In 1995 he married a woman from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Shearing did not appeal his sentence. As it transpired, Sarah had been dating a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant named Bruno Santos and her parents had disapproved of him. Sarah,While Holding The Prison Chef Hostage,With His Own Butcher Knife,Will NeedRead more . The charred remains were that of the Bentley and Johnson families. According to Sarah, she was asleep in her bedroom when she heard gunshots echo out. Royal Canadian Mounted Police detectives, Sergeant Mike Eastham and Constable Ken Liebel were convinced David Shearing was guilty from the beginning and tried to get his confidence. Unsophisticated law enforcement, meanwhile, had its hands full with Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow and other gangsters in 1933. "At times, the facts surrounding the mystery bounce through my head like the silver orb in a pinball machine. Sounds like Sarahs somehow achieved internet access. Presumably, Sarah had hoped that the garbage truck would have picked the garbage up. After letting Sarah inside her home to calm down, Richards approached the Johnson home and slowly opened the front door. The logging road was near Battle Mountain Road, thirteen aerial miles from Bear Creek and north of the town of Clearwater. 1: On April 10th, 1933, the small town of Harris, Minnesota was shocked to see the Johnson family's farmhouse burning down. By Hailey Fuchs. This case is at the upper range of culpability. JOHN, Fla. - New reports reveal that Tonya Thomas, a Florida mother, shot her four children 18 times before killing herself. I think you sexually abused those girls before you killed them. 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. He repeated the process with Janet, the older daughter, on August 17, 1982. Leibel found them next to a second set, JJ, for 13-year-old Janet Johnson. I have a hard time believing all this and I cant say anything right now because it wouldnt be fair to Dave.. 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. Shearing said he looked in, told them a dangerous biker gang was around and their parents had run for help. 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. But then on October 18, 1983, fourteen months after the murders with the trail running cold for the killer, the Bentley's camper truck was finally found by two forestry workers, near Bear Creek, on an old logging road near Trophy Mountain. The charges were filed in so-called absentia because he had vanished for good. The guard noticed nothing unusual. If the fire started in the kitchen stove, experts say some of the victims would have been awakened by the smell of smoke. 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. Well, Im here to collect, David, and Im not taking no for an answer.. Were proud to honor those men and women. The Bentleys subsequently arrived with their truck and camper van, with a boat on top. Shearing told Leibel he carved his initials on the wall there. The RCMP started questioning possible suspects again in Clearwater. I put the bodies in the car, four in the back seat, and the two little ones in the trunk. Thats a very dangerous girl. Eastham told Shearing, You know why Im here, David. On January 19, 1984, David Shearing waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He remembered the meeting exactly as Shearing had described it. Why? Many hours were wasted on these "wild goose" chases as the public phoned in thousands of sightings which all needed to be investigated. A prison guard was supervising prisoners from a local jail who were fishing on the river. Select from premium The Otero Family Murders of the highest quality. The sheriff announced that they had several persons of interest that they were wishing to speak to as soon as possible and had two or three motives which could have led to the killing. The charred remains were that of the Bentley and Johnson families. The logging road was near Battle Mountain Road, thirteen aerial miles from Bear Creek and north of the town of Clearwater. In April 1983, a television re-enactment of the killings was filmed on the site of the murders, which was then broadcast across Canada. 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. It would have been quite a coincidence that the house just happened to go up in flames at precisely that moment of desperation.". David Shearing or David Ennis remains in prison at Bowden Institution, south of Red Deer, Alberta, now aged 61 years of age. Questions, investigations and lawsuits have abounded in the years since Johnson's body was discovered at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., in January 2013. Because of the location of the vehicle in an accessible area, it was quickly assumed that a local was responsible for the murders. David Shearing or David Ennis remains in prison at Bowden Institution, south of Red Deer, Alberta, now aged 61 years of age. 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. She was subsequently sentenced to two concurrent life terms plus 15 years for a firearm enhancement. The actual shooter in this case is Christopher Kevin Hill,who is 6 feet tall,he shot Alan from straight across,while standing flat on the ground,all that he had to do,after he shot Diane,who was sleeping in bed,was aim the rifleRead more . I put the bodies in the car, four in the back seat, and the two little ones in the trunk. "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. 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. For example, two scruffy French-Canadian men were seen driving in a camper van east towards Quebec but it turned out this was an unrelated vehicle. Stolen Kia being chased by patrol in Mpls. David Shearings mother, Rose Shearing, expressed shock at the news of her sons arrest and conviction for murdering six people.I hope its a bad mistake or a bad dream. Authorities said . For example, two scruffy French-Canadian men were seen driving in a camper van east towards Quebec but it turned out this was an unrelated vehicle. Supreme Court Justice Harry McKay said, What we have, very simply, is a cold-blooded and senseless execution of six defenseless and innocent victims for no apparent reason. Sarah Never Said About Wanting The Keys To The Gun Safe & She Never Even Touch Those Keys,Linda Vavold Was Bribed By Jim Thomas Into Making It Up. The Johnsons and Bentleys were last heard from on August 6th, 1982. Following Shearings conviction, RCMP Sergeant Mike Eastham re-interviewed him and got the disturbing truth behind the killings - pedophilia. The cognitive mind is still developing even at 18!! This is how I know that Sarah Marie Johnson is not guilty of the murders of her Parents,Alan Scott Johnson & Diane Marie Johnson. She recalled that as soon as she opened the door, she smelt a strange odor. Initially, it was believed that this may have been a murder-suicide. 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. However, he did not elaborate any further. I dont have any right to go into your house and examine your guns. He lusted over the young girls and was determined to sexually abuse them even if it meant killing the parents and grandparents. As part of the guilty plea, Shearing stated in a written statement: I walked out of the bush from behind the camper and started shooting. We had no reason to suspect him.. The two girls were already in their tent, ready for bed. Beautiful family that loved her, bright future ahead of her but she let herself think she was in love with this big time loser and killed her parents over him?? Sarah pleaded not guilty to the murders and she was held on $2 million bond. The family's patriarch, Albin Johnson, was strangely missing, and the police desperately searched for him as their . 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. But Shearing hid the girls behind the door and told them to stay quiet. St. Paul residents ask: When will the recycling truck cometh. She was also a victim of domestic abuse. Credits: Research: Haley Gray As part of the guilty plea, Shearing stated in a written statement: I walked out of the bush from behind the camper and started shooting. His father, since deceased, had once been a prison guard and his brother was a sheriff. Then, RCMP Constable Ken Leibel hiked through the bush to the fishing cabin. Allegedly, Alan and Diane had threatened to have Bruno arrested if Sarah didnt cut ties with him. The family last contacted relatives on August 6 when Edith called a second daughter, according to retired RCMP Sgt. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Silly and selfish girl. 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. Heather Ennis claims her husband deserves a second chance, I have seen so much change in this man since we met (in 1993). The location re-confirmed a local was most likely involved as outsiders would have been unlikely to find the isolated spot. 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. I poured gasoline it just went Whoomph! I stood back and watched it burn. He has committed crimes recently and we have evidence he has the proclivity to do more, Pangburn said. Daniel Rees, 57, was arrested last week and charged with the murder of Rachael Johnson, a 23-year-old woman who was found burned in Akron, Ohio on March 30, 1991. However, the Bentleys 1981 Ford truck and camper and their camping gear, boat and motor, and other possessions were still missing. Hes always been such a good boy. Murder in Chisago County: The Unsolved Johnson Family Mystery, cracked a case based on a single bottle of beer, finally rounded up public enemy number one, one conspirator from which already appearing on Crime Capsule, Interview with Brian Johnson Tom Barnard Show, Speakeasies and Secret Lairs: Milwaukee Prohibition, Murder on the Menu: Missouris Worst Female Killers, Cold Case Cracked: Lieutenant Rita Shulers 40-Year Quest for Justice. 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 Alan was an executive and director of Webb Landscape and Garden Centres and Diane was employed at the Hailey Medical Clinic. The next night, her parents found her at Brunos home. The wreckage was similar to the car that the Johnsons were driving. Some beer caps of the brand known to be drunk by Bob Johnson were also found as well as full bottles cooling in a nearby stream. The lead victim, Alvira Lundeen Johnsonthe authors own great-auntand her children seemed from the forensic evidence not to have been disturbed from their sleep by the flames, suggesting that they had died prior to the blaze. Home True Crime The Johnson Family Murders. Hes always been such a good boy. Six months after the fire, a grand jury indicted Albin in the deaths. The bodies were so consumed that they were eventually interred together in one child-sized casket. Then, RCMP Constable Ken Leibel hiked through the bush to the fishing cabin. To double-check the story, Eastham found the prison guard. 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. Suspicion soon fell upon Sarah who by this point, had changed her story several times. On April 17, 1984, Justice McKay sentenced David William Shearing to six concurrent terms of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Shearing now goes by his mother's maiden name, Ennis. 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. Bentley truck Bear Creek, Trophy Mountain. 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. On the 16th of March, 2005, Sarah Marie Johnson was found guilty In rich detail, he lays out clue after clue explaining how Albin's father had just evicted the family from the house. 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. 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. 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. Natalie Miston and Todd Johnson arrives at the Feast of the Assumption: The Otero Family Murders Charity Event held in West Hollywood September . 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. Eastham told Shearing, You know why Im here, David. Suspicion doubled when forensics couldnt identify Albin among any of the deceased, with one theory holding that the farmerill-tempered, a known drinker, down on his luck and soon to be evicted from the property by his own grandfatherhad sooner killed his own family rather than drag them into a life of even more hardship in days to come. Investigators had also discovered that Sarahs socks were spattered with Dianes blood despite the fact that Sarah claimed she did not go near the bodies out of fear of what she would find. The Johnson Family Murders Pt. Very sad situation. Constable Leibel said in an interview 25 years after the murders, Thats how close everyone was to them. Jan. 15, 2021. Yeah, let me kill my parents and then him and I will ride off into the sunset of blissful living. Even so, we can salute the combined efforts of all those searching for the suspect, public and private alike. Her defense, however, was alleging that it was Bruno who had killed Alan and Diane. Shearing now goes by his mother's maiden name, Ennis. While she didnt know for sure, she said she presumed that they were dead for when she called their names, there was no response. The interview took place in the back yard of the Shearing family farmhouse, around a mile from the murder scene. Its possible that the number of theories surrounding Albins disappearance may have hindered the Pinkerton search, Johnson writes. Eventually, they got him to confess to the crimes by getting him to relax and defer appointing a lawyer. Alexander Jackson, 20, is charged with three counts of murder in the triple homicide at the home in Cedar Rapids, KCRG reported, citing police. This was the maximum possible penalty for second degree murder and the first time in Canadian history that it had been handed out. This clue would make Sarah, at the very least, an accomplice since the gun safe was locked but then unlocked by Sarah. Curt Brown Pictures: Fla. mom killed her 4. I know the mans heart is in the right place and Im just here to back him up.. of Joe Louis St. where someone reported a shooting. Two sticks with sharp ends, probably used by the two girls to roast marshmallows were also at the site. This was the maximum possible penalty for second degree murder and the first time in Canadian history that it had been handed out. WASHINGTON The Trump administration executed Corey Johnson on Thursday for a series of seven murders in 1992. He repeated the process with Janet, the older daughter, on August 17, 1982. 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. Investigators pieced together the string of events leading up to the murders of Alan and Diane. Greg Shearing, Davids brother, said I have a lot of questions Id like to ask the police, too. 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. An investigation of the crime scene turned up a discarded bathrobe and blood-stained latex glove that had been hidden in the garbage can outside the home. 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. Tragically, some of these rare cases are never solved. 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. Sarah Didnt Do It,She Did Not Pull The Trigger. Bentley truck Bear Creek, Trophy Mountain. and its not this Christopher character. Its not clear either way. It covers 5,250 square kilometers (1.3 million acres) and is British Columbia's fourth-largest park, after Tatshenshini,Spatsizi and Tweedsmuir. 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. 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. This was very unusual for the 25-year employee. Eventually, they got him to confess to the crimes by getting him to relax and defer appointing a lawyer. Copyright 2019 by Arcadia Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. Shearing told Leibel he carved his initials on the wall there. Most worrying of all was the fact that Albin Johnson, Alviras husband, was nowhere to be found. In 1995 he married a woman from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. I dont have any right to go into your house and examine your guns. Some beer caps of the brand known to be drunk by Bob Johnson were also found as well as full bottles cooling in a nearby stream. The same as I didnt have any right to go into Mr. Shearings house. Mike Eastham whose book about the investigation was published in 1999. But they never found him. The Johnsons and Bentleys were last heard from on August 6th, 1982. Instead, Shatiek Johnson is up for parole after serving nearly 25 years in prison. The prosecution refuted the claims that Bruno was involved, stating that there was absolutely no evidence to connect him to the crime scene or even the home. He gives voice to Albin's defenders, who insist he either died in the fire or took his own life. Police created an exact replica of the Bentley 1981 Ford camper down to the last detail, including the aluminum boat strapped to the roof. I feel she has no remorse and feel she would do it again, except she would do better planning and she would try to get away with it.7. The parents deserved better. There are no ameliorating or mitigating factors. Using two handguns, including a Hi-Point Model JHP.45-caliber pistol (which he bought from Sydmor's Jewelry in neighboring Barberton, Ohio five days before) and a .357 Magnum six-shot revolver he bought from the same location in 2005, Hance opened fire at a house in the 2300 block of Goodenough Avenue. Dear Jack, Sorry but you are an illiterate idiot. David William Shearing, 24, who lived locally was identified by someone who told police that, over a year earlier, Shearing had enquired about how to re-register a Ford pickup and repair a hole in its door. Then he crawled into the tent with the girls. Shearing accidentally admitted to Eastham that he had heard the murders were committed at Bear Creek which was not information that had been released to the public. ; Ellison, mayors urge recalls. 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. 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. The case took another turn on Sept. 7, 2021, when PEOPLE reported that members of Alex's law firm had confronted him about missing money on Sept. 3 . Such was the situation in Minnesota in April 1933, when a woman and her seven children were found dead on a Chisago County farm, burned to death and nearly cremated in an overnight fire. Eastham what really happened. But not before a. Shearing moved the girls to his family farm the next day, and then, on August 16, 1982, he walked Karen, the younger daughter, into the woods and killed her. The family lived in Glen Aspen Drive, an affluent street where the $500,000 homes sit nestled among towering cottonwood, pine and aspen trees.1. I think you sexually abused those girls before you killed them. By that timewhile the brain is still growing and developing it has reached a certain level of stability!!! It had been burned using an accelerant, probably gasoline mixed with something else. Shearing then applied again in 2014, then withdrew the request a month before the hearing. Because of the location of the vehicle in an accessible area, it was quickly assumed that a local was responsible for the murders.