Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong
Episode: The Real Doomed Camping Trip Behind Friday the 13th
Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Heidi Wong
Podcast: Twisted Tales, by Crime House
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode explores the chilling true crimes that inspired two iconic horror films: Friday the 13th and The Strangers. Host Heidi Wong recounts the tragic, unsolved Lake Bodom murders in Finland (1960) and the brutal Keddie Cabin murders in California (1981). These real-life cases—shrouded in mystery, botched investigations, and unending terror—prove that reality is often more horrifying than fiction.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introduction to Horror’s “Cabin in the Woods” Trope
- [01:50] Heidi discusses isolation as a horror device and introduces the real events that inspired Friday the 13th and The Strangers.
- “If you're a horror fan like me, you've probably seen movies like Friday the 13th or The Strangers. Both films use the fear of isolation to bring our deepest nightmares to life.”
— Heidi Wong [01:50]
- “If you're a horror fan like me, you've probably seen movies like Friday the 13th or The Strangers. Both films use the fear of isolation to bring our deepest nightmares to life.”
2. The Real Story Behind Friday the 13th: The Lake Bodom Murders
Background on the Film
- [03:26] Friday the 13th (1980) set the template for slasher films, with Jason Voorhees terrorizing camp counselors at Crystal Lake.
The Lake Bodom Case
- [04:30] On June 4, 1960, four Finnish teenagers—Seppo Boisman, Nils Gustafsson, Myla Björklund, and Anja Mäki—went camping on Lake Bodom’s shore. By morning, three were dead, their tent slashed and stained with blood, the lone survivor Nils battered and amnesiac.
Crime Scene and Investigation Fiasco
- [06:30] The crime scene was quickly contaminated by curious onlookers and journalists; evidence went missing or was misplaced.
- “This is really bad when it comes to identifying a killer because all these people left their hair, DNA, footprints, all kinds of personal traces that could muddy the evidence.”
— Heidi Wong [07:20]
- “This is really bad when it comes to identifying a killer because all these people left their hair, DNA, footprints, all kinds of personal traces that could muddy the evidence.”
Unreliable Witness and Bizarre Details
- [07:45] Nils, under hypnosis, recalls (possibly) seeing a man in black with piercing red eyes attacking him, but the account is unreliable.
Theories and Suspects
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[08:45] Locals suspect Carl Valdemar Gylström, a hostile, aggressive storekeeper known for harassing campers and even allegedly confessing to the murders (but not believed).
- “If this were a slasher movie, I would say we have our man. ... But real life murder cases usually don't tie themselves up as neatly as a Hollywood script.”
— Heidi Wong [10:07]
- “If this were a slasher movie, I would say we have our man. ... But real life murder cases usually don't tie themselves up as neatly as a Hollywood script.”
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[11:00] Another suspect is Hans Assmann, a former Nazi and rumored KGB spy who cut his hair after the suspect description was released and had bloodstains on his clothes. Police didn’t pursue forensics or press charges due to a supposed alibi.
Accusation of the Survivor
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[13:05] In 2004, authorities arrest Nils Gustafsson as forensic techniques “find” the other victims’ blood on his shoes, which he’d allegedly hidden. The prosecution argued Nils killed his friends and faked his injuries.
- “If that sounds a little far fetched, that's because it is. ... Breaking your own skull, that's entirely different.”
— Heidi Wong [14:33]
- “If that sounds a little far fetched, that's because it is. ... Breaking your own skull, that's entirely different.”
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[14:53] Nils is acquitted in 2005 (“the country of Finland even made a settlement with him for mental suffering”)—the case remains unsolved decades later.
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[15:27] Key take-away: The unresolved terror and randomness drive the horror. “Somewhere out there in the waters of Lake Bodom, a killer may still be lurking.”
— Heidi Wong [15:42]
3. The Real Story Behind The Strangers: The Keddie Cabin Murders
The Strangers Movie Recap
- [17:51] Heidi summarizes the 2008 movie, focusing on its central threat: random violence by masked attackers.
- “That randomness is what's so scary about The Strangers. Humans like logic...when we can't figure out the why of a murder, that terrifies us.”
— Heidi Wong [19:00]
- “That randomness is what's so scary about The Strangers. Humans like logic...when we can't figure out the why of a murder, that terrifies us.”
The Keddie Cabin Murders (Keddie, California, 1981)
- [18:35] Sue Sharp moves with her five children to Keddie Resort to escape abuse. On April 12, 1981, her 14-year-old daughter Sheila finds her mother, brother, and his friend brutally murdered; her 12-year-old sister Tina is missing.
- “Sheila was horrified to find Sue, John and Dana dead in the living room. Someone had broken into the house late at night. They tied up Sue and the boys...then they'd stabbed and beaten the three of them with knives and hammers.”
— Heidi Wong [19:40]
- “Sheila was horrified to find Sue, John and Dana dead in the living room. Someone had broken into the house late at night. They tied up Sue and the boys...then they'd stabbed and beaten the three of them with knives and hammers.”
Investigation Failures, Lost Evidence, and Hypnosis
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[20:30] Crime scene mishandling; botched sketches drawn from hypnosis sessions; law enforcement gave up the search for missing Tina.
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[21:27] “This case is screwed up as a soup sandwich. Which is certainly one way to describe it.”
— Quoting an investigator [21:40]
Discovery of Tina’s Remains and Anonymous Caller
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[25:20] On April 11, 1984, Tina’s skull is found near a remote campsite following an anonymous call, later confirmed as hers. The call wasn’t logged until 2016, indicating how poorly evidence was managed.
- “If the police had paid attention to the call at the time, the story might have gone very differently, because this call meant that just three years after the murder, Tina's killer ... was still around, and they were watching the investigation closely.”
— Heidi Wong [26:04]
- “If the police had paid attention to the call at the time, the story might have gone very differently, because this call meant that just three years after the murder, Tina's killer ... was still around, and they were watching the investigation closely.”
Renewed Investigation and Main Suspects
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[27:30] In 2013, new investigators identify Martin Smartt (neighbor, abusive, had a “missing” hammer) and his mob-connected friend “Bo” Boubede as suspects. They constructed alibis via conspicuous bar visits; Marilyn, Martin’s wife, tried to leave him with help from Sue Sharp.
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[28:47] Mike Gamberg, the new investigator, uncovers a letter from Smartt:
- “I've paid the price of your love. And now that I bought it with four people's lives, you tell me we are through. Great. What else do you want?”
— Martin Smartt’s letter to his wife, never entered as evidence [29:55]
- “I've paid the price of your love. And now that I bought it with four people's lives, you tell me we are through. Great. What else do you want?”
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[30:24] Despite a recovered hammer in 2016, both main suspects are dead, and evidence is too degraded for a conviction.
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[31:35] Heidi highlights the lingering dread: “If they didn't kill the people in cabin 28, who did? And why? And most importantly, where are they hiding now?”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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“Think about that for a moment. These kids went to sleep under the stars, probably talking about their futures, their dreams. And they never woke up. Except for one of them. Niles.”
— Heidi Wong [06:56] -
“The randomness is what's so scary … and that’s also what makes the case that many believe inspired The Strangers so terrifying.”
— Heidi Wong [19:05] -
“40 years is a long time. Evidence has gone missing, DNA has degraded, and witnesses have died of old age. ... With no hard evidence, there's still a chance that Martin and Bo are innocent. ... Because if they didn't kill the people in cabin 28, who did?”
— Heidi Wong [31:03] -
“When you watch something like The Strangers or Friday the 13th, you can tell yourself it's just a movie. But in a real life horror, there's no turning it off if it gets too scary.”
— Heidi Wong [31:55]
Timeline & Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 00:01 | Introduction to podcast and horror themes | | 03:26 | Recap of Friday the 13th; segue to Lake Bodom story | | 04:30 | Lake Bodom murders—setting, attack, aftermath | | 07:20 | Investigation failures and crime scene contamination | | 10:07 | Carl Gylström as suspect | | 11:00 | Hans Assmann as suspect | | 13:05 | Nils Gustafsson accusation and trial | | 14:53 | Nils acquitted, legacy of unsolved case | | 15:42 | Transition: the ongoing mystery at Lake Bodom | | 17:51 | Introduction & recap of The Strangers | | 18:35 | Keddie Cabin Murders—background and discovery | | 19:40 | Details of the killings and discovery by Sheila | | 20:30 | Botched investigation, hypnosis, and FBI withdrawal | | 21:40 | “Soup sandwich” quote | | 25:20 | Tina Sharp's skull found, evidence mishandling revealed | | 27:30 | New investigation, Smartt and Bo as suspects | | 29:55 | Smartt’s incriminating letter | | 31:35 | Lingering questions, why the case matters | | 31:55 | Final thoughts—reality vs. horror fiction |
Flow & Tone
Heidi Wong’s narration interweaves pop culture commentary, dark wit, and empathy for the victims. She consistently highlights the gaps between movie horror and real-life horror—where closure is rare and randomness reigns, amplifying the terror. Each case is presented with a blend of chilling detail and reflective curiosity, drawing listeners into a world where the woods are never empty and “it’s just a movie” offers little comfort.
Summary
This episode of Twisted Tales illuminates the horrific true crimes that inspired some of horror’s most enduring tropes. From the unsolved, brutal slaughter of teenagers in 1960s Finland to a family annihilated in a Sierra cabin, Heidi Wong shows that the scariest fiction is rooted in the ultimate unknown: humanity’s capacity for random, motiveless violence. Decades later, the killers may still walk free. As Heidi warns—sometimes, the real monsters in the woods are never caught.
For fans of true crime and horror alike: You’ll never see Friday the 13th or The Strangers the same way again—or sleep soundly in a tent by the lake.