Podcast Summary: Haunted Cosmos
Episode: What Happened to the Yuba County Five?
Hosts: Ben Garrett & Brian Sauvé
Release Date: February 4, 2026
Overview:
This episode dives into one of modern America's strangest unsolved mysteries: the disappearance and tragic deaths of the "Yuba County Five." Ben and Brian explore not only the haunting details of the 1978 case but also the broader fascination humans have with disappearances and the unknown, offering both a personal and philosophical reflection on our vulnerability in a mysterious world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Disappearances Through History — Setting the Stage
- The hosts open with accounts of other mass disappearances:
- Cambyses II’s lost Persian army (525 BC), as described by Herodotus
- The disappearance of the Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers (1899)
- These stories serve as a backdrop, highlighting humanity’s long-standing fear and awe of vanishing without a trace, setting the tone for the main case.
Quote:
"They're like a subtle systems check for the amygdala. They remind us that while we shouldn't be worried all the time, we should be vigilant all the time." – A (17:45)
2. The Yuba County Five: Who Were They? (21:00–43:54)
Detailed Profiles of the Five:
- Gary Matthias: Army vet, diagnosed with schizophrenia after drug use, later deemed a "sterling success case" after treatment; became the informal leader of the group.
- Bill Sterling: 29, energetic, sociable, devout Christian, high school graduate, described as "failure to launch."
- Jack Hewitt: 24, most notably handicapped (illiterate, struggled with speech), kind and loved dirt bikes.
- Ted Weiher: 32, closest with Hewitt, limited reasoning skills (e.g., didn’t understand traffic laws), friendly grocery store worker, timid.
- Jack Madruga: 30, owned the group's car (1969 Mercury Montego), described as shy but dependable and financially stable.
Quote:
"The more you get to know these guys... this sounds like our friend group. This sounds like the ideal situation." – A (35:17)
3. The Night They Disappeared (43:54–61:18)
- On February 24, 1978, the group attended a basketball game at Chico State and bought snacks on the way home.
- They never returned home, missing the basketball tournament they’d eagerly anticipated.
- Search efforts initially focused on the direct route back, yielding no results.
- The group’s car was found abandoned in a remote area of Plumas National Forest, far from any logical route home, in a snowdrift—but undamaged (79:43).
Key Oddities:
- Car condition: No damage despite rough, snowy road; window down and doors unlocked, out of character for Madruga.
- Car should have been easily freed from snow by five able-bodied men.
- The lodge (potential shelter) was nearby, but they instead fled further into the wilderness.
4. The Discovery and the Bizarre Aftermath (61:18–83:19)
Joseph Shones Account (Witness)
- Joseph Shones, allegedly suffering a heart attack after his car got stuck nearby, claimed to see headlights, multiple people, a red truck, and heard voices—but got inconsistent, later discredited over changing stories and known alcoholism.
The Search and Findings
- Due to severe snowstorms, the search paused, resuming in June.
- The bodies of Ted Weiher (in a Forest Service trailer), Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, and Jack Hewitt were found in disparate locations miles from the car and each other; only Gary Matthias was never found.
- Ted survived for months, wrapped tightly in blankets (suggesting someone else was there to do it), died of hypothermia and malnutrition, with food, clothing, and heating supplies around him unused.
- Matthias’ shoes were found at the trailer, and signs he tried to keep Ted comfortable (playing cards, self-help phrases in his handwriting), indicating he and Ted spent considerable time surviving together.
- Hewitt’s remains were found scattered, only 2 miles from the trailer, after paradoxical undressing due to hypothermia.
Quote:
"It's almost like, even when they got there, they were trying not to draw attention… like, 'Oh, we're not going to start a fire.'" – B (77:39)
5. The Red Truck Mystery (84:56–97:48)
- Multiple independent witnesses in separate incidents described seeing an old, rusty red pickup truck in connection with the boys:
- Convenience store worker and owner in Brownsville saw four of the boys (sans Matthias) twice after their disappearance, in good spirits, buying snacks and driving a red truck (96:00).
- A local (Redrick) recalled seeing Ted and two unknown men in a red pickup a year earlier in the same forest area.
- Shones’ contradictory stories also involved a red truck at the scene before his credibility collapsed.
- Police followed up but never identified a viable suspect vehicle; sightings remained tantalizingly uncorroborated.
Quote:
"Maybe the red truck is not just a red herring. Maybe it points to something deeper going on. Maybe it points to a type of foul play so tragic and wild that few could ever guess it." – A (94:20)
6. Theories & Enduring Questions (97:48–106:26)
- Reality-based hypotheses:
- Matthias went rogue and led them astray (contradicted by evidence and character witness).
- The group fled someone in the red truck—possibly chased or bullied, or ran into criminal activity.
- Shones’ involvement: was he unintentionally (or intentionally) responsible, given his unreliable testimony and presence?
- Psychological/supernatural explanations: “Zone of fear,” as theorized by John Keel (Mothman Prophecies).
- The possibility of experiencing overwhelming, inexplicable dread driving their actions.
- The hosts repeatedly stress the normalcy and capability of the group, arguing against dismissive explanations based on their disabilities.
- Unanswerable questions: Why did they head up the mountain? Why didn’t they use the resources in the cabin to survive? Why did Matthias disappear?
- The snow, geography, and the distances the five covered—especially in inadequate clothing—make the tragedy all the more confounding.
Quote:
"These are the kind of stories that tell you—you have to be prepared to die. Because people don’t... We're so fragile." – B (106:32)
Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Timestamps)
- On the group’s dynamic:
"These guys sound like great guys to be around." – A (41:12)
- On the irrationality of the case:
"From jump street, it makes no sense." – A (63:14)
- On psychological terror and the unknown:
"You would have to be not just like, oh my IQ is slightly lower, or I have some social issues. You would have to be out of your mind...or have some really compelling reason, like, I'm running away from something…" – B (67:54)
- On humanity’s craving for closure:
"Humans love closure. We love puzzles, but only when they're capable of being solved. What picks at us and drives us crazy are those riddles with no answer or answers that just seem counterintuitive." – B (107:45)
- Philosophical reflection:
"Let these stories teach us to number our days. Let it be a blessing of God that causes us to lean more on him..." – A (107:29)
Personal Stories & Reflection (30:00–35:00, 67:19–71:47)
- Both hosts recount near-misses with winter driving in treacherous mountain conditions, underscoring the plausibility of getting stranded, but also emphasizing that something more must have precipitated the Yuba Five’s decisions.
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [17:45] — On the value of mysterious stories and human vigilance
- [21:00] — Detailed breakdown of the Yuba County Five
- [43:54–61:18] — The night of the disappearance and oddities of the abandoned car
- [61:18–78:02] — The search, discoveries, and the bizarre cabin scene
- [84:56–97:48] — The hypothesis of the red truck and witness credibility debates
- [104:16] — The unresolved nature and possible police leads
- [106:26–107:45] — Philosophical and spiritual reflections
Episode Tone
- The conversation alternates between somber reflection, gallows humor, and philosophical meditation on mortality, the nature of missing persons cases, and God’s providence in a dangerous world.
- The hosts maintain a personable, often irreverent bantering style but handle the story's tragedy with appropriate gravity.
Conclusion
The fate of the Yuba County Five remains a haunting mystery, more complex than a mere survival or crime story. The hosts suggest that perhaps, more than anything else, it’s a testament to the unpredictability of life and the limitations of our understanding. The episode closes by reminding listeners of the value of faith and preparedness in the face of life’s ultimate uncertainties.
For further listening:
- Referenced: Windigoon’s YouTube episode on this case
- Related incidents: Dyatlov Pass, the Kamar Daban incident, Flannan Isles disappearance