Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders case summary
On the morning of April 12th, 1981, fourteen year old Sheila Sharp stepped into Cabin 28, her home in the remote town of Keddie, California, to discover a horrific sight. Bound on the floor with wire and tape were her mother, Glenna "Sue" Sharp; her brother, fifteen year old John Sharp; and John's friend, seventeen year old Dana Wingate. The victims had been knifed, claw-hammered and strangled to death--a scene that one police officer described as a "homicidal frenzy of violence."
Inside Cabin 28, blood stained the floors and spattered and smeared the walls, and police officers even found stab marks in the walls. The victims, particularly Sue Sharp, had been viciously attacked, beaten, bludgeoned, stabbed, and asphixiated. To this day, despite countless tips and potential suspects, the murders remain unsolved. It is one of Northern California's most notorious cold cases and has been inactive for over two decades, leaving family members and an entire community bewildered and angry.
But the tide is turning for this famous unsolved crime. Due to the efforts of a team of filmmakers and a loyal online community, there is distinct cause for hope that the Keddie Murders will finally be solved. Two documentaries (listed below) delve deep inside this case like nothing before, pinpointing suspects and possibly even proving their involvement in the homicides.
Yet questions still remain:
The filmmakers arranged a gathering of the original DNA technicians who worked the case—but the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office chose not to follow up on this arrangement. Why?
Sheila Sharp contacted the Vidocq Society, who openly expressed interest in helping with the case. Sheila delivered this information to the PCSO, but nothing was done. Why?
Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders Part II features a confession to these horrible murders. The PCSO did pursue this information in 2010—but what was the result?
In 1981, suspects and potential eyewitnesses were interviewed and recorded on audio and video casette tapes. Why are some of these tapes now blank?
Although the cabin was tidy, and Tina had washed dishes just hours before the murders, a drinking glass purportedly with Marty Smartt's fingerprint in blood on it was found in the cabin, yet Marty was never properly investigated or questioned. Why?
Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders Part I features interviews with Sheila Sharp, Gary Wingate, former sheriff Doug Thomas, and retired FBI agent Larry Ott, along with other members of the Sharp and Wingate families. You'll hear from Justin; his mother, Marilyn; and from people who have lived in Keddie and Quincy all their lives. You'll see crime scene photographs, learn what happened to Tina Sharp, and witness how her memory lives on over twenty years after her disappearance and these brutal homicides. Get Part I here.
Cabin 28: The Keddie Murders Part II, released October 1, 2010, provides a fuller exploration of these unsolved murders than its predecessor. Interspersing new interviews with archival footage, police reports, and crime scene photos, this documentary leaves no stone unturned. You'll hear excerpts from interviews with all the key players, including the major suspects; listen as an investigating officer walks you through the crime scene; and marvel at a community determined to see justice served. The documentary's startling conclusion uncovers what law enforcement agencies and the families of Sue, Johnny, Dana and Tina have been waiting to hear for almost thirty years: a confession to these horrendous crimes. Get Part II here.
this site
KeddieMurdersFilm.com provides a detailed introduction into The Keddie Murders, with photos and graphics, police files, a timeline of events, links to videos, and it also hosts a thriving forum dedicated to solving this 29-year-old case.
