Shearing told Leibel he carved his initials on the wall there. The RCMP posted a $7,500 reward, printed 10,000 posters and sent them to police detachments and post offices across North America. In April 1983, a television re-enactment of the killings was filmed on the site of the murders, which was then broadcast across Canada. Shearing lived three miles from the site of the murders and the police had never released the information about the bullet hole. The National Parole Board ruled that he still had violent sexual fantasies and hadn't completed sex offender treatment. Crucially he handed the police a .22 caliber Remington pump-action rifle, which was forensically matched as the murder weapon. They were horrified to discover that Alvira Johnson and her seven children all perished in the blaze. Shearing said he looked in, told them a dangerous biker gang was around and their parents had run for help. He took the bodies back to the Johnson family car, which hed hidden and put the girls bodies in the trunk. When police were questioned why they didnt seize the firearm and test it to see if casings fired from it matched those found at the scene, Inspector Vic Edwards cited basic rights. The spot was only 15 miles from the murder site and 20 miles from where the Johnsons' car was located and on the different side of the mountain. Initially, he was led to believe the arrest was related to a hit and run incident which he quickly confessed to before the detectives confronted him with the Bennett-Johnson case. May they Rest In Peace. That was just money lost, paying them for nothing, said Jeanette Johnson, Alviras niece.. The sentence I impose, in conjunction with such matters as protection of the public and specific deterrence, must have proper regard for public opinion and must express, in clear terms, the revulsion felt by the great majority of our citizens for this senseless and vicious mass killing. The RCMP also learned through Shearings closest friend, Ross Coburn, that he was with him when he ran over drunk lying on a Wells Gray Park road in 1980, killing him. By Sarah,While Holding The Prison Chef Hostage,With His Own Butcher Knife,Will NeedRead more . The Johnsons and Bentleys were last heard from on August 6th, 1982. I poured gasoline it just went Whoomph! I stood back and watched it burn. His trial was originally scheduled to begin on March 5, 1984, but this date was postponed to April 16, 1984, after he waived his preliminary hearing. He told the girls to turn around so he could urinate, then shot each sister in the back of the head. They contained the DNA of Sarah, Alan and Diane. Police created an exact replica of the Bentley 1981 Ford camper down to the last detail, including the aluminum boat strapped to the roof. The National Parole Board ruled that he still had violent sexual fantasies and hadn't completed sex offender treatment. Hence he was not ready for freedom. But not before a. Their daughter, Sarah, was a student at Wood River High School and their son, Matt, was attending the University of Idaho. Sick Robert Brown is up for automatic release later this year - just 13 years into . Johnson is the author of the non-fiction book, Flagstaff's Walkup Family Murders: A Shocking 1937 Tragedy, set to publish Monday. On September 13, the Johnson family car was found burned in a clearing off a mountainside logging road, thirteen aerial miles from Bear Creek. In 1995 he married a woman from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Eastham later wrote a book with Ian McLeod about the case called The Seventh Shadow, in which the author goes into great detail about all aspects of the case. Her defense, however, was alleging that it was Bruno who had killed Alan and Diane. To double-check the story, Eastham found the prison guard. Eastham told Shearing, You know why Im here, David. A sad and depressing story of outdoor adventure gone wrong, bad luck, and a mission by two Royal Canadian Mounted Police detectives to find the perpetrator of these awful crimes. The burnt remnants provided no clues, but the location was of interest. This case is at the upper range of culpability. Police found a pile of burnt bones on the back seat which were later identified as that of four adults and in the trunk were the remains of two girls. Six months after the fire, a grand jury indicted Albin in the deaths. The Johnson Family Murders Pt. They went door to door in the small community and questioned everyone in town a second time. Hes always worked hard and he always saw that I had everything. William Shearing, Davids father, died from cancer on March 19, 1982, about six months before the murders. He told the RCMP that he loaded the bodies into their car, drove it by night to the mountainside, and set it on fire using five gallons of gasoline. The RCMP also learned through Shearings closest friend, Ross Coburn, that he was with him when he ran over drunk lying on a Wells Gray Park road in 1980, killing him. However, by the following day, investigators announced that they had ruled both deaths as homicide. In addition to the DNA evidence, Dianes sister testified that just the day before the murders, Sarah had asked for the keys to the gun safe. He drove the car to a secluded spot and burnt it. He was taken into custody for questioning. Police hoped the re-enactment would spark someones memory but despite being flooded with calls, no solid leads came of the effort. Of all the things I miss, I miss their hugs their bear hugs, said Matt Johnson. She recalled that as soon as she opened the door, she smelt a strange odor. . Thats a very dangerous girl. Just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, Palestine police officers responded to a call in the 200 blk. On August 16, 1982, Bob Johnson failed to return to work at Gorman Brothers Lumber in Westbank. The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their Colleton County, S.C., home and hunting lodge on June 7, 2021. In May 1983 they drove the camper from British Columbia to Quebec, again in the hopes someone would see it and remember something relating to the case. It covers 5,250 square kilometers (1.3 million acres) and is British Columbia's fourth-largest park, after Tatshenshini,Spatsizi and Tweedsmuir. On the morning of the 2nd of September, 2003, 16-year-oldSarah Marie Johnsonfrom Bellevue, Idaho, ran to her neighbors home in hysterics. If you really believe what you said it might be time to see some doctors, clearly somethings a miss. Police lifted the wreck out with a helicopter and transported it to the RCMP Crime Lab in Vancouver. Eastham what really happened. I poured gasoline it just went Whoomph! I stood back and watched it burn. See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, Read more True Crime Stories from StrangeOutdoors, Gary Michael Hilton - The disturbing case of the National Forest Serial Killer, Highway of Tears in British Columbia, Canada, Amy Wroe Bechtel - disturbing disappearances in U.S. forests, The real "Wolf Creek" - the disturbing case of the backpacker murders in the Australian Outback, The Cowden Family - Strange and disturbing murders in the U.S. wilderness, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Gray_Provincial_Park, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_Gray_Provincial_Park_Family_Murders, http://dyingwords.net/david-shearing-the-monster-from-wells-gray-park/#sthash.hUyyi6wR.PxXToWpg.dpbs, http://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/shearing-david.htm, https://www.lelandhale.com/wordpress/startling-development-british-columbia/, https://christopherdiarmani.com/14874/crime/canadian-mass-murders/david-william-shearing-slaughtered-family-of-six-in-wells-gray-provincial-park/, The Seventh Shadow: The Wilderness Manhunt for a Brutal Mass Murderer by Michael Eastham and Ian McLeod (1999, Paperback), The Wells Gray Gunman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unFwrrYLZH8, The Detectives The Wells Gray Gunman S1 E1 (Canada only)https://watch.cbc.ca/the-detectives/season-1/episode-1/38e815a-00d94f07a15, Tagged: The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders in Canada, wells gray provincial park murders, johnson and bennett murders canada, The canadian camping ground murders, johnson family murders wells gray park, bob johnson and jackie johnson murders wells gray, janet johnson and karen johnson murdered wells gray, david william shearing serial killer wells gray park, wells gray park camping murders canada, family murders wells gray park canada, George Bentley and Edith Bentley murders wells gray park, Sign up now for a one-time fee for access to over 55 exclusive member articles, The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders in Canada, bob johnson and jackie johnson murders wells gray, janet johnson and karen johnson murdered wells gray, david william shearing serial killer wells gray park, George Bentley and Edith Bentley murders wells gray park, The horrific rape and murder of Sophie Louise Hook whilst camping in her Uncle's garden, The miracle rescue of Alan Lee Phillips at Colorados Guanella Pass - the man who turned out to be a serial killer, The chilling story of Thomas Lee Dillon - the Ohio Outdoorsmen killer, The miraculous escape of the Brazilian and German backpackers at Salt Creek in South Australia, Robert Hansen Butcher Baker - the Alaska Serial killer who hunted his victims in the wilderness, The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders, The disturbing death of Fiona Torbet in the Scottish highlands, The unsolved Williams and Winans camping murders in Shenandoah National Park, The real Wolf Creek - The Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback, The frightening case of the Trailside Killer David Carpenter, The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil, The disturbing disappearance of the Beaumont children on Glenelg Beach, The Kamloops Triangle - The British Columbia murders and disappearances, The Delphi hiking murders - Abigail Williams and Liberty German, The Peter Falconio disappearance in the Australian Outback, The unsolved murder of Scott Lilly on the Appalachian trail, The disturbing case of James Jordan - The Appalachian Trail Murderer. He was taken into custody for questioning. In response to the murders of 17-year-old Ruth Shelton, 20-year-old Jayne Friedt, 16-year-old Mark Flemmonds, and 16-year-old Daniel Roy Davis, Burger Chef offered the public a $25,000 reward for any clues that could lead to an arrest. Alvira Lundeen Johnson and her seven children died on April 10, 1933, according to a simple, flat gravestone at Rush City's First Lutheran Cemetery 55 miles north of St. Paul. Coincidentally, David Shearing was one of the first individuals to have been interviewed by RCMP after the investigation started when the two families were discovered in the car. Were proud to honor those men and women. 1. More than 85 years later, Alvira's great-nephew insists the one-day discrepancy between the gravestone and death certificate was no typo or goof. She removed the .264 caliber rifle that was stored here and subsequently shot her parents. The remains of Alvira Johnson and her seven kids Harold, 10; Clifford, 9; Kenneth, 7; Dorothy, 5; Bernice, 4; Lester, 2, and James, 4 months were buried in a single casket. Fourteen years older than his wife, 43-year-old Albin was a big man 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and a big drinker during Prohibition's bootlegging era. In rich detail, he lays out clue after clue explaining how Albin's father had just evicted the family from the house. Readers can send him ideas and suggestions at mnhistory@startribune.com. You told me some time ago that you would consider telling me the rest of the story after you were sentenced. Im gonna take a wild guess and say the police knows their job, and youre being delusional. After effort and persuasion, Eastham managed to convince Shearing to confess to the six murders and he eventually agreed to re-enact the murders and even to turn over the murdered familys possessions. Sounds like Sarahs somehow achieved internet access. Shearing told Eastham he kept the girls alive for nearly a week, staying with them both at his ranch and at a small fishing cabin on the Clearwater River whilst repeatedly raping them. Imagine going to the extremes to be with a man only to try and blame him afterwards. This, in turn, led Johnson to murder . I know the mans heart is in the right place and Im just here to back him up.. The apparent confession was a complete fabrication and at the time the RCMP had had little choice but to accept Shearings version of events due to lack of evidence. Shearing then applied again in 2014, then withdrew the request a month before the hearing. Johnson's new 120-page book "Murder in Chisago County" (The History Press) zeros in on husband and father Albin Johnson, who was charged with killing his family before fleeing during the Depression. However, the Bentleys 1981 Ford truck and camper and their camping gear, boat and motor, and other possessions were still missing. She told Richards that she was at home at the time of the shooting but hadnt witnessed it. Sign up for the Crime Capsule newsletter today. The group traveled to the remote Wells Gray Provincial Park,a wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia,Canada, around 300 miles (478 km) to the northeast of Vancouver. Maggie Murdaugh/Facebook. But they never found him. David Shearing or David Ennis remains in prison at Bowden Institution, south of Red Deer, Alberta, now aged 61 years of age. Eastham later wrote a book with Ian McLeod about the case called The Seventh Shadow, in which the author goes into great detail about all aspects of the case. He knew they were camped at the site and carefully scouted the situation. The interview took place in the back yard of the Shearing family farmhouse, around a mile from the murder scene. But for a cruel act of fate, those two precious little girls would be alive today.. Their time near the beautiful Wells Gray Park was cut short by a sadistic, brutal killer obsessed with young girls. The Johnsons pitched camp at a secluded area near the old Bear Creek prison site. On the 2nd of September, 2003, in Bellevue, Idaho, 16-year-old Sarah Marie Johnson ran out of her home screaming that somebody had murdered her parents. 1:57 Family of victims of notorious Johnson-Bentley murders fight potential parole of killer In 1982, David Shearing killed six members of the same family in B.C., including two young girls. He said he cleaned the campsite, then took the truck/camper back to his nearby property, only to burn it later when he discovered how difficult it was to re-register. Natalie Miston and Todd Johnson arrives at the Feast of the Assumption: The Otero Family Murders Charity Event held in West Hollywood September . The cognitive mind is still developing even at 18!! In September 2008, David Shearing was up for parole - 24 years after his conviction for the murders. 1: On April 10th, 1933, the small town of Harris, Minnesota was shocked to see the Johnson family's farmhouse burning down. Sarah was 16 years old at the time. However, the Bentleys 1981 Ford truck and camper and their camping gear, boat and motor, and other possessions were still missing. Murder in Chisago County : The Unsolved Johnson Family Mystery - Signed | Books & Magazines, Books | eBay! It had been burned using an accelerant, probably gasoline mixed with something else. Cops responded to the home at about 8:20 a.m.. Heather Ennis claims her husband deserves a second chance, I have seen so much change in this man since we met (in 1993). This was very unusual for the 25-year employee. This was the maximum possible penalty for second degree murder and the first time in Canadian history that it had been handed out. AN ACCUSED killer was "hiding in plain sight" for years after he allegedly murdered a young woman decades ago then befriended her family in the nearly 30 years since. Mike Eastham whose book about the investigation was published in 1999. Brian Johnson will discuss his new book, Murder in Chisago County, about the death of his great-aunt Alvira Lundeen Johnson and her seven children in 1933. While she didnt know for sure, she said she presumed that they were dead for when she called their names, there was no response. He took the bodies back to the Johnson family car, which hed hidden and put the girls bodies in the trunk. S., Minneapolis, Amazon Link: tinyurl.com/MurderinChisagoCounty, Publishers link: arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467142335, Send this article to anyone, no subscription is necessary to view it, Anyone can read, no subscription required, See Over 1,300 alleged sightings were investigated, but all turned out to be false. He first toyed with writing a novel, but "I could never make up anything as compelling as the true story of the Albin Johnson case. He unearthed newspaper accounts in which one of the first neighbors on the fire scene at 3:30 a.m. noticed auto tracks in the snow leading from the house to the highway. However, many were perplexed that the sentences were concurrent, giving him the chance to escape the prison system in later life. He went home and returned either that night or the next with a loaded .22 rifle. It had been burned using an accelerant, probably gasoline mixed with something else. He gives voice to Albin's defenders, who insist he either died in the fire or took his own life. The apparent confession was a complete fabrication and at the time the RCMP had had little choice but to accept Shearings version of events due to lack of evidence. Johnsons burnt out car discovered September 13, 1982. On August 2, 1982, Bob Johnson, 44, and Jackie Johnson, 41, and their daughters Janet, 13, and Karen, 11, went on a two-week camping trip with Jackie's parents, George Bentley, 66, and Edith Bentley, 59. We do not really know, but it seems it was to rob and kill. Initially, he was led to believe the arrest was related to a hit and run incident which he quickly confessed to before the detectives confronted him with the Bennett-Johnson case. The truck was well hidden and it appeared that there had been an attempt to drive the truck into the gorge, but logs had blocked its path. Shearing now goes by his mother's maiden name, Ennis. Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson (The Johnson Family) VALDOSTA, Ga. - Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said he is putting up a $500,000 reward of. His latest book looks at 1918 Minnesota, when flu, war and fires converged: http://strib.mn/MN1918. Constable Leibel said in an interview 25 years after the murders, Thats how close everyone was to them. The family last contacted relatives on August 6 when Edith called a second daughter, according to retired RCMP Sgt. On the 2nd of September, 2003, in Bellevue, Idaho, 16-year-old Sarah Marie Johnson ran out of her home screaming that somebody had murdered her parents. A prison guard was supervising prisoners from a local jail who were fishing on the river. She was tucked up in bed and presumably killed while still asleep. A Parent's Murder and a 16-Year-old Daughter's Conviction: The Sarah Johnson Parricide Case On 2 September 2003, 16-year-old Sarah Johnson called 911 from her neighbor's house telling the operator her parents had just been shot by an intruder by Fiona Guy 14 June, 2022 in Family Violence & Homicide Reading Time: 8 mins read A A He came to the door of the cabin to tell Shearing not to be alarmed. of both murders. Grandma wanted to find him She contacted them [the Pinkertons]. Home True Crime The Johnson Family Murders. 1. Greg Shearing, Davids brother, said I have a lot of questions Id like to ask the police, too. They were promptly "obliterated" when other vehicles poured into the farmyard. Judge, I would like to see the maximum sentence because after tomorrow I dont want to have to hear about her or this event again. I put the bodies in the car, four in the back seat, and the two little ones in the trunk. Im just gonna destroy your entire argument with 1 clue Dianes sister (Diane was Sarahs mother) gave detectives. He said that the crime scene took him aback. Skull fragments sullied the bedroom floor and walls and blood spatter stained both the bathroom and the bedroom. Alex Murdaugh, right . Shearing now goes by his mother's maiden name, Ennis. I honestly have no idea how you think Sarah is innocent andRead more . The media referred to the tragedy as the Wells Gray Park murders, but the actual site of the familys massacre was just outside the park entrance. It covers 5,250 square kilometers (1.3 million acres) and is British Columbia's fourth-largest park, after Tatshenshini,Spatsizi and Tweedsmuir. Alexander Jackson, 20, is charged with three counts of murder in the triple homicide at the home in Cedar Rapids, KCRG reported, citing police. Sadly it was the last family vacation they were ever to go on. Even so, we can salute the combined efforts of all those searching for the suspect, public and private alike. He drove the car to a secluded spot and burnt it. After letting Sarah inside her home to calm down, Richards approached the Johnson home and slowly opened the front door. In May 1983 they drove the camper from British Columbia to Quebec, again in the hopes someone would see it and remember something relating to the case. Alan was 6 feet 6 inches tall & Sarah is only 5 feet 2 inches tall,meaning that she was too short to shoot him in the chest by shooting from straight across,while standing flat on the ground. At dusk on August 10, 1982, walked into the campsite with his rifle and shot Bob Johnson, then Jackie, and then George and Edith in cold blood. In Murder in Chisago County: The Unsolved Johnson Family Mystery, author Brian Johnson describes how almost immediately the case began to baffle investigators. To the police, it was clear that the 40-year-old landlord had been killed by his tenant Arne Cheyenne Johnson . By Hailey Fuchs. She was also a victim of domestic abuse. Shearing told Leibel he carved his initials on the wall there. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Wells Gray area was a valued hunting ground to the Secwepemc (Shuswap),Tsilhqot'in (Chilcotin)and Canim Lake aboriginal groups. He repeated the process with Janet, the older daughter, on August 17, 1982. The logging road was near Battle Mountain Road, thirteen aerial miles from Bear Creek and north of the town of Clearwater. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Silly and selfish girl. Tuesday's post-conviction. They left the cabin after they were nearly discovered. It sounds like youre in inmate with this convicted criminal. Shearing said he saw the family when they set up camp and spent several days spying on them, with a fantasy to have sex with Janet and Karen. Following Shearings conviction, RCMP Sergeant Mike Eastham re-interviewed him and got the disturbing truth behind the killings - pedophilia. "More than eight decades after the mysterious blaze, the Harris fire of 1933 remains a riddle," he writes. Johnson's name was first floated as a potential mayoral candidate during the 2019 strike, though he would call the rumors "laughable" in a Politico article chronicling the strike's aftermath. This clue would make Sarah, at the very least, an accomplice since the gun safe was locked but then unlocked by Sarah. Replica of the Bentley 1981 Ford camper used to publicise the missing vehicle. It has begun to rely more on thought than emotion!!! I cant believe how she could kill the two people in the world who loved her the most., Sarahs own brother, Matt Johnson, also addressed his sister, stating: I think some honesty needs to come out of you, and you need to plead to the court for some for forgiveness. The truck was well hidden and it appeared that there had been an attempt to drive the truck into the gorge, but logs had blocked its path. Occasionally, were able to highlight the contributions of specific law enforcement personnel, such as the sergeant who cracked a case based on a single bottle of beer, or the feds who after years of investigation finally rounded up public enemy number one, Alvin Karpis. Authorities said . When police were questioned why they didnt seize the firearm and test it to see if casings fired from it matched those found at the scene, Inspector Vic Edwards cited basic rights. Pinkerton's Persistent PI's On November 19, 1983, The RCMP found Shearing in Tumbler Ridge, north of Kamloops, where he was due to appear in court in a few days on a possession of stolen property charge of a significant amount of tools. Bobbi Gale Johnson, age 18, a cheerful soul, was a good student, considered "bright, intelligent and articulate." She was active in school theater and was liked by many. The same as I didnt have any right to go into Mr. Shearings house. I went to the tent. Johnsons burnt out car discovered September 13, 1982. It Might Now Be Time For Sarah To Make Her Escape From Prison,Perhaps Similar To How It Was Done In The Shawshank Redemption,Except Maybe She Could Use A Poster Of Michael Jackson To Hide The Opening To Her Freedom. Where: Diamond Lake Lutheran Church, 5760 Portland Av. The Bentleys subsequently arrived with their truck and camper van, with a boat on top. Alex Murdaugh called 911 on the evening of June 7, 2021, and said he found his son and wife dead when he returned home from a one-hour visit with his mother, who has dementia. "I think her family, who presumably ordered the marker, was making a statement that they'd been murdered on the 10th before the house was torched in the early hours of the 11th," says Richfield author Brian Johnson. WEST PALM BEACH Corey Johnson apologized Thursday for killing 13-year-old Jovanni Sierra at a 2018 sleepover.