The Keddie Murders
Encyclopedia
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 murders took place in cabin 28, during the late evening of April 11, 1981 and/or early morning of the 12th. The victims were Glenna Sharp, known as Sue, (age 36), her daughter Tina (age 12), her son John (age 15), and his best friend, Dana Wingate (age 17). Tina, the final victim, was missing when the crime was first discovered. Her skull and some other bones were recovered in 1984 in Feather Falls, in Butte County. Sue's oldest daughter, Sheila, had stayed with next-door neighbors in cabin 27 that night and discovered the murders the morning of April 12. Sue's two youngest sons and their friend, who were having a sleep-over at cabin 28 that night, were found, uninjured, in the boys' bedroom that morning. There have been rumors saying that the police found the culprit(s), but could not arrest them because of lack of evidence or that the murder was staged, but it's unsure if they are true.
No arrests have been made in connection with the Keddie murders. The cabin in which the murders took place was demolished in 2004.
On the morning of April 12, Sue's 14-year-old daughter, Sheila, discovered the bodies of Sue, John and Dana in the cabin's living room upon returning home from her sleepover next door. All three victims found in the cabin had been bound with electrical wire and medical tape. Later, Tina Sharp was discovered missing from the cabin.
Examination of the bodies determined that each of the victims had been bludgeon
ed with a claw hammer
, and Sue and John had been stabbed repeatedly. Dana Wingate was also manually strangled and bludgeoned with another weapon. One of the knives discovered at the scene had been used so forcefully that the blade had bent approximately 25 degrees.
The case grew cold, but in 1984 the cranium portion of Tina Sharp's skull was recovered near Feather Falls
, roughly 32 miles from Keddie. After this discovery, no new information regarding the crime surfaced. The murders remain unsolved to this day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
quadruple-murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
that took place in Keddie
Keddie, California
Keddie is a census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States. The population was 66 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Keddie is located at ....
, a former resort town
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
in the foothills of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
's Sierra Nevada mountains. The murders took place in cabin 28, during the late evening of April 11, 1981 and/or early morning of the 12th. The victims were Glenna Sharp, known as Sue, (age 36), her daughter Tina (age 12), her son John (age 15), and his best friend, Dana Wingate (age 17). Tina, the final victim, was missing when the crime was first discovered. Her skull and some other bones were recovered in 1984 in Feather Falls, in Butte County. Sue's oldest daughter, Sheila, had stayed with next-door neighbors in cabin 27 that night and discovered the murders the morning of April 12. Sue's two youngest sons and their friend, who were having a sleep-over at cabin 28 that night, were found, uninjured, in the boys' bedroom that morning. There have been rumors saying that the police found the culprit(s), but could not arrest them because of lack of evidence or that the murder was staged, but it's unsure if they are true.
No arrests have been made in connection with the Keddie murders. The cabin in which the murders took place was demolished in 2004.
Details of the crime
Glenna "Sue" Sharp, 36, and her five children had been renting the cabin since October 1980. On the night of April 11, 1981, Sue was home with her daughter, Tina, her two youngest boys, and a young friend of the boys, Justin, who was staying the night. Her oldest son, John, and his friend Dana Wingate, had spent the day in nearby Quincy and were also going to stay the night at cabin 28. John and Dana were last seen hitchhiking from Quincy to Keddie. The crime may already have been in progress when they arrived at the cabin.On the morning of April 12, Sue's 14-year-old daughter, Sheila, discovered the bodies of Sue, John and Dana in the cabin's living room upon returning home from her sleepover next door. All three victims found in the cabin had been bound with electrical wire and medical tape. Later, Tina Sharp was discovered missing from the cabin.
Examination of the bodies determined that each of the victims had been bludgeon
Bludgeon
Bludgeon may refer to:* Bludgeon , a fictional character* Bludgeon , a club-like weapon* Crabtree's Bludgeon, a foil to Occam's Razor...
ed with a claw hammer
Claw hammer
A claw hammer is a tool primarily used for pounding nails into, or extracting nails from, some other object. Generally, a claw hammer is associated with woodworking but is not limited to use with wood products...
, and Sue and John had been stabbed repeatedly. Dana Wingate was also manually strangled and bludgeoned with another weapon. One of the knives discovered at the scene had been used so forcefully that the blade had bent approximately 25 degrees.
The case grew cold, but in 1984 the cranium portion of Tina Sharp's skull was recovered near Feather Falls
Feather Falls
Feather Falls is a waterfall located on the Fall River, a tributary of the Middle Fork Feather River, within the Plumas National Forest in the Sierra Nevada; in Butte County, eastern California.-Description:...
, roughly 32 miles from Keddie. After this discovery, no new information regarding the crime surfaced. The murders remain unsolved to this day.