Overview

The Night Inside Cabin 28

Late on the night of April 11 or early April 12, attackers entered Cabin 28 in Keddie, California.

Inside were:

Dana Wingate
John Sharp
John’s mother, Glenna Sharp
Several younger children sleeping in another room

The violence that followed was extreme. Dana, John, and Sue were bound and assaulted using multiple weapons. Investigators later described the scene as chaotic and deeply personal in nature.

Detailed Case Breakdown

This is a unique case that consisted of 4 people who tragically lost their lives in a multiple homicide that is still onging:

Other victims (and links to their pages):

Glenna “Sue” Sharp
John Sharp
Tina Sharp
Dana Wingate

The Keddie Murders: A Tragic Cold Case and the Life of Glenna “Sue” Sharp

In the spring of 1981, a brutal and perplexing crime in the remote Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California shocked the nation and left a family devastated forever — the quadruple murders at Cabin 28 in Keddie, California.

At the heart of this mystery was Glenna Susan “Sue” Sharp — a 36-year-old mother who had moved her family west in search of a fresh start. Sue, originally from Massachusetts, had relocated her five children from Connecticut to the rural Plumas County town in late 1980 after separating from her abusive husband. Seeking peace and stability, Glenna took on the responsibility of raising her children alone in the quiet community when tragedy struck.

The Night of April 11–12, 1981

Between the night of April 11 and the early hours of April 12, 1981, unknown assailants entered Cabin 28, where Sue lived with her children. The following morning, Sue’s 14-year-old daughter, Sheila, returned home from a sleepover at a neighbor’s house and made a horrific discovery:

– Glenna “Sue” Sharp, bound and brutally murdered.
– Her 15-year-old son John Sharp murdered beside her.
– Dana Hall Wingate, 17, a close friend of John’s, also killed.
– Tina Sharp, 12, was missing from the scene.

The younger sons — Rick (10) and Greg (5) — and family friend Justin Smartt were found unharmed in a separate room, apparently having slept through the violence.

The crime scene was chilling: Sue and the others were bound with medical tape and electrical cord, and bludgeoned or stabbed with multiple weapons. Investigators found knives and a hammer at the scene.

The Disappearance and Later Discovery of Tina Sharp

For three years, Tina was a missing person. Then, in April 1984, a bottle collector discovered human remains — later confirmed to be Tina’s — about 62 miles from Keddie, reigniting public and law-enforcement interest in the case.

Early Investigation Challenges

Initial investigators faced major obstacles:

– Evidence mishandling and possible scene contamination were later noted.
– Several witnesses reported seeing a green van near the cabin the night of the murders.
– Conflicting statements among early witnesses complicated the narrative.

Despite interviews, composite sketches, and extensive detective work, no arrests were ever made following the 1981 crime, and the case quickly turned cold.

Who Was Glenna “Sue” Sharp?

Glenna “Sue” Sharp wasn’t just a victim — she was the family’s foundation. A mother who uprooted her life and children to leave an abusive marriage, she sought a better existence in rural California. Cabin 28, though modest and isolated, represented hope and a fresh beginning for the Sharps. That hope turned into tragedy in a crime that would baffle authorities for decades.

Her brutal death has been the emotional center of the investigation — not only as a victim of violence, but as a mother whose murder left her children to carry the trauma for the rest of their lives.

Latest Investigation Developments (2026)

Although the Keddie murders remain unsolved more than 40 years later, recent developments suggest investigators continue to pursue new leads and evidence:

🔍 DNA Evidence:

– In 2018, investigators announced they found DNA on medical tape from the crime scene that matched a living, unidentified suspect, offering one of the most promising leads in decades.

🔎 Physical Evidence Rediscovered:
A hammer believed to be linked to the murders was recovered in a pond years after the crime, providing fresh material for DNA and forensic testing.

📘 Renewed Public and Scholarly Interest:

– Books and renewed media attention (such as the 2025 release of David Keller’s investigative book) have brought the case back into public focus, maintaining pressure on law enforcement to pursue old and new leads.

🕵️ Investigation Status:

– Plumas County authorities still list the case as open and unsolved, and insist they continue to follow viable evidence where it leads.

Despite these developments, no arrests or charges have been made as of early 2026, and the identity of the killer or killers — and the motive behind the murder of Glenna “Sue” Sharp and her family — remains one of America’s most haunting cold cases.
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Facebook Post:

In April 1981, a quiet mountain community in Northern California woke up to something it was never meant to carry.

Inside a small cabin at the Keddie Resort, three people were found deceased. A fourth child was missing.

The victims were 36-year-old Sue Sharp, her 15-year-old son John, his friend Dana Wingate, and Sue’s 12-year-old daughter Tina. Three of them were discovered inside the cabin on the morning of April 12. Tina was not there.

Two younger boys and a friend had slept through the night in a back bedroom. They were unharmed.

For three years, Tina Sharp remained missing. In 1984, her remains were found more than 60 miles away in neighboring Butte County. No clear cause of death could be determined.

From the beginning, the investigation was troubled. The scene was not fully secured. Evidence was later described by investigators as mishandled or overlooked. Important leads were not pursued at the time.

Decades later, the case was reviewed again. Investigators publicly criticized the original handling and acknowledged that key opportunities had been missed. DNA was tested. Evidence was reexamined. No arrests followed.

The cabin where the crime occurred was demolished in 2004. The resort itself faded away. But the questions never did.

How did someone enter and leave the cabin without waking the children in the back room?

Why was Tina taken from the scene when the others were left behind?

And did early investigative failures permanently prevent answers?

More than forty years later, the Keddie Cabin Murders remain officially unsolved.

If you know anything, now is the time to come forward.

The full, fact-checked case record is linked above

Sketch Drawing of Suspects