Strange Case Database Updated on: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
✨This is a revamped version of my original post✨
Location: Chico, California/ The Plumas National Forest
Date: February 24,1978
Case Type: Disappearance/ mysterious deaths
Status: Unsolved (?)
Case # 1: The vanishing of the Yuba County Five
The story: Five young men attended a basketball game in Chico, California, on February 24, 1978. Jack Madruga drove the group 50 miles to California State University at Chico in his 1969 Mercury Montego to cheer on the team against UC Davis. That night they didn’t return home.
After the game had ended, the boys headed to a convenience store to pick up snacks for the ride home. The clerk at the time was about to close up shop when they arrived. She was the last person to see them alive.
Theories, Ghost Stories and Foul Play:
This is the part where I will get a bit controversial, but this is what I think: given the conditions of the weather that night, it probably wasn’t an easy time to drive. After The Boys left the store, they carried on to their respective homes. Unfortunately, they did not make it.
I have watched maybe only two videos about this case, and I came to the conclusion that… no foul play has been involved in the deaths of these five young men. For starters, Jack’s car was found STUCK in a snowbank in the Plumas National Forest, which is 50 miles in the opposite direction the boys should have taken.
Fairly easy for a vehicle to get stuck in snow at times, especially in the dark and the weather already posing a treacherous threat. One of the windows was rolled down. Their families began to panic as it was uncharacteristic for The Boys to not have come home yet.
Near Jack’s car, there was no sign of a struggle, no weapon(s) dropped, no blood splatter near the car. From my observation, The Boys got stuck and were possibly looking for anyone to help them. Then they ventured further into the Plumas Forest. Now we don’t know the exact reason why they headed that way; it could have been a spontaneous adventure that ultimately got them lost.
The Plumas: It was February, and wintertime. They eventually made their way deeper into the forest and were never seen again until their deceased bodies were found months later.
With this information and based on the coroner’s reports, the men had died from terminal hypothermia, starvation, or perhaps a combo. Ted Weiher was found in a service trailer having succumbed to starvation/ hypothermia; his toes were frostbitten. In which due to exposure of the cold, skin and underlying tissue to fall off.
The Forest Service Trailer and Paradox:
The trailer contained C-rations (military food), a nearby storage shed with enough meals, matches, and wood to start a fire, but was not used. Ted had survived roughly 8 to 13 weeks before freezing and starving to death.
The remains of Jack, Bill, and Jackie were found scattered in the woods between the car and the trailer, severely savaged by wild animals.
Gary Mathias’s Whereabouts: The only member of the group that was not found was Gary. He had suffered from schizophrenia and required daily medication. It’s possible that he ventured deeper into the forest and met his fate due to the weather and rough terrain, and possibly his body was located in a spot that was not visible to the human eye.
✨ A peculiar tidbit: Gary’s shoes were left inside the trailer, suggesting that he swapped his tennis shoes for Ted’s shoes.
Conclusion: While it remains a mystery as to why The Boys headed in that direction, there is not a single ounce of physical evidence that can be traced to anyone else. This is an unfortunate tragedy in which five young men were exposed to brutal weather conditions that ultimately took their lives.
I myself love a good mystery, but methinks that the media took this heartbreaking tragedy into a series of bizarre theories that foul play had occurred. To me, the coroner’s report was the biggest clue in this case. If none of the men had inflicted any violence, there is no proof of it.
Media Circus: The media had a field day with this one. Spawning g decades of mystery when physical evidence of any violent crime is s absent. I’d say the only crime here is that the heart of the story is five young men who were exposed to a treacherous environment.
⭐️= I am going to do a mini- deep dive into this one.
Case # 2: The DC Girl Murders or The Freeway Phantom Case
Location: Washington, DC
Crime Type: Homicide
Date: Early 1970s
Case Status: Unsolved
✨Fair warning: This portion of the post will be discussing the deaths of minors. Please feel free to skip if you’d like. Discretion is advised.
The Story:
There was an unidentified serial killer who abducted and murdered six young African- American girls in Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, Maryland, between April 1971 and September 1972.
The Victims:
- Carol Spinks- Abducted April 25, 1971
- Darlenia Johnson- Abducted July 8, 1971
- Brenda Crockett- Abducted July 27, 1971
- Nenomoshia Yates- Abducted October 1, 1971
- Diane Williams- Abducted/ Murdered in 1972
The Victims, ranging in age from 10 to 18, were snatched from their D.C. neighborhoods, sexually assaulted, murdered, and their bodies dumped near major highways and freeways.
Investigation: The killer left taunting notes on or near some of the bodies. Over the decades, several suspects, including ex-cops and convicted felons like Robert Elwood Askins, were investigated, but the case still remains unsolved.
Thank you for stopping by to read!
Your favorite sleuthing queen ( kind of?) L.W.
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