The Yuba County Five

Slide 1: 5 men, a Mercury Montego, and only 4 recovered bodies

Slide 2: The harrowing story of their disappearance, built only from clues and circumstance.

Slide 3: Broken windows, cans of rations, yet enveloped in winter cold. How will they fare?

Case Introduction and Background

In the year 1978 at Yuba County California, a group of 5 men decided to watch a basketball game while mentally preparing themselves to play in the Special Olympics the next day. They were well prepared, even informing their parents beforehand to wake them up just in case they couldn’t. After watching a fantastic game, they started the long journey home. Yet along the way, incidents transpired that cost the lives of these 5 men. Their disappearance and the subsequent mystery will forever be shrouded in time. This case is now called the Yuba County Five.

The Yuba County Five consisted of 5 men, each with their own special needs and unique characteristics. They were all part of the Gateway Project, an initiative meant to help the mentally handicapped. More importantly, they were a part of the Gateway Project’s Basketball Team, the Gators, a team due to join the Special Olympics soon. Following this, the first person to be introduced in this article would be their “leader”, Gary Mathias.

Gary Mathias

Gary Dale Mathias (born October 15, 1952 – disappeared on February 24, 1978 at the age of 25) was the so-called leader of the group. He joined the initial group of boys only a year before their disappearance. Gary was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which may be caused by his stint in the United States Military, which was rocked with a lot of violence, as well as drug use. He always ran into the law, mainly due to his drug use and violent criminal history, including acting out in public. 

Whilst partaking in the Gateway Project, he would be known as the stand-up guy, an example of the success of the program. He loved his friends in the Yuba County Five, even willing to chauffeur them and standing up for them when they were in need of help.

Jack Huett

Jackie C. “Jack” Huett Jr. (born March 29, 1953 – died on February 24, 1978 at the age of 24) was considered the most mentally handicapped out of the five men, particularly due to his illiteracy and inability to consistently work. Thus, he was often underestimated by outsiders. Jack frequently rode his dirtbike on his fathers’ farm, where he would help his father out. He was someone who struggled with the rigid education system, but he was a compassionate and kind man who was very easy to get along with. His closest friend was Ted Weiher, another on the Yuba County Five.

Ted Weiher

Theodore “Ted” Earl Weiher (born May 26, 1946 – died on February 24, 1978 at the age of 32/33) was an outgoing and friendly person, someone easy to get along with, just like his best friend Huett. He was also mentally handicapped, though to a lesser extent. He’d been able to secure employment at a local grocery store as a bagboy, while his family managed his finances. His family said he was someone who “just lacks common sense”. An example of this included him questioning his family why they must stop at stop signs. His family also recounted the one day Ted spent 100 dollars on pencils; alongside when their house caught on fire, Ted insisted he went back to sleep lest he wouldn’t be able to wake up for work the following day even after catching sight of his ceiling on fire. He was also said to be afraid of the dark, the woods, and sadly, fire, due to the fire set loose in his home. Ted would always accompany Huett, and frequently helped and stood up for him.

Jack Madruga

Jack Antone Madruga (born June 18, 1947 – died on February 24, 1978 at the age of 30) was the only member of the group to own a car, a 1969 Mercury Montego. He was the only other person than Gary to have a drivers license. During his schooling years, he faced numerous learning challenges, but after graduating, he got a job and seemed to do just fine in life. He joined the United States Military as an army truck driver, and after he finished his service, he was able to obtain long-term employment in Yuba County. Currently, Jack is suspected of having social anxiety, instead of the mental disability reported when he was missing. He was a shy person, who loved and treasured his car, to the extent of manually doing work on it. His best friend was Bill Sterling.

Bill Sterling

William Lee “Bill” Sterling (born April 5, 1949 – died on February 24, 1978 at the age of 28) knew Jack at a young age. He was often described as a social butterfly, with his objective being to talk to everyone in the room. His energetic demeanor and Madruga’s shyer tendencies didn’t form a  barrier to their tightknit friendship. Usually, Sterling would be the loud and boisterous one, while Madruga became his quieter, deeply empathetic and caring companion. A coach on their basketball team called Sterling a highly intelligent but unmotivated man. Sterling was a devout Christian, known to frequent the hospitals during the weekends to read the Bible for the sick and elderly. According to family, Sterling didn’t have the drive to apply himself. They believed that if he did, he would fare better in all forms of life.

Case Content

February 24th 1978

On the night of February 24th 1978, the 5 men, from this point on would now be endearingly referred to as “the boys”, were set to compete in a basketball tournament organised by the Special Olympics representing the Gateway Gators, their basketball team. The winner of this tournament was given an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles for the weekend. The boys, hearing the grand prize on-the-line, couldn’t wait for the day of the tournament to arrive. 

Right before their first game in the tournament, the boys gave into their anticipation and decided to watch a basketball game played between UC Davis and Chico State in the University of California, Chico Campus. As they were leaving for the game, the 5 of them prepared their jerseys for the game the next day to ensure a good night’s sleep once they arrived home. Madruga chauffeured them using his 1969 Mercury Montego. 

The game ended at 10pm, to which they decided to head home after. On the way home, the boys made a pit stop at a local convenience store called Behrs Market. They bought snacks and drinks like Coca-Cola. This was the last confirmed time all five of the men were seen alive.

February 25th 1978

Receiving no news of the boys the day after, their parents initially suspected that they had decided to stay over at one of their houses. However, once the parents started contacting each other, it was quickly found out that none of their children came back home. 

In a panic, the parents of Jack Madruga decided to inform the authorities. Given their mental handicap, the authorities quickly organised a search party, which included the police officers of Yuba County and neighbouring Butte County. The police first informed the parents that it was highly likely that the boys went for a joyride, though it was met with the parents’ doubts, as the boys had already prepared their jerseys the day before, ready to compete in the tournament held later that day.

February 28th 1978

A few days following the police report, a park ranger from the Plumas National Forest dialed in the discovery of Madruga’s 1969 Mercury Montego to the authorities at Oroville-Quincy road. The ranger had already sighted the vehicle in the same location once before, but brushed it off. This is because during the winter, the National Forest would be covered with deep snow, and sometimes when vehicles were caught in the snow, the owners would go back home and rest first, before arranging a tow truck. However, when the ranger heard of the police bulletin regarding the vehicle, he recognised it as the vehicle he had seen, dialing it in immediately after. This would later lead into the first major question of the events:

Mystery ①

Oroville-Quincy road is located 70 miles away from the road home to Yuba County. Moreover, going up the road involves moving up a 4400 feet worth of elevation, on a partially paved road. Even though they were driving in the middle of the night, it had to be obvious to each of the boys that they had completely veered off-track (see Fig 1.1). 

More than that, each and every one of the boys disliked going outdoors. Weiher hated going outdoors and was afraid of the night, while Bill once went fishing in the National Forest with his father, but despised every moment of it. The National Forest was well known to the citizens of Yuba County as: in the summer, it became beloved by hikers and adventurers, while in the winter, it dazzled the eyes of skiers and snow-sport enjoyers.

The question remains, why did they go toward Oroville-Quincy Road instead of returning home?

(Fig 1.1 illustrates the route the boys took to Plumas National Forest)

The police have identified the 1969 Mercury Montego as the one owned by Madruga. Based on the tire marks seen in the snow, they came to the conclusion that Madruga got his car stuck on the snow. This wasn’t as major as it sounded, as it was only stuck on a small chunk of snow, where a light push would’ve freed the wheel, letting them drive back down. Given that all of the boys were adept in vehicular knowledge, with Huett riding his motorcycle, and Madruga repairing his own car, alongside them being athletic enough to compete in a basketball tournament, why couldn’t they have just pushed the car out?

Unless, something forced them to stay stuck in their vehicle.

The police discovered the vehicle in crude conditions, with the driver side window winded down, and all four doors unlocked. For Madruga’s parents, this was highly uncharacteristic of their son. Madruga loved his car and took the utmost care of it. Inside the vehicle, nothing was out of line. There were soda cans, snack wrappers, and the score of a basketball game written down on a team sheet. 

Even though no major evidence was found on the scene, the Madruga family stated that Madruga hated the cold, which meant he wouldn’t have left the car in this state, while none of the boys brought any thick-layered clothing like puffer jackets. Thus, this led the police to postulate a theory.

Question ①

What happened to the 1969 Mercury Montego? The investigators decided to hotwire the vehicle, suspecting an engine malfunction as the key force behind the boys ditching their car. To their surprise, the car ran just fine, with a perfectly maintained engine and even a half-filled fuel tank. This led to a search gathering volunteers to search for the boys, organised by the investigators. However, tragedy struck as on the first day of the search, a heavy snow storm hit, almost killing two of the volunteers from hypothermia. The search was instantly halted, and no new discoveries would be made until four months later.

June 4th 1978

The snow in Plumas National Forest has started to melt. A group of motorcyclists decided to venture up the mountain. Their destination? A park service trailer, fitted with canned rations and heating that would last for a year, meant for park-goers who were caught in unforeseen circumstances like sudden winter storms. Luck was in their favor, as they spotted one roughly 20 miles away uphill from the spot where Madruga’s Montego was located.

Reaching the trailer, a shattered window was seen as they were instantly hit with an awful smell. They saw empty cans of rations thrown outside of the trailer, and a pair of tennis shoes lying next to one of the bedroom doors when they went in (see Fig 1.2).

Heading into the bedroom, lying on one of the beds was a human body in horrible condition. The body had been wrapped so tightly in blankets, it was as if the person was mummified. Horrified, the motorcyclists instantly contacted the authorities, who rushed to the scene. 

Cautiously removing the blankets covering the face, the police were horrified to discover that their face had already decomposed, becoming completely unidentifiable due to the environment. Moreover, they recognised the body’s feet as gangrenous, to the extent that the body was missing five toes. Following further discovery, they would later identify the body as one of the boys, Ted Weiher (see Fig 1.3).

This finding was confirmed by the Coroner, as Ted’s wallet was found on the nightstand next to him. The cause of death was identified as an instance of pulmonary edema, resulting in pneumonia. The police combed the area and discovered that there were missing rations from the shed connected to the trailer, which was expected of someone holding out in winter, but according to the police, only 36 packs were opened, while the shed containing essential heating supplies like torches was left completely untouched. Furthermore, the boys had to traverse 20 miles through snow and ice, uphill in the bitter winter without any insulation to reach this trailer. This again led to another mystery:

• The shoes outside the trailer were not Ted’s shoes, as they do not fit him, so who did the shoes belong to?
• Weiher was found in an almost mummified state. Who could’ve done that to him? 
• If the boys were together, why would they let Weiher succumb to winter elements?
• Why didn’t they use any form of heating in the freezing winter?
• Why didn’t the authorities search the survivalist cabins that were built to house stranded individuals?

(Fig 1.2, this photo gives a detailed look of the outside of one of the trailers)

(Fig 1.3, this photo shows the bunk where Weiher’s body was found)

Question ②

Initially, the survivalist trailers were disregarded by the investigators as they deemed it too far from the initial area where the Mercury Montego was found. In their minds, they didn’t see the possibility of the boys traversing through the harsh winter for over 20 miles uphill, through several feet of snow and ice. 

After a thorough investigation by the authorities, it was determined by both forensic reports and accounts that the tennis shoes lying next the bedroom door where Weiher’s body was discovered were Mathias’ (see Fig 1.4). Thus, it was deduced that both Mathias and Weiher were in the trailer together before Weiher passed. This left investigators puzzled, as only one of the boys was found, prompting another search party. This search party would then go on to find the bodies of all the boys, except for one.

June 5th 1978

The authorities had assembled another search party. Instead of installing a search perimeter as per the norm, the authorities instead retraced the steps from the Mercury Montego to the trailer. This was where they saw a heartbreaking sight. Roughly 11.5 miles uphill from the Mercury Montego, along the route the boys travelled across, the bodies of Madruga and Sterling were found lying next to each other. Madruga’s body had been partially eaten by predators, while the remains of Sterling had already decomposed into bones.  The Coroner declared both their causes of death as hypothermia. 

In late stage hypothermia, there are several symptoms, one of them being a strong desire to sleep. This sleep would be one where the victim would not wake up from. From their bodies’ positioning, two possible situations can be deduced as to what occurred.

Situation 1:

Both Madruga and Sterling were facing the consequences of late-stage hypothermia together, causing them to have the strong urge to sleep. Instead of following the other three uphill, they both decided to take a short nap before catching up with them, to which we see the outcome of. 

Situation 2:

This situation is far more heartbreaking. There is a possibility that either Madruga or Sterling had suddenly collapsed while hiking uphill due to the hypothermia wracking their body. Madruga or Sterling, seeing their closest friend collapsed, decided to stay behind and treat their dying friend, while reassuring the others that they will soon catch up, unknowingly sealing their fates together with the person they cherished most.

Three of the boys’ bodies had been discovered, and following that was one last major discovery that occurred not too long after.

June 7th 1978

Now, the search party had established a radius where no stone should be left unturned. Roughly two miles north-east from the trailer, the father of Jack Huett, Huett Sr. , was searching for clues of his son’s whereabouts. This was when one thing stood out from the corner of his eye. He saw his son’s jacket laying on the snow. In apprehension, he quickly yanked the jacket out of the snow, and unintentionally, had also yanked out the spine of his dead son along with the jacket. Knowing this, his father had to have been absolutely heartbroken. Nearby, his jeans and shirt were found, in a manner which was similar to paradoxical undressing. During late-stage hypothermia, in a delirium and last burst of adrenaline, some victims might start undressing themselves, which is a symptom called paradoxical undressing. Nearby, Huett’s skeletal remains were found, and his skull was identified to be 90 feet away from his jacket.

Additionally, using beard growth patterns and the knowledge that Weiher had initially been clean shaven on the day of his disappearance, the Coroner deduced that he had been alive for 8 to 13 weeks. This suggested that Mathias, the leader of the group, was there with him, feeding him and helping him survive. 

Finally, a quarter of a mile away from the trailer, 3 National Forest Service blankets and a flashlight were found on the snow. This evidence was inconclusive in the eyes of the investigators, as they had no solid evidence to pin this down on either Mathias or Weiher.

With this, the story of the Yuba County 5 had concluded. All of their remains were identified, and solemnly returned to their respective families, except for Gary Mathias. Until today, the body of Gary Mathias hasn’t been found. His legal date of death was recorded to be the same date as all of his beloved friends, that fateful night of February 24th 1978. 

At the end of it all, the story of the Yuba County Five isn’t one of tragedy. Instead, it’s one about love, kinship, and resilience. Instead of splitting up and allowing them to fend for themselves, the boys decided to stick through thick and thin together, as they have always done. It was always the five of them against the world, and they really demonstrated the spirit of camaraderie. May they be reunited as the same group of close friends in the afterlife. 

Theories, Speculations, and New Information

The boys made the decision to venture into Plumas National Forest in the freezing cold. What compelled them to do so? Before delving into the theories, let’s trace our steps back to the 1969 Mercury Montego. In the picture below (see Fig 1.4), there were two possible routes to the trailers where Weiher was found. The first involved walking 11 miles, where you will reach the trailers from the west. However, the boys decided to take the longer 20 mile journey, which involves going back downhill initially, before climbing uphill and reaching the trailer from the north-east. The figure below also shows where the tragic discoveries of both Madruga and Sterling’s bodies, accompanied by Huett, took place. The path in green is the theoretically shorter path to the trailer, while the path in blue is the actual 20 mile path taken. 

(Fig 1.4 shows the 11 mile route in green, and the 20 mile route in blue)

The boys had never explored this part of the Plumas National Forest before, so it was expected that they didn’t know the shortest path to the trailer. But, it was also known that a snowcat would be sent by the National Forest Service to the trailers in order to ensure that they would be able to sustain the damages obtained from the upcoming major winter storm. The boys must’ve followed the trail to the trailer, which shows that the boys were not as mentally challenged as the media portrayed them to be. The story was that five “mentally handicapped” boys went up a hill randomly and froze to death, but it shows that they were smart enough to not blindly walk in the storm with no directions, and instead followed the snowcat’s path trying to search for other people. This suggested that they wanted to find help.

Deep-Dive ①

There are theories that suggest all five of the boys had actually reached the trailer, before deciding to split up amongst themselves to find supplies, which was what led to nature taking its course with the boys. However, there are sufficient evidences to refute these claims. 

First, let’s examine where Madruga, Sterling, and Huett’s bodies were located.  Madruga and Sterling were found roughly 10 miles from the 1969 Mercury Montego, while Huett was found 2 miles away from the trailer, which instead paints a picture of the group making the trek uphill together, only to slowly break apart due to exhaustion and freezing temperatures. Additionally, one of the ration cans was opened with a military can opener, which indicated Madruga’s presence in the trailer, though it is far more likely that the calculated and concise Mathias, possessed and used the can opener to open rations. Moreover, only 36 ration cans (see Fig 1.5) were opened, which isn’t enough to feed five athletic men. 

(Fig 1.5 shows some of the crushed ration cans)

Inside the trailer, during the discovery of Weiher’s body by the now Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, several personal items of Wieher’s were found on a bedside table, which included his wallet, a nickel ring with his name engraved on it, a gold necklace, and a gold watch with its crystal missing. This was suspicious development for the authorities as all five families of the boys denied that their child owned this gold watch, so whose does it belong to? 

In my humble opinion, it was likely there prior to Mathias and Weiher entering the trailer. It was public property, and anyone could’ve used it during desperate times. 

From pictures taken of the trailer, it was suspected that Mathias and Weiher did not enter the trailer normally. Instead, the ex-military Mathias might’ve broken a glass window (see Fig 1.6) in desperation to enter the trailer. 

(Fig 1.6 shows the window that was theorised to be broken by Mathias)

Mathias likely already had a can opener in his pocket, and used it to open rations. This leaves us with one more question, why didn’t they use heating? Some theorised that due to Weiher’s deep fear of fire, Mathias might have chosen not to light any fires to avoid scaring Weiher and potentially worsen his condition. 

Crucially, there was an unused gas hose that would be able to provide heating to the entire trailer once opened. Mathias might have decided not to turn on the hose, knowing that the broken window would cause all the heat to dissipate. The gas could’ve been used in the future as a last-resort form of heating. Still, it raised the question of why he hadn’t used it when Wehier was dying of hypothermia and frostbite? Why did Mathias take off his shoe (see Fig 1.7) that could’ve provided additional heating? These are all questions that’ll be answered in the next deep-dive. Meanwhile, let’s talk about the last person who saw the boys alive?

(Fig 1.7 shows the actual shoes left by Mathias, untouched as of the photo)

The Story of Joseph Schons

The only person to have last seen the boys alive was a man named Joseph Schons. According to Schons, he had been driving uphill through the Plumas National Forest to survey a cabin that he and his family would be staying at for the weekend on the 24th of February 1978. That day was a Friday, and he and his family were due to stay in the cabin on both the 25th and 26th. Schons set out with the primary objective of seeing how bad the snow was and could become due to the snow storm approaching, until his Volkswagen Beetle was stuck in the snow and ice, like the boys, at around the 4400 feet mark. Unlike the boys, who tried to use their tires to unstuck themselves, Schons decided to push the car out of the ice’s way, but that was when he felt his chest tightening up. 

Schons experienced a heart attack. 

He had always had a medical history of both chest pains and heart issues, and each time his chest tenses up, he would be expecting the worst. Schons, in the worst pain he has ever felt, threw up on the snow and made a prompt decision to return to his car instead of pushing himself further (see Fig 1.8). Schons would fall asleep in his car.

Around midnight, Schons awoke to the sound of whistling, as if calling for a pet dog. He looked behind and saw headlights roughly 100 feet away. Schons, grateful and relieved that there were other people near him, got out of his Beetle and walked a few steps before trying to yell out for help. Before yelling out, Schons saw the following:

• Madruga’s 1969 Mercury Montego, parked in the same spot where the authorities found it.
• Another set of headlights, belonging to a rusty, red pickup truck.
• A total of 6 to 7 people, standing outside of the two vehicles, one of them looked like “a woman holding a small baby”.

When Schons started yelling for help, the previously incessant chatter dimmed down. Then, both pairs of headlights were abruptly turned off, and everyone entered the red pickup truck that swiftly backed up downhill. Schons, unaware that he may have just seen the last moment of the boys, was justifiably annoyed that no one tried to help him.

(Fig 1.8 shows a news clipping of the incident, with Schons’ testimony)

About an hour later, according to Schons, he saw flashlights around the trees from his rear-view mirror. Schons, already frustrated by the lack of help given by the first party of people, quickly got out of his car and started to yell for help again. Instantly, the flashlights were turned off. Schons, now even more agitated, went back into his car and made sure his engine remained on, trying to retain heat as the bitter winter approached. At around 4 in the morning, Schons’ car ran out of gas. Following this discovery, he made the decision to trek 8 miles downhill in the freezing cold on his own, instead of depending on the “kindness” of random passerbys. That was when he hit a lucky break, meeting a kind motorist who helped bring him back home.

Once Schons heard of the story of the boys, he offered his testimony to the police, but was it trustworthy? 

Deep-Dive ②

Right when the boys went missing, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office offered a $1250 bounty on information of the boys’ whereabouts. Almost immediately after, calls flooded in from people both inside Yuba County, and outside of the country altogether, allegedly “witnessing” the boys walking into movie theaters, in airports, and more. The only verified account, even with the bounty, belonged to Schons, as his vehicle was indeed stuck in the ice, as he recounted.

Other than Schons, there was one testimony from a woman, who worked in a gas station. She recounted that when she arrived at the gas station to begin her shift, she saw two men who were allegedly “mentally handicapped” as they waved at her with a wide grin.Then, she saw two more men using a phone booth. The same men then entered her store and bought some drinks and snacks before entering their car alongside the men waving at her earlier, leaving together. The store owner became her alibi, alleging that they saw the men come back to the store two days in a row. The police, intrigued with this story, while highly suspicious of the financial motivation for both worker and store owner to lie, gave her a lineup of photos. To their shock, she identified each of the boys correctly, except for Mathias. 

Still, let’s think critically here, when exactly did the boys visit the store? Allegedly, the boys visited the store on both the 25th and 26th of February, which was extremely contradictory on several fronts. Let’s dissect this account carefully:

1. The boys got their car stuck, yet were somehow able to drive to a gas station on the 25th and 26th of February, for two days in a row.
2. The boys had purposefully skipped their basketball tournament, one which they had anticipated for months.
3. The boys avoided all contact with their family.
4. The boys somehow went back to the Plumas National Forest, where their car was stuck, in the same brutal snowstorm that almost killed the volunteers trying to find them.
5. The boys made their way uphill for 20 miles without being noticed by anyone, when their faces were well known to the whole town.
6. The boys somehow ditched one of their friends, Mathias, which was very out of character.

Deep-Dive ③

According to the boys’ families, it was severely out of character for the boys to do something as illogical as going uphill into the Plumas National Forest, especially in the dead of night, while under freezing conditions. So, there must’ve been foul play involved. Something must’ve driven them out of their car, caused them to run for their lives uphill for 20 miles, haunted them to the extent that kept them running. Let’s jump into the most popular theory, which is believed by not only several members of their families, but also the wider public: Either intentionally, or unintentionally, it was the fault of Mathias.

This was one of the more divisive theories, as it alleged that the leader of the group, the smartest out of the boys, caused the death of his beloved friends. Here are some information believers used to back this theory:

• Mathias was the latest addition to the group, and within the group there were pairs of close friends, Madruga with Sterling, and Huett with Weiher.
• The parents of the boys were highly suspicious of Mathias.
• Mathias was the most intelligent of them all, and has a history of criminal violence.
• And most importantly, Mathias’ body was never found.

However, why pin all this blame on a scapegoat? There were several facts to debunk this theory. First of all, knowing how much Madruga loved his Mercury Montego, Mathias wouldn’t risk driving the car deep into the woods. Secondly, though Mathias possessed a drivers license, it had not been confirmed that he was the driver. Furthermore, even if Mathias was the driver, why would he bring the boys to the National Forest on his own volition, and why didn’t the boys protest his decision? 

Let’s dig deeper into one of the boys with the most checkered past, Gary Mathias.

Deep-Dive: Gary Mathias

As a child, Mathias showed no signs of any form of mental illness. In fact, Mathias was well-liked and popular during his high school years, as he was athletic and known for his prowess in American Football. Yet, he would occasionally act out, which could have been due to him receiving a blow to the head as a child. Mathias experimented with drugs, viewing them as the only way to self medicate his frequent outbursts. It didn’t work in his favor however, as the more drugs Mathias took, the more he acted out. After high school, he became an aimless person. He fell behind his peers, who had all started their college lives. Thus, Mathias decided to join the military. However, partly due to the extreme physical and mental stress of being a young cadet in the military, paired with withdrawals he experienced without the drugs, Mathias became a violent individual. 

In a desperate plea to get dishonourably discharged, Mathias punched his superior who was trying to mediate a physical altercation between him and another fellow soldier. It worked, causing him to be dishonourably discharged on the spot. Before he left, he was sent to the psych ward in his camp. 

It was at this point that the military doctors officially diagnosed Mathias as having paranoid schizophrenia, now known as schizophrenia. After returning to civilian life, Mathias wanted to pursue a higher education, which his parents vehemently disagreed with, causing him to become estranged from his parents. Instead, he stayed with his grandparents, who lived closer to a college Mathias could attend.

His story didn’t stop there, as Mathias traversed 557 miles, back to Yuba County and to his parents’ house one day, a 183 hour journey at maximum pace. This demonstrated Mathias’ fortitude, surviving the journey by eating dog food and drinking water outside random houses, meant for their pet dogs. Once Mathias was back to Yuba County, his delusions and violent outbursts remained, but now he found a new love, alcohol.

Mathias, at this point, was a man of no limits. He loved to pick fights with other random men in a bar, and in an undeniably outrageous instance, Mathias purposefully groped a man’s wife in front of him just to get a reaction. Mathias got what he wanted, the mad was livid. In another inexcusable instance, Mathias got into an altercation with another man and yelled at his 3 year old daughter that he was going to kill her, provoking the man further. Due to this, Mathias was always in and out of jail, perceived as a man of no morality.

This all illustrates back to the fact that Mathias was in a bad spot mentally. His family, desperate to get their sweet baby boy back, looked at all the faucets for help. This led them to the Gateway Project, where they instantly realised how dire of a situation Mathias was in, and decided to help the family. Mathias was given antipsychotics, taken twice a day minimum. In doing so, he succeeded in becoming a new man.

The previously violent Mathias became a model citizen in roughly a year from his first dose of antipsychotics. Mathias first started by mending relationships and seeking forgiveness from people he once wronged. Mathias started to love his parents again, and frequently helped his father work, while also being a part of the Yuba County community by volunteering for social causes. He became more outgoing and friendly, a stark contrast to the once short-tempered, violent demon he was known as.

A year after Mathias’ rehabilitation into society with the help of his antipsychotics, his counsellor thought that Mathias was too alone, and convinced him to join a group of 4 men in the Gateway Gators basketball team. The counsellor thought that Mathias’ sharp and bold voice, alongside being the most intelligent and outstanding member of the Gateway Project, made him the ideal group leader. With this thought, Mathias was introduced to Weiher, Huett, Madruga, and Sterling. They instantly became the best of friends, and Mathias loved the boys as much as they loved him in return. Mathias was the strongest both physically and mentally, so he was naturally the most protective of the boys.

Before the Plumas National Forest incident, Mathias was living his dream life. Mathias, dating his high school sweetheart, while loved by countless others, would be accused of indirectly killing his friends in the incident, whom he loved with all of his heart. The news media leaned into Mathias’ past actions whilst covering the developing story, making it seem as if a murderous psychopath was in the hills with 4 mentally handicapped people who couldn’t do anything but accept their fate. 

This portrayal of the boys is deeply insensitive, but it was how the media passed the word around during the first days of the case occurring.

Now, picture this. Deep in the Plumas National Forest, in a survivalist shelter, Weiher, freezing to death, suffering from a serious case of pneumonia, coupled with hypothermia, was too weak to eat. His body was putting all effort into fighting for his life, and without the “murderous psychopath” Mathias, Weiher would’ve been in an even more horrible situation. Mathias, who might’ve seen two of his beloved friends fall asleep, never to wake up again, and another collapsed on the snow, decided that no matter what, he would put in all his effort to save the only surviving member of the boys, Weiher. 

In the trailer, the authorities uncovered used candles and playing cards. It was Mathias, making sure the remaining days for Weiher would be one without loneliness. When Weiher took his last breath, Mathias used a blanket to cover Weiher’s face as a final act of love and care, gently signifying his departure from this mortal world. Mathias, all alone, went deeper into the woods, facing the unknown head-on. 

Still, we only know the end of their story, not the beginning. The boys’ fate was sealed the moment they stepped foot up the Plumas National Forest, and the one who alleged that it was foul play was one Joseph Schons.

Deep-Dive: Joseph Schons

Joseph Schons, the drunkard of Yuba County, was allegedly the last man who saw the boys alive. Schons isn’t the stand-up, model citizen the media portrayed him as, instead, the townsfolk viewed him as an annoyance. Schons frequently drove under the influence of alcohol, resulting in his Volkswagen Beetle being driven off the road on multiple occasions. According to the citizens of Yuba County, it is a common occurrence to see Schons’ Beetle stuck on the edge of a road for days on end.

Originally, the good samaritans of Yuba County wanted to help Schons out, but whenever a member of the tight-knit Yuba County community tried to help Schons, he was very malicious about it. Schons was never thankful to those who helped him, instead pestering them with annoying comments, and making the day of the kind townsfolk worse. Moreover, Schons was a pathological liar. His actions always worsened his relationship with his fellow community members, resulting in everyone in his town finding him displeasing to be with. It was said that if Schons was murdered, the whole town would be a suspect, as the community disliked him to that extent.

The reason Schons gave for going up Plumas National Forest around the same time as the boys was to survey the cabin he was due to stay the weekend in, but it was suspected that Schons did not own nor rent a cabin in the Plumas National Forest. It was all a fabricated story. Earlier that day, Schons was spotted in a local bar drinking alcohol. It can be alleged that Schons was drunk while in control of his Beetle, and drove off the side of the road as usual. 

Instead of telling the police that he was driving under the influence, especially given his criminal offenses of drunk driving on the record, he decided to make up a story about checking out a cabin for his family instead. The testimony he willingly provided the authorities was changed a total of three times, before being sent to the press for publication. Still, some facts remained concrete in his testimony.

1. Schons did in fact walk downhill 8 miles to reach a mountain lodge to ask for help
2. Schons did in fact have a mild heart attack, as confirmed by doctors, but it is during an unknown period, suggesting that it may have occurred before that fateful night
3. Schons’ Beetle was stuck behind Madruga’s Mercury Montego, as the forest ranger who called in the Montego also called in the Beetle which was in front of it
4. Schons’ engine did run out of fuel, prompting him to travel downhill

(Fig 1.9 shows the actual photo of the Montego on the night it was discovered)

According to the men who brought Schons home from the mountain lodge, Schons claimed that he was being tailgated uphill, which caused him to drive off the paved road, into the ice. During this period, the men would also claim that Schons was ungrateful and annoying as usual. However, this crucial piece of information was not given to the authorities by Schons in his testimony. Due to his habit of not being truthful, it was hard to determine which claims are of significance, and which are red herrings. 

After Schons arrived home, he instantly fell asleep. He was then awoken by his wife, and told her about his Beetle which was yet again stuck off-road. Learning about this situation, his wife tried to be a helpful partner and asked another man for help in getting Schons’ Beetle back. Though a problem arose when they reached the Beetle, it was out of fuel. While Ms Schons was figuring out a way to retrieve the Beetle, she told Schons about the incident regarding the boys, to which prompted Schons to provide his testimony to the authorities.

Now, let’s dig into this deeper. I’ve identified some points that are worth considering.

• Firstly, Schons told the police he saw a range of 2 to 12 people, which is a pretty large range of possible suspects.
• Secondly, according to the news clippings, Schons adamantly told the authorities to ignore the vehicle which the boys supposedly got into, as he could’ve been half-conscious during his mild heart attack.
• Thirdly, his heart attack was mild, not serious enough to warrant losing partial consciousness.
• Fourthly, puking is a symptom of alcohol intoxication as well as a heart attack.
• Fifthly. Weiher’s mom claimed that it is out of character for Weiher to not help someone in distress, proven by Weiher and Sterling’s past record of assisting a man facing Valium overdose.

When Schons was admitted to the hospital for his check-up due to the mild heart attack, he submitted his final testimony to the police. The police decided to visit Schons in the hospital to directly record his testimony and ensure there was concrete evidence without sudden changes. The nurses who took care of Schons told the police that for several days, Schons had been violently crying to an inconsolable extent. Yet, when the authorities appeared, Schons was somehow able to calm himself down.

While the detectives were interviewing Schons, he was initially very cooperative, answering all of the questions they provided with useful insight. However, when they started asking Schons about more specific questions about the boys, such as their height, clothing, the red pickup, and more, Schons became defensive.

“You think I know more than I’m letting on, don’t you?”

A very suspicious answer from a seemingly innocent man. 

Now, we’ve heard enough testimonies and evidence. Which finally allows us to raise the question of what really happened to the boys that caused them to rush up Plumas National Forest?

The Theories, Their Flaws, Their Explanations

Occam’s Razor

Sometimes, the simplest possible answer could just be the answer closest to the truth. That’s the principle of Occam’s Razor. 

The simplest possible chain of events would be that the driver, most likely Madruga, had taken a wrong turn that caused them to drive uphill into Plumas National Forest. This resulted in them getting stuck in the frozen road, allowing panic to ensue. In this rush of frenzy, they all decided to run into the woods, leaving the car unlocked, and the driver side window wound down. 

Of course, for most cases, the simplest chain of events is the likeliest, since it doesn’t randomly add details that may seem important, but were more often than not red herrings. However, Occam’s Razor being used in this instance actually raises more questions that it resolves, being:

• How many possible wrong turns could they have made to wind up on a route leading into the Plumas National Forest?
• Why did the boys decide to run into the woods, instead of pushing the car or following Schons’ steps and walking down into the mountain lodge?
• Why did the Mercury Montego’s window still remain wound down, and the doors remain unlocked?
• Why did they not ask for help from Schons, who was still inside his Beetle which remained stuck in front of them?
• Why did they not go actively searching for help, but instead chose to run deeper into the woods?

So, with these counter-examples, it can be deduced that a possible outside factor forced them out of the Montego. It doesn’t necessarily need to be another person, it could’ve been nature itself, as Plumas National Forest is home to some of the biggest predators, from the likes of coyotes to even mountain lions. 

Still, with Schons in front of them, why didn’t they seek his help?

A Brawl, and its Consequences

After watching a thrilling game, the boys decided to start going home, as their own game was coming up the next day. What’s a road trip without snacks? The boys decided to buy some snacks and some soda at a local convenience store, called Behr’s Market, which was located in downtown Chico. However, only Mathias and Madruga went into the shop to help buy all the drinks and snacks, while the rest of the boys decided to take a breather outside in the parking lot. Inside the store, Mathias and Madruga were met with slight annoyance as the store was near closing time. However, another form of frustration was happening just outside of the store.

Huett and Weiher, relaxing in the parking lot, were met by a group of three men who lived in Chico. The men then started to make fun of both Huett and Weiher, with a main focus on poking fun at their disabilities. While both Huett and Weiher remained unbothered, the verbal abuse escalated into physical abuse, as the group of men started threatening the two of them, with an emphasis on Huett, as he appeared to be the most afraid. The men then started to demand Huett’s money. 

Faced with constant poking, verbal abuse, and the additional threats for his money, Huett started crying out for his friends. When Madruga and Mathias finished their grocery run and exited the store, they heard the distressing cries for help by Huett. Mathias, absolutely livid that these random men came to bully Huett, instantly went to his help. In the midst of this, the dynamic completely shifted, as the three men now saw an angry Mathias approaching them.

This led to a physical altercation between the protective Mathias, standing up for his beloved friends, and the group of three men. Even though Mathias had already put his life of violence behind him, it wouldn’t be absurd to think that he would resort to violence in order to ensure the safety of his friends. During this confrontation, it was possible that Mathias would be called into the car, and Madruga drove the boys away from the market.

This is known as the “Behr Market Brawl” which for some reason was completely overlooked by the local authorities, but it was still well known to the locals in Chico County when asked by journalists. This incident was common knowledge among the locals there, and based on this brawl, a theory can be made that aligns with what Schons saw, taking into account his testimony is factual and grounded in reality. The theory was as followed:

The men, still angry at Mathias for laying hands on them, went into their own car and chased the boys. Madruga, seeing the pair of headlights tailing their car, went into a panic and started to drive in an erratic fashion, trying to lose them. This ultimately resulted in them driving up into Plumas National Forest in a hurry, but suddenly their car was stuck in the ice and snow. Facing this conundrum, the boys quickly escaped the Montego and ran deep into the woods, so that the men couldn’t find them 

anymore, and the rest was history.

This theory possessed some flaws too, mainly being:

• Why didn’t the workers tell the authorities of this information, as a physical altercation is a loud and vicious affair?
• How did the three men have such easy access to their vehicles in such a fast pace that they could start tailing the Mercury Montego immediately after they already drove away?
• Why were the men so persistent in chasing the boys instead of letting the situation deescalate, deciding to take this situation further?

This theory does involve taking Schons’ testimony as fact, and it does seem logical, but did these bullies really did all of this out of their own enjoyment? Meanwhile, if we take Schons’ account as evidence, we also have to acknowledge his glaring inconsistencies when sharing this story to the relevant parties, such as:

1. How did 6-7 people, including a woman holding her child, become an alleged, rather large range of 2-12 people?
2. Why did Schons claim that they all went into the red pickup truck, when they were supposed to be chasing the boys?
3. It is evident that Schons was under the influence of alcohol, and an alleged heart attack, but do they combine and form such grand hallucinations?
4. Given he had a sudden heart attack, how does he have the energy to walk 8 miles to the mountain lodge?

Schons changed his testimony multiple times to create a story where he seemed the least innocent. By twisting words, stamping out his earlier contradictions as hallucinations, and getting simple facts eyewitnesses could answer definitively, could it be possible that Schons was actually guilty in this incident, and tried to change his story to cover both him and an accomplice?

Or maybe did Schons see something he wasn’t meant to see, something he left in his past?

A Conspiracy, A Witness, and Unknowns 

In the eyes of the justice system, Schons is a felon who always got caught drinking and driving, but Schons was more than just a horrible drunkard. Schons had several connections to the criminal underworld, particularly due to him and his wife enabling the growth and distribution of Marijuana. They only ever completed their Marijuana operations twice. The first time they grew and sold Marijuana, a competitor tried to break into their home to steal it, which gave the Schons a reality check to stop their business before it was too late. Yet, not long after, they started growing Marijuana again, only to get seized by the police, and given a warning.

Due to him selling Marijuana, it can be theorised that Schons had connections to other criminals, specifically other drug dealers or growers, which would act as a compelling reason for him emphasising to the police that the red pickup truck he saw was a hallucination. He could’ve been covering up for one of his associates. 

Profound with guilt, this could be the main reason for Schons becoming inconsolable during his hospital stay, knowing that he was aiding in hiding the people responsible for the boys being missing. Additionally, during the police interview whilst Schons was in the hospital, he reaffirmed with the authorities that he did in fact see a red pickup truck, which could have been his way of minimising the guilt. 

Schons saw more than he wanted to, and had to stay quiet about it. In the underworld, what you see is what you don’t. Schons knew this well, and if he did decide to tell authorities the complete picture of what he had seen, the faces of him and his family could’ve been on milk cartons next. Moreover, he knew that his Beetle was in front of the Mercury Montego, so he had to act fast to exonerate himself of this crime. This can be the sole reason for him to hurriedly tell the authorities what he claimed to see that fateful night, without any primary incentive. 

So, what happened that night? After several thousand words and counting, undeniable facts and countless theories, this is what I think transpired.

The Final Theory

After the Behr Market Brawl, Madruga, seeing the headlights approaching, was unsure of where to drive to, meanwhile, Mathias suggested that they could turn to a place called Forbestown, which was located in the nearby Butte County. Forbestown was known in the past as a place where frequent underground Marijuana deals occur, and due to his past, Mathias knew the place well. The exit from Chico to Forbestown is roughly in the exact same location as the exit that leads back into Yuba City. While driving along the route, they noticed that the headlight stopped trailing them.

While already en route to Forbestown, Mathias suggested that they should continue going there, just to check the place out. When they arrived, they saw a drug deal happen, and the people doing said deal noticed the boys. Realising there was a witness, they decided to give chase to the boys, in a red pickup truck. The boys, now being chased at high speed, decided to go back home into Yuba City, Though, in an adrenaline-fueled situation, they turned into the wrong exit, leading them straight into Plumas National Forest.

Looking back, the red pickup truck was still giving chase, while the car suddenly came to a stop, stuck on a patch of ice and snow that didn’t budge even as they tried to reverse the car, producing the tire skid marks in the snow. When the boys tried to exit the Mercury Montego to push it out, the red pickup had arrived behind them. The boys, now petrified, can only sit back and watch a person walk out of the red pickup. They knocked on the driver side wind-down window, and asked Madruga and the boys to exit the Montego. 

Expecting a short encounter, Madruga killed the engine and placed the car’s key in his pocket, and the boys slowly got out of the Montego. Then, they met up with the people in the red pickup truck, who were drug dealers Schons recognised from his brief stint of selling and growing Marijuana. Schons, seeing the boys and the people from the red pickup being illuminated by the headlights,  called for help. The usually helpful Weiher and Sterling didn’t try to assist Schons as they were in their own situation. The drug dealers, hearing random shouts for help, dead at night, suggested that they continue their talk a little more downhill. The boys have no other choice but to accept. The drug dealers suggested that the boys should ride the red pickup truck, and assuming safety in numbers, they obliged. That’s why Schons saw the men all hopping into the same red pickup truck.

Now a little more downhill, they all exit from the red pickup truck, and the conversation gets heated. The drug dealers were telling the boys to not tell a single soul what they saw, but being the innocent man he was, Huett objected and said what they were doing was immoral. The drug dealers, angry that Huett was threatening to tell the police, went back into their car to get a firearm. 

Seeing this, the boys instantly knew what to do, they decided to run straight into the woods.

Schons, while shouting for help, saw a familiar figure standing in front of the headlights. He already knew that a tragic fate would befall the boys, but still wasn’t able to speak out for his own safety.

This is what I suspect started the story of the Yuba County 5.

Conclusion

The story of the boys has captivated generations, not due to its “beauty” but more due to its fascinating details. Until today, there is still new information and photos being uploaded to social media sites like Reddit, where like-minded individuals try to propose theories and speculate the fate that befell all of the boys. 

It should be acknowledged that all of this information would’ve been lost to time had it not been for the press. Without their constant articles and passion for digging out the truth, we may not have even known about the disappearance of five men into the woods.

However, the only criticism about the handling of the case by the media was the incessant claims that the men were “mentally handicapped” to the extent that they walked off the face of the earth due to their own mental disabilities. Even though the boys were not the status quo around the 1970s, they actually weren’t very mentally disabled at all. The perceived “mental disabilities” were mainly caused by social anxiety, trauma or learning disabilities, far from the intense mental disability that would make one randomly walk into the dense forest in the freezing cold.

The use of the r-slur in the media coverage when the case occurred is also appalling. In my opinion, printing out this slur isn’t the best way to describe the boys. They were just as normal and human as all of us. During that time period, people with mental disabilities were attacked, both verbally and physically, and made fun of, much like what Huett experienced during the Behr Market Brawl. Thankfully, we have slowly evolved our mindset and become more accepting of differences between one another as a society, reducing stigmatisation towards people we claim are “less normal” than us.

When the media shone a light on this case, they used derogatory language to describe the boys. The use of words we now label as slurs, as well as characterising all of the boys as children with childlike innocence, which,  at the time, didn’t help establish the severity of the case. It had its flaws, but it somehow made society better by making us think: Do we really want to represent people born with such conditions with such harsh stereotyping, and describe them almost akin to a child, or do we consider them as one of us? This was an opinion-shifting idea back in the 1970s, which definitely helped build the equal playing field we have now.

The real impact on society this case held had to be the spotlight shone on how the media treated people with special needs, and how not being able to fit into the social norm itself, was considered a mental illness in that time. Their portrayal of this case had also raised concerns during the period in time, as the media also published faux pas conspiracy theories next to real evidence left by law enforcement, confusing the public.

This called into question the integrity and ethics of journalists, which no doubt helped raise the bar of professionalism for journalists. 

This case has received new interest due to the wide-reaching forms of social media present today. As one of the examples of social media’s reach, the only reason I even found out about this case was because I watched several YouTube videos about it. Moreover, a recent ABC10 report on this case received wide praise, and got a lot more people intrigued in the details of this tragedy. Even though old school media are slowly dying out, with newspapers becoming less and less common, the benefits of the new media in our smartphones cannot be overstated. 

This renewed interest into the case has resulted in more information being dug up, like the police memo classifying the disappearance of Mathias as homicide, as well as unseen photos of the survivalist trailers. This information will go a long way in piecing together a true theory of what happened that dark night in Plumas National Forest, without using any prior assumptions or overlooking any aspect of the case that might be significant. 

This case is one of mystery, but it is one borne of love too. We should all learn to love one another like how these boys bonded with one another, in a form of bond only made between each others’ hearts. May the boys all rest in paradise.

Thank you for your time.

*All sources are located here: Sources Document

Written by : Dylan

Edited by : Yu Xin