This is a strange mystery for sure.
In 1978 Mathias and four friends left a Chico - Cal St basketball game at night, stopped for some snacks, and were never seen alive again. Remains of the four friends were found but not Mathias, though I don’t see any evidence suggesting foul play by Mathias, though it’s certainly possible, maybe even probable. Some interesting facts:
- All of the friends were men, in their 20s and early 30s
- all had some variation of learning disability or mental condition, and they played on a disabled/special needs b-ball team together
- Mathias was a military vet and had been diagnosed w Schizophrenia. According to his Dr he was taking his meds for two years and was very normal while medicated
- they all drove in one car which was found abandoned at the snow line of a desolate mountain road. Friends and family said none of the friends knew of the place.
- Two friends were found 4ish months later about 10 miles down a snowy path, eaten by animals, COD likely freezing to death
- Another body was found ten miles down the trail near a vacant hiking cabin
- The 4th friend’s body was found in the cabin, dead from starvation and hypothermia. Based on his appearance he was alive for 2-3 months in the cabin and had lost 80 lbs.
- That body was wrapped in 8 sheets, so someone was there to tend his body post mortem
- There was food and fuel in the cabin that went unused, enough to stay fed and warm for all five for like a year
- There was a witness that claimed he saw them that night on the mountain, whose story makes no sense; allegedly he had a minor heart attack and called for help but none came. The witness claims he saw people including a woman with an infant and men head down the trail, which at the time had snow drifts on 4-6+ feet
- Gary Mathias was never found but some of his things were either in or around the cabin
- The car they were in was relatively low to the ground but made it up the rocky, rutted mountain road without a scratch on the undercarriage ... indicating some knowledge of the terrain
- The car was in perfect condition and had a quarter tank of gas. Why did they get out and hike toward the cabin?
Strange strange story. Anybody have any thoughts on it?
Link with more info
In 1978 Mathias and four friends left a Chico - Cal St basketball game at night, stopped for some snacks, and were never seen alive again. Remains of the four friends were found but not Mathias, though I don’t see any evidence suggesting foul play by Mathias, though it’s certainly possible, maybe even probable. Some interesting facts:
- All of the friends were men, in their 20s and early 30s
- all had some variation of learning disability or mental condition, and they played on a disabled/special needs b-ball team together
- Mathias was a military vet and had been diagnosed w Schizophrenia. According to his Dr he was taking his meds for two years and was very normal while medicated
- they all drove in one car which was found abandoned at the snow line of a desolate mountain road. Friends and family said none of the friends knew of the place.
- Two friends were found 4ish months later about 10 miles down a snowy path, eaten by animals, COD likely freezing to death
- Another body was found ten miles down the trail near a vacant hiking cabin
- The 4th friend’s body was found in the cabin, dead from starvation and hypothermia. Based on his appearance he was alive for 2-3 months in the cabin and had lost 80 lbs.
- That body was wrapped in 8 sheets, so someone was there to tend his body post mortem
- There was food and fuel in the cabin that went unused, enough to stay fed and warm for all five for like a year
- There was a witness that claimed he saw them that night on the mountain, whose story makes no sense; allegedly he had a minor heart attack and called for help but none came. The witness claims he saw people including a woman with an infant and men head down the trail, which at the time had snow drifts on 4-6+ feet
- Gary Mathias was never found but some of his things were either in or around the cabin
- The car they were in was relatively low to the ground but made it up the rocky, rutted mountain road without a scratch on the undercarriage ... indicating some knowledge of the terrain
- The car was in perfect condition and had a quarter tank of gas. Why did they get out and hike toward the cabin?
Strange strange story. Anybody have any thoughts on it?
Link with more info
