The Yuba County Five
The Investigation
In February 1978, five men drove into the mountains and never came home. The case they left behind is a maze of contradictions. A carefully driven car abandoned in the snow, a shelter full of supplies where a man starved to death, and an official story of ‘misadventure’ that never matched the facts.
This four-part investigation file examines the critical points where the case broke down. We analyse the testimony of the sole, medically compromised eyewitness, the forensic failure surrounding a single, out-of-place gold watch, and the systemic chaos of a pre-digital, multi-agency police response.
Forty years later, an internal memo reclassified the case as a homicide, confirming a long-held suspicion. The official story was never the whole story.
The Yuba County Five – A Case Reclassified
For forty years, the disappearance of the Yuba County Five was a tragic accident. But a recently released official memo reclassifies the case as a homicide, revealing authorities now believe the men were victims of foul play.
The Compromised Witness – Re-evaluating the Yuba County Five
A single, shifting account steered the Yuba County Five narrative. This piece tests that testimony against the physical record, explains the official handling errors, and sets out what documents and tests are still needed.
The Orphan Object – The Gold Waltham Watch of the Yuba County Five
On 4 June 1978, a gold Waltham watch was found beside Ted Weiher. Families said it was not theirs. No serial, no forensics, no chain of custody. Our inquiry shows how omissions turned a possible lead into an inert symbol.
When the System Breaks – The Yuba County Five Investigation
In 1978, five men vanished in rural California. A stalled search, split jurisdictions, and a missed tip meant one may have lived for weeks. This is how the system failed to hold the case together.