederick Hardisty in the Northwest Territories, The disappearance of Steven Kubacki in the Lake Michigan Triangle, The lucky survival story of Chris Staff in the White Mountains - hallucinations, bugs and hunger, Mysterious UFO phenomena begins to be acknowledged officially by the US Military, The mysterious disappearance of Michael Bryson from the Hobo Campground in Oregon. Two days later, Huetts own father found his sons backbone under a manzanita bush while with a search party in the mountains. Around nine inches of snow dropped on the upper mountain. Most likely, Madruga and Sterling died of hypothermia about halfway through the long walk to the trailer. Gary Dale Mathias was an assistant in his stepfather's gardening business and an army veteran with psychiatric discharge after drug problems that developed in Germany five years before. Talking to Shones proved even more frustrating. Kilka dni pniej ich [6], Efforts to search the vicinity were hampered by a severe snowstorm that day. Why did Ted Weiher apparently starve to death? The trailers heating system was never turned on. In 1978, in Yuba County California, five young men vanish. in which some students try to find out what happened to the Russian hikers who died in Dyatlov Pass. William Lee Sterling, who was Madruga's special friend and deeply religious, would spend hours at the library reading literature to help bring Jesus to patients in mental hospitals. $0.00. Their favorite? In this week's episode, we revisit two of our favorite Patreon episodes. The Washington Post. Twelve army ration cans were found empty on the floor, but there was an untouched dry food pantry with enough supplies to keep all of the Yuba County Five alive for up to a year. The clerk remembers this as it was right before closing, so she was annoyed by having to get a large group checked out before closing and heading home herself. Happy Sunday! This eventually led to him being diagnosed with schizophrenia and being psychiatrically discharged. "Bizarre as hell" was Beechams summary. Ashley talks about a case that is still unsolved to this day-- the Yuba County Five, also February 24, 1978 Five friends drove 50 miles from their homes in Yuba City California to cheer ** Viewer discretion is advised. 1978 deaths and disappearances in California, Image of Mathias around the time of his disappearance, distributed to help find him, "Mystery of 5 Men Lost in Sierra Deepens", "Missing 5: Foul Play suspected: 5 May Have Met Foul Play", "Cold case: Why did 5 Northern California men disappear in 1978? Jack Madrugas mother had told reporters, There was some force that made em go up there. One of the c-ration cans had been opened with an Army P38 can opener. Out in the Cold: Were 4 mentally disabled men set up to die in the California woods? If police and the families of the men were expecting closure from the discovery of their bodies, they werent about to get it. He didnt think much about what hed seen until he heard about the disappearances. the local police have yet to discover any information or evidence that can pin him to the crime . We're working to give you the tools, stories, and technology that will help shine a spotlight on victims and their stories. Helicopters surveyed the area from above. A table by the bed held his nickel ring with "Ted" engraved on it, his gold necklace, his wallet (with cash inside), and a gold Waltham watch, its crystal missing, which the families say had not belonged to any of the five men. Police became aware that Madrugas 1969 Mercury Montego was stranded on the side of a mountain road about 50 miles away from home. He made it home safely that night, but when the police found Madrugas Mercury Montego it only left them more confused. The five were on a team for the mentally handicapped called the Gateway Gators, who were set to participate in a week-long tournament sponsored by the Special Olympics. Several months later, in June, the body of Ted Weiher was found in a trailer with missing shoes and badly frostbitten feet. Some were able to work side jobs, while others couldnt. Later, he clarified to police that he could not be sure of that, since at the time he was almost delirious from the pain he was in. what is zheng shuang doing now; Grizzly Tools Catalogue; Instruction Manuals; signs my husband likes my sister How did the men die? "We know good and well somebody made them do it," she said. For months and months, they searched for signs of Matthias. Purposeful motion like that is not consistent with the circular patterns traveled by those who genuinely believe themselves lost. This week on Five men attend a basketball game together, only to never be seen again. However, no trace of him has ever been found. Thats why when the late hours of the night turned into the wee hours of the morning, and none of the boys returned home, their parents started to get worried. "I'm positive he never went up there on his own," she told the paper. Well, that part is a little less clear. 24Yuba County Sheriff's detectives are investigating an attempted homicide that occurred earlier this week in the Oregon House area. https://bit.ly/2J4kzJENew Merch Drops.. Autopsies confirmed their death was caused by hypothermia. Why was that odd? The men wore only light coats against the cool temperatures in the upper Sacramento Valley at night that time of year. After the UC Davis team won their game, the five men went to pick up snacks & drinks, Joe Shones, age 55, was having car trouble. What had led them there? A woman reported seeing the five men in a red pickup truck on Saturday and Sunday, about an hours drive from the site of their abandoned car. The Mathias Group from Yuba City Strange deaths on U.S. mountains, Reading Eagle: Five retarded men vanish without a trace, Galveston Daily News: Disappearance of 5 men keeps police frustrated, Marysville Appeal Democrat: Search team enlarged in hunt for last two, Marysville Appeal Democrat: One man still missing after Jack Huett found, Marysville Appeal Democrat: Forest service said it told about bunkhouse, Democrat and Chronicle: Final journey of 5 leaves a mystery, LA Times: Mystery of 5 men lost in Sierra deepens, The Sacramento Bee: Yuba alert is out for five slightly handicapped men, Lets talk about it: Gary Mathias and his four friends, The Sacramento Bee: Discovery of car spurs hunt for 5. Police believed their bodies had simply given up before they found shelter while Weiher and others marched on. "Not tonight." This was completely uncharacteristic behavior for the boys. The Strange Disappearance Of The Yuba County 5 - America's Dyatlov Pass Incident From the true crime case The Yuba County Five. Miles away from help, Shones thought he could flag down help. As a result of their varying conditions, they each lived at home with their parents. The ranger was not concerned because residents in the area park on that road while spending the day cross-country skiing in the thick snow. The Yuba County Five had a basketball game on February 25th, 1978, that they were excited to play in. Is Netflix's 'The Imposter' its most terrifying true-crime story yet? The search teams nearly lost men themselves two days later, as their Snow-cats struggled through the drifts. A dozen C-ration cans from a storage shed outside had been opened and their contents consumed, but a locker in the same shed that held an even greater assortment of dehydrated foods, enough to keep all five men fed for a year if that had been necessary, had not even been opened. Bianca Myrtil is a writer and freelance editor. Authorities think one of the boys may have laid down to rest or sleep, which is a side effect of late-stage hypothermia, and it seems the other boy stayed with his friend until he, too, froze to death. He saw a group of men, a woman, and a baby walking together, but they ignored him calling for help. His father had come across some of his sons clothes, and upon picking them up, the backbone of Jackie fell out onto the ground. The area in which the incident took place was named Dyatlov Pass in honor of the group's leader, Igor Dyatlov. It was shortly before the store's 10 p.m. closing time; the clerk later remembered the men because she was annoyed that such a large group had come in and delayed her from beginning the process of closing the store for the night. When the boy's parents noticed their sons had not come home, the police were called. How did a murder in a small town with eye witnesses go unsolved for nearly four decades? Jack had low I.Q. Almost certainly, he had taken Weihers leather shoes, though police had no real idea why. The next day, they found remains that were later identified as those of Madruga and Sterling on opposite sides of the road 11.4 miles (18.3km) from where the car had been. In February of 1978, a group of five men went to a basketball game and didn't come home. There was no reason to believe he wouldnt be home in time for his next dose. There was no obvious damage to the car, despite the bumpy unmade road, it had around a quarter tank of gas and it was not stuck in the snow. And a thousand leads. Four of them would, in the warmer months, be found dead. All five had intellectual disabilities or psychiatric issues to various degrees; all of them lived with family, who kept a close eye on them. The Yuba County Sheriff's Office has lifted most evacuation orders previously issued for the Glen Fire. Well, the last sighting of the Yuba County 5 wasdecidedly not. The turquoise and white 1969 Mercury Montego was located around a 2.5-hour drive from Chico, in the opposite direction from the route they would have been expected to drive home and way up in the mountains in the Plumas National Forest. Knowing that Madruga drove a Mercury Montego, the police went to investigate and found Madrugas car. Nobody knew why his car was there or why the Yuba County Five were even in Plumas. The Montego's undercarriage had no dents, gouges, or even mud scrapes, not even on its low-hanging muffler, despite having been driven a long distance up a mountain road with many bumps and ruts. He Hello and welcome to your favorite podcast that goes bump in the night. Itsweird. Bill Sterling was 29 years old and intellectually disabled. The cause of death for Weiher was determined to be hypothermia and starvation. At 5:30p.m., about 150 feet (46m) up the road, he, too, had gotten stuck in the snow. Police and the families never ruled out foul play. It was reasonable enough that he had seen the men strike out from a car they believed to be stuck, but who was the woman and the child? The next day, a deputy sheriff found a skull downhill from the bush, 300 feet (91m) away, confirmed by dental records later to have been Huett's. None of them returned. Why did they walk away from their car in a snow-filled forest? But authorities would later realize the biggest story to emerge from that dark, desolate road wasn't his brush with death. yuba county five crime scene photos. Mathias had been in the Army, too, but was discharged because of psychiatric problems. She recalled how he and Sterling had helped someone they knew get to the hospital after overdosing on Valium. There was no sign of Mathias, aside from his tennis shoes, which had been left in the trailer. Ted Weiher was found in a trailer 19 miles from the car and Madruga, Sterling and Huett were found in the locality but several miles away. Mathias was a paranoid schizophrenic and did not have his medication with him which would have meant he began hallucinating and might have led the boys from the car in a deluded state. Forest rangers searched the area for five days and found no trace of the men, but soon after the search began,a severe blizzard moved into the area, covering any potential tracks. But as he drove further into the night, snowdrifts slowed his tires. They continues walking, ignoring him. Out in the Cold: Four mentally disabled men died in the woods. [5] Huett's brother said Jack hated using telephones to the point that he would answer calls for Jack whenever he received any from the other men in the group. As he sat in his car wondering what to do, he noticed two sets of headlights, one belonging to a pickup truck. The autopsy showed that he had died of a combination of starvation and hypothermia. Yet only about 12 cans had been opened, and he had not bothered to turn on the propane tank, which would have provided heat for the entire trailer. [2], Police could not figure out why the men had abandoned the car. It wasnt until June when the snow in the mountainous area had mostly melted away that motorcyclists helped make a break in the case. Months later the remains of 4 Join us as we discuss the Yuba County Five and their mysterious disappearance. He was schizophrenic, a condition controlled by medication he hadnt bothered to bring along. THE YUBA COUNTY FIVE "Yuba County 5 or the Yuba incident that has been called the American Dyatlov pass . [2][5], After that, Schons said at first, he recalled a pickup truck parking 20 feet (6m) behind him briefly, and then continuing on down the road. By Anita Lee. She owned a store there, where two of the men came in to buy food. The incident . Source: Sherrod Photography / Adobe Stock. We strive to bring awareness back into focus with our coverage, which features Crime stories that are underpinned by reliable information from up-to-date sources, as told by compassionate storytellers. . In the early morning hours of February 25, Shones made it to the lodge and was able to get medical treatment. When the boys parents noticed their sons had not come home, the police were called. Why do that unless something more frightening was right behind them? Months passed and no progress was made on the boys case. The case has been called the Mathias Group Incident, the Yuba City Five Case and the American Dyatlov Pass incident. This week, Georgia and Karen cover the disappearance of the Yuba County Five and the tragic Is there a rational explanation for what happened to the Yuba County Five? Its called. Police lights at a crime scene. The Yuba County 5 went missing 42 years ago today in 1978. [2] For whatever reason, the men had left the Montego; they had, instead of going back down the road (where they had passed the lodge that Schons later returned to), continued along the road in the direction they were originally going. She enjoys playing the clarinet, taking ballet classes, textile art, and listening to an unhealthy amount of true crime podcasts. Inside the trailer, he found the body of Ted Weiher. Was it by chance they came across the trailer, or did someone lead them there? The county sheriffs department began searching for the men. None of them were dressed warmly enough to go through the rugged dense forest. Total. About five miles from Weiher's remains, the remains of Sterling & Marduga were found. The car was stuck in a snow drift, showing signs that the Yuba County Five tried to get the car free. Check out my podcast! He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after being honorably discharged from the army following a drug related incident. Joe Shones, age 55, was having car trouble and a mild heart attack. He passed a 1969 Mercury Montego, but the vehicle had no occupants. Some mysteries are full of twists and turns, which leaves the police and the public confused and with more questions than answers. Investigators could not determine why the car was abandoned, as it was in good working order and could easily have been pushed out of the snowpack it was in. "All they had to do was turn that gas on," says Yuba County Lt. Lance Ayers, "and they'd have had gas to the trailer, and heat.". On Tuesday, February 28th, a forest ranger found Jack Madrugas car abandoned the car on an unpaved road near Oroville, in the Rogers Cow camp area, past Elke Retreat, at an elevation of 4,500 feet. Winners receive a trip to Los Angeles for a week. The next day, their car was Five men from Yuba City, California, disappeared in 1978 after a trip to a nearby town. Marduga still had the keys to the Mercury. Miles away from help, Shones thought he could flag down help. As for getting a real answer in the case, we may never know unless someone talks or, maybe, Mathais is found. There was no news for months as the spring snows melted on the mountains. However, in 2017 David Bruckner directed a movie that seems to be largely based on the Yuba County Five. Sterling and Madruga, an Army veteran, wereanother set of best friends. Why? The plan was for them to watch the game and then come back home to get a good nights rest before their own basketball game the next day. They found no sign of Gary Mathias. Thats the question people who learn about the Yuba County Five ask themselves when they hear this bizarre true crime story. The keys to the vehicle were gone. Mathias's body has never turned up. Heavy forestry clothing, which could have kept the men warm, also remained where it had been stored. a mild heart attack. This wasnt something any of them were going to miss. One of the strangest things about Shones encounter was that he said a little he saw a group of five men. It had enough gas to continue on, but a snowbank had likely caused its tires to spin out. All five lived at home with their parents and were bound together by a love of sports. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Gary Mathias, 25; Bill Sterling, 29; Jack Huett, 24; Ted Weiher, 32; and Jack Madruga, 30 were all friends. They were all homebodies for the most part, but one thing they strongly bonded over was sports. The junk food had been consumed, save for one half of a candy bar. Could be violent to some. Two days after Madruga and Sterlins remains were found, they found the remains of Jackie Huett. The next day when they failed to return from Chico, their families became concerned and called the police. Did Prince Andrew fly on Jeffrey Epsteins plane Lolita Express?
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