CASE #007: Keddie Murders

In the early morning hours of April 12, 1981, a quiet cabin in the small California community of Keddie became the scene of a brutal and baffling crime. Inside Cabin 28, four people were discovered murdered. Three children were asleep in another room and somehow survived the night, while one young boy was missing from the cabin entirely. What followed was an investigation filled with unanswered questions, questionable evidence handling, conflicting theories, and a case that would remain unsolved for decades. In this episode of Coffins & Confessions, Dae and Spencer take a look at the Keddie Cabin Murders, walking through what happened that night, the victims, the investigation that followed, and the suspects and theories that have surrounded the case over the years. We’ll separate the documented facts from some of the more sensational theories, talk about the evidence investigators uncovered—or failed to uncover—and explore why Cabin 28 became one of California’s most infamous cold cases. And because this is Coffins & Confessions, we’re going to dig into the story without making it all doom and gloom. We’ll talk through the strange details, the unanswered questions, and the investigation that has kept people fascinated for more than four decades. Listener discretion is advised. This episode discusses multiple murders, including the deaths of children, and contains disturbing subject matter. Sources ​ Wikipedia — Keddie Murdershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keddie_murders ​ ABC10 — “Murder in Cabin 28: A Look Back on the Keddie Murders”https://www.abc10.com/video/news/crime/true-crime/murder-in-cabin-28-a-look-back-on-the-keddie-murders-unsolved-california/103-625845d8-c535-4148-9582-a28766dfb9a5 ​ ThoughtCo — “Cold Case: The Keddie Cabin Murders”https://www.thoughtco.com/cold-case-the-keddie-cabin-murders-4108811 ​ ABC10 — “Murder in Cabin 28: Keddie Murders Remain Unsolved”https://www.abc10.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/murder-in-cabin-28-keddie-murders-unsolved-california/103-1e3e7671-8c2c-4f4c-abb3-fae3ae07425e ​ People — Keddie Cabin 28 Murders and New Investigationhttps://people.com/crime/keddie-cabin-28-murders-new-investigation-sheriff-hagwood/ ​ Reddit — r/UnresolvedMysteries: “The Keddie Cabin Murders Revisited”https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/1m26wmp/the_keddie_cabin_murders_revisited/ ​ YouTube — Keddie Murders Documentary/Case Coveragehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkVFVpa2NlU ​ Plumas Sun — “Keddie Case Focus of David Keller’s Book”https://plumassun.org/2025/01/31/keddie-case-focus-of-david-kellers-book/ ​ YouTube — Keddie Murders Case Coveragehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx6iE331u1I ​ CBS News Sacramento — “35 Years Later, New Clues May Solve Keddie Murder Mystery”https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/35-years-later-new-clues-may-solve-keddie-murder-mystery/ ​ Plumas News — “Keddie Murders Revisited”https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited/ ​ Plumas News — “Keddie Murders Revisited: Following the Clues”https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited-following-the-clues/ ​ Plumas News — “Keddie Murders Revisited, Part 3: Hypnosis, Counselors’ Revelations, Mob Connections”https://www.plumasnews.com/keddie-murders-revisited-part-3-hypnosis-counselors-revelations-mob-connections/ ​ California News Publishers Association — California Journalism Awards: Feather River Bulletin Investigative Reportinghttps://cnpa.com/cja2018/print/2018_California_Journalism_Awards___Print_Division/General/03_In-Depth_Reporting_%28WD%29/First_Place_Feather_River_Bulletin_1/Attachment_02.pdf ​ California News Publishers Association — California Journalism Awards: Feather River Bulletin Investigative Reportinghttps://cnpa.com/cja2018/print/2018_California_Journalism_Awards___Print_Division/General/03_In-Depth_Reporting_%28WD%29/First_Place_Feather_River_Bulletin_1/Attachment_03.pdf