The Yuba County Five Mystery | True Crime Deep Dive | Dicking Around With Richie - The Sassy Gazette
The Sassy Gazette Proudly Presents:
Dicking Around With Richie A True Crime Feed
By Richie D Mowrey for The Sassy Gazette
On a cold February night in 1978, five young men vanished in Northern California. They were friends, basketball teammates, and familiar faces at Yuba City’s Gateway Center for the Handicapped. They were also brothers, sons, and in at least one case, a man with a mental health diagnosis who was finally getting his life together.
A few months later, four would be found dead in the snowy wilderness. The fifth Gary Mathias has never been found.
Nearly five decades on, this case haunts true crime lovers and investigators alike.
Today, I’m bringing you a deep dive into the Yuba County Five, digging into the facts, the lingering questions, and the truly bizarre details that have kept this mystery alive.
🏀 The Night It All Began: February 24, 1978
- The five men Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Ted Weiher, Jack “Jackie” Huett, and Gary Mathias drove Madruga’s Mercury Montego from Yuba City to Chico, California, to watch a UC Davis vs. Chico State basketball game.
- After the game, they stopped at Behr’s Market for snacks around 9:30 PM.
- But here’s where things get strange…
❗ Alleged Altercation at Behr’s Market
Some witnesses and family members claim there was an incident that night at the market:
An altercation reportedly broke out between one or more of the group and local individuals who mocked or harassed Jackie Huett. Gary Mathias is said to have intervened.
This was never formally documented by police, but it’s been corroborated anecdotally by families and locals over the years.
Could this incident have set off the chain of events that ended in tragedy?
🚗 The Montego Mystery
Sometime after leaving Chico, the men drove 70 miles in the opposite direction of home, deep into the snowy wilderness of Plumas National Forest.
On February 28, 1978, the Mercury Montego was found:
- Parked on a remote mountain road.
- Not stuck in the snow, despite being near the snow line.
- Containing snack wrappers from Behr’s Market.
- Missing the keys.
- Able to start immediately when hotwired.
❓ Are We Sure the Car Wasn’t Tampered With?
Some theories suggest the car may have been driven there by someone else, or tampered with and later fixed.
The missing keys remain a crucial mystery.
The underside of the car showed no serious damage suggesting whoever drove it was careful and familiar with mountain driving.
❄️ Into the Wilderness
From the car’s location, the mystery only grows stranger:
- March to June 1978: Searchers find nothing until the snow begins melting.
- June 4, 1978: Ted Weiher’s body is found in a Forest Service trailer, 19 miles from the car:
- Ted was wrapped in sheets, indicating someone tended to him.
- He’d lost 80-100 pounds.
- He had frostbitten feet.
- Food rations, matches, and fuel inside the trailer were untouched.
❓ Why Didn’t Ted Weiher Use the Food or Heat?
Ted’s refusal (or inability) to use available food and heating remains baffling.
There were Army ration cans in the trailer, unopened, except for a few that someone had opened with a P-38 military can opener.
It’s been speculated Ted may have been too weak, mentally confused, or waiting for help.
🚨 Joseph Shones: The Mysterious Witness
Another bizarre thread involves a man named Joseph Shones, who:
- Drove up the same remote road the same night the men vanished.
- Got his car stuck.
- Reported hearing:
- Voices outside his car.
- A woman and a baby.
- Flashlight beams moving around.
But Shones was suffering a mild heart attack and drifting in and out of consciousness. His story has varied over time, and authorities could never verify who was with him that night.
❓ What’s Shones’ Story?
Did he truly see the five men with strangers?
Or was he hallucinating due to his medical crisis?
🧩 A Timeline Filled With New Clues
🕑 Approx. 1:30–2:00 AM, February 25, 1978
Some researchers and family accounts allege:
- The group was driven up the mountain road in a red pickup truck by a third party.
- Ted Weiher, suffering from cold exposure, rode in the truck bed and began developing frostbite.
- Upon reaching the trailer, Gary Mathias reportedly gave Ted his tennis shoes because Ted’s feet were swollen.
🕑 February 25, 1978 (Afternoon)
Alleged sighting:
- Gary Mathias, a woman, and a baby were reportedly seen at a gas station in Brownsville.
- One man used a payphone to call a family member of one of the missing men.
- Gary never returned to the trailer.
🚘 The Red Truck Mystery
The red pickup truck appears repeatedly:
- Hunter Charles Edward Hedrick claimed in a March 1978 letter that he saw a red Ford pickup in the mountains, occupied by a man, Ted Weiher, and a small child.
- This echoes:
- Joseph Shones’ account of seeing lights and people.
- Gas station attendants’ reports of a red truck, a woman, and a baby.
👶 The Woman and Baby Connection
Gary’s sister, Sharon Mathias, did have a baby at the time.
Some believe she and her child were seen with the group.
However, no official record confirms Sharon’s presence in the mountains.
👤 The Mark Whiteley Theory
Another name arises repeatedly: Mark Whiteley:
- Alleged friend or acquaintance of Gary Mathias.
- Rumored to have confessed in a church setting to involvement in the deaths of “two mentally disabled men” in the hills.
- Never charged or officially named as a suspect.
❓ Did Mark Whiteley Know the Backroads?
The group may have followed snowcat tracks into the wilderness.
If Whiteley or others knew those backroads from hunting or work, they could have led the men into the forest even unintentionally.
🔎 Additional Evidence That Fuels Suspicion
- A gold watch was found in the trailer with Ted Weiher’s body:
- None of the men’s families recognized it.
- It suggests someone else was there.
- 2020 Mopac Audio Podcast revealed:
- A missing internal memo hinting at foul play against Gary.
- Missing handwritten notes in the trailer, possibly Gary’s.
- Unlogged shell casings near the Montego.
❓ Are We Sure Gary Mathias Had Nothing To Do With This?
Gary Mathias:
- Was new to the group.
- Suffered from schizophrenia but was reportedly stable on medication.
- Remains the only one missing.
Sheriff’s Statement
The most recent sheriff’s statement classifies Gary as a homicide victim.
Authorities clearly suspect foul play rather than simple misadventure.
🔥 Gateway Center Firebombings (1975)
In 1975, the Gateway Center for the Handicapped suffered unsolved firebombing attacks.
Three years later, Gateway hit headlines again with the disappearance of five of its basketball players.
Could there be a connection? The answer remains elusive.
🏅 They Were Going To Play In The Special Olympics
The heartbreak is amplified by one fact:
The day after they disappeared, the Gateway Gators were scheduled to play in a Special Olympics basketball game in Sacramento.
They were excited. Their uniforms were washed. Ted Weiher had even laid out his new white sneakers.
They were coming home.
💔 So What Happened To The Yuba County Five?
Were they victims of foul play by people known to Gary Mathias?
Were they simply lost and disoriented in a snowstorm?
Or is this a far bigger mystery involving secrecy, mental illness, and rural California secrets?
One thing is certain:
Four families buried their sons. One has waited nearly fifty years for answers.
🔗 Let’s Keep This Story Alive
I’m Richie for The Sassy Gazette. This case deserves answers and justice.
👉 Have a theory? Heard local stories? Drop your thoughts below or DM me. Let’s talk about the Yuba County Five.
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