The Mysterious Case of The Boys from Yuba County

Introduction

• Joseph Shones's incident in Plumas National Forest
  • Stuck in snow, heart attack while pushing car
  • Witnessed headlights and people but they didn’t respond
  • Left car and started walking to lodge

The Boys' Night Out

• February 24th: Group of friends headed to a basketball game
  • Jack Madruga (30), William Sterling (29), Jack Huett (24), Theodore Weiher (32), Gary Mathias (25)
  • The Boys played for the Gateway Gators team
  • Group had mild intellectual disabilities, lived with parents

Pre-Game Details

• Madruga's vehicle: 1969 Mercury Montego
• Group's background:
  • Madruga: Dishwasher, struggled to keep jobs
  • Sterling: Religious, read literature to patients
  • Weiher: Lacked common sense, quit jobs due to issues
  • Huett: Slow to react, dependent on Weiher
  • Mathias: No intellectual disability, suffered from schizophrenia

The Game and Aftermath

• Attended Chico State vs. UC Davis game
• Post-game snack run at Behr’s convenience store
• Group failed to return home; took a wrong turn

Detour and Abandonment

• Took Oroville-Quincy Highway instead of heading back
• Car became stuck in snow; unclear what happened next
• Abandoned vehicle: unlocked, some gas remaining

Search and Discovery

• Families reported them missing; police initiated search
• Car found 2.5 hours from game location
• Harsh winter conditions hampered search efforts
  • Search called off until spring due to snow

June Discoveries

• Bikers discovered Ted Weiher's body in forest trailer
  • Body showed signs of starvation; warm shelter nearby
  • Found open cans of food, but many unopened
• Later found bodies of Madruga and Sterling
  • Madruga had keys in his pocket, partially eaten by animals
• Clothing and remains of Jack Huett found; Mathias's remains never found

Theories and Speculations

• Why didn't they return home?
  • Mothers believed they were influenced by an unknown force
  • Questioned why five able-bodied men didn’t rectify the situation
• Gary Mathias's potential involvement:
  • Past issues with the law; uncertainty about who drove the car
  • His influence could have led to the detour

Joseph Shones's Testimony

• Witnessed a group near the headlights; reports changed over time
• Speculation about possible nefarious activity in the area
• Questions about their decisions and Shones's reliability

Conclusion

• Unresolved questions remain about the case
  • Why didn’t they react to Shones’s cries for help?
  • Why was shelter and food ignored?
• The Boys’ trip was meant to be fun but turned tragic, leaving many unanswered questions.