The Scariest Disappearance I’ve Ever Covered - The Yuba County 5

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[@Wendigoon]

Use this link to save $5 at Magic Spoon today! magicspoon.com/wendigoon Thank you to Magic Spoon for sponsoring the video!

[@lpc9929]

I am infertile from eating scented candles

[@bogdeer4966]

Greqt

[@P-P-Panda]

YAAAAAAAAAAAY

[@Dittoediscool]

Thanks Wendi!!!

[@orangepatato3603]

@@lpc9929good

[@viperleviathan9021]

I can't even begin to imagine the horror that Jack's father must have felt seeing his son's jacket, picking it up, only for his SPINE to tumble out of it, good lord

[@kinnelyuwu5771]

God i hope that man got therapy for that

[@seanoneal8611]

​@@kinnelyuwu5771 back then therapy hadn't been invented yet

[@Magnustopheles]

@@seanoneal8611 *good therapy that didn't have a massive stigma

[@CharlieApples]

That part made me feel lightheaded. 🫥

[@Sushipapi.]

I'm about to lose sleep just from reading your comment.

[@danfawks7164]

Imagine being Gary alone in the woods after watching everyone die and having schizophrenia during all of it, this is pure horror content

[@galenthomas7322]

No kidding...

[@N0va6669]

good video game idea bc of how terrifying that would be

[@fentanylfrog8403]

@@N0va6669 I was actually thinking about how great a movie/video game you could make out of the story, but idk. With how recent it is and the boys' disabilities I think it would be hard to do the story justice. Something inspired by this story would be amazing though, like The Long Dark with psychological horror elements.

[@thenorthernwoodsman3455]

Just play "the Long Dark" and pretend your Garry.

[@fentanylfrog8403]

@@thenorthernwoodsman3455 The saddest part is that you can never really win in The Long Dark, so there's no escape for Gary or any of the boys :,(

[@nina-gv9gk]

i noticed that Ted was scared of fire which might relate to why no fires were started inside of the trailer. maybe gary went to the shed to see what was inside but ted being scared of fire did not want there to be a fire. which is incredibly chilling and heartbreaking for gary because he wants to help his friend but he is terrified of the thing that could save him.

[@dreamcatcher1333]

yes!! i couldn’t believe this wasn’t mentioned

[@DizzyedUpGirl]

Omg, I've never heard anyone posit that theory before but it makes so much sense!

[@allisonprovanchie5276]

​@@mateosvargas3669maybe he didn't fully know how it worked and was scared it might start a fire

[@ghostfacegirl180]

​@@mateosvargas3669 This was back in the day when improperly used heaters were fire hazards, plus the gas itself carried a (probably small if the heater was used correctly) risk of blowing up. It makes perfect sense to me, as someone who's also afraid of fire, that he would rather take his chances with the cold than with an unfamiliar heater.

[@ghostfacegirl180]

That's what I thought too. I hadn't heard that Ted was afraid of fire before, but knowing that now the lack of fire and untouched heater both make perfect sense. I, as someone who is afraid of fire, would rather take my chances with the cold than risk burning to death from an out of control fire or being blown up by an unfamilar heater filling the trailer with too much gas.

[@RK-dc2es]

they really did lump all disabilities together back in the 60s, it's wild as hell. In elementary school, my dyslexic mom and a boy with down syndrome were placed in the back of the classroom together with orange crates instead of normal desks, like "they're both clinically dunderheaded, who cares, just don't let them have desks or they'll start thinking they're people"

[@settame1]

My grandma in the 30s had the same experience because she was left handed.

[@desi3731]

@@settame1that’s absolutely astounding, the kind of things that were bounded together because they couldn’t do the proper research or even just try to see how to properly help out is just disgusting.

[@flatsquatch]

That's terrible....no where near the same....wow....it's almost racist....

[@williamknight9379]

Children with disabilities didn't even have a legal right to public education in the US until the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed in 1975, prior to that if a district thought your needs were too severe or you weren't able to learn they could just expel you

[@anonymous3174]

I wonder what they'll look back on in 60 years and say that we are crazy for.

[@yungbeetroot]

You know you’re in for a wild ride when Wendi runs out of “definitive evidence” with an hour left in the video

[@rake10]

In minecraft, of course.

[@yungbeetroot]

@@rake10 of course, of course, that goes without saying

[@masonedens3395]

In dayz in Fortnite

[@Titan-ul5bu]

@@yungbeetrootftc❤❤n

[@Poli.Zygotikk]

Right?? When he got the end of the definitive evidence and I noticed there was a lot of video left, I actually got really excited. I love that all of these videos have a very campfire-ey feel to them, it's really like having a ghost story being told you.

[@Heisenburger97]

I couldn’t imagine how terrifying if must be to have paranoid schizophrenia and be stranded while needing to take care of another person, I feel so bad for Gary

[@hannah.montana2194]

right, with my mental issues I don't even have paranoid or delusional symptoms and I can't imagine going off my meds. everyone would be so fucked up in that situation, plus being ill plus in withdrawals from meds? absolutely terrifying. maybe he was violent before but I can't help but feel for him

[@RisingRevengeance]

If this theory is right then it really goes to show how much he cared for his friends to fight through whatever he had going on in his head

[@melliethemortician]

@@RisingRevengeance I 100% agree, my delusions get really bad and without meds itd be hard to take care of myself let alone other people. He most likely tried his absolute hardest to figure out what was real and what wasnt. I understand why he didnt start a fire that couldve made things much worse mentally and physically if he wasnt 100% stable. Honestly after Ted's death he most likely wandered off really out of it, he wouldve been the last one alive and being alone in that state wouldve been very hard mentally.

[@spiritmatter1553]

@@RisingRevengeanceCaregiving is difficult in the best of circumstances. Fighting mental illness and being in primitive conditions makes whatever efforts he took all the more heroic.

[@sourgreendolly7685]

⁠​⁠@@hannah.montana2194fr I've had a dangerous fever while getting off of a medication the correct way! Suddenly stopping can kill you with some psychiatric medications. Adding in those kinds of symptoms... if anything he's amazing for trying to take care of him like that! A true friend till the end.

[@artorias3721]

Anytime I've heard this story, I've always assumed that Gary tried to save everyone, couldn't (because given the assumed circumstances, who could), watched his last friend slowly die, then one day in a bout of grief (Understandable) and confusion walked into the snowy night.

[@cherylmaden5989]

Yeah I agree. To be honest I have lived with schizophrenic people, and this sounds more like what would have happened more than anything else. Especially as they were previously friends

[@jessicacreed7773]

"You think I know more than I'm letting on, don't you?" "Well now we fuckin do"

[@hope_canyon]

I want to like this, but it has 69 likes 😂

[@SmoothDonatello1138]

"He saw his son's jacket, and when he picked it up, his son's spine fell out." is one of the most disturbing things I've heard. Thank/screw you for telling this fascinating story.

[@mariepatricia1975]

I heard that and immediately came to the comments to see if anyone mentioned it

[@aidanhansen793]

yea that one was insane and will definitely stick with me

[@panzerjagertigerporsche]

​@@aidanhansen793Just imagine the shock and horror that man went through when that happened, probably one of the worst things for a parent to experience

[@monkeyf]

Normal things I've heard. Cock/suck

[@AYVYN]

The courage it takes to investigate alone. The father definitely wasn’t spineless.

[@allyourbasearebelongtous2191]

This lumberjack is a pretty good story teller.

[@JoshuaAndres]

Almost as if he might have been involved 🤔

[@lastlogicallib]

10:59 I am completely unaware of this case, aside from the title sounding vaguely familiar to me. But after hearing the description of each of the first four “Yuba boys”, the instant he began to describe Gary, my inner lazy small-town sheriff immediately screamed, “Open and shut case!”

[@xermionthesecond4396]

Lumberjacks and lumber country were the source of a lot of popular cryptids. Ex. Bigfoot, The Jackalope, Hodag, Squonk and more.

[@JoshuaAndres]

@@xermionthesecond4396 and the Hide-behind

[@TonyTheCarrot]

Giving mrballen a run for his money!

[@dankbuds-md5li]

If they hate the cold, hate the dark and left the car window open in the snow when it’s the drivers prized possession, the ONLY feasible scenario is an attacker and likely being chased up there. This is also what yuba county police think as their case file has always said suspected foul play

[@surr3ald3sign]

Okay but how do you scared someone into leaving their vehicle to run from you? Nonetheless 5 fairly athletic men, if the threat was close enough to open to window then leaving the vehicle would not have been a method of escape unless the vehicle was completely disabled

[@dankbuds-md5li]

they were in a fight at the convenience store, for one. they were on a road that was the actual exit off the freeway, meaning they werent on a randon mountain road. they left the car at the snowline, and there is evidence the car was stuck in the snow. if you were being chased and the car got stuck, it's extremely logical to flee the car. when you consider they were mentally handciapped to a degree, this makes all the more sense. add to it the window being down and its more evidence they left in a rush or a panic, as the kid who owned the car would never leave it like that. ive been in a ton of chases as a teenager and you dont think rationally or logically, it becomes an animalistic fight or flight type of thing. i think they got chased up there and bailed, both the police and the families think they were chased, based largely off the fight at the store @surr3ald3sign

[@annahappen7036]

​@surr3ald3sign OR the assailant(s) has blocked them in so the car was rendered useless despite being operational.

[@warlordjr.jr.]

Could easily be they picked up a hitch hiker that they offered to take home, duse attacked then insde the car and they fled

[@dankbuds-md5li]

@@warlordjr.jr.5 people in a 5 seater car already

[@alpacaofthemountain8760]

I think that Gary's treatment by the news was horrific, defiantly shows how people with mental illnesses were and are mistreated. Rest in peace, and if I have any solid theory about this case that I agree with, it's that Gary tried his best to help his friends

[@jake12466]

"defiantly"?? Or DEFINITELY

[@LiftandCoa]

​​@@jake12466Bro, if you correct someone, then actually look up if your correction is necessary. Defiantly is a word. An adverb to be exact and means *with daring or bold resistance (to authority)* Its not the word i would have used (because of the authority aspect) but colloquially its 100% correct.

[@Xlnjv]

Gary wasn’t innocent though, he was sexually assaulting women and threatening to kill children. Definitely a shame they only portrayed it at his mental illness as you said though and the other people they might’ve stereotyped or labeled after this.

[@heathernikki5734]

@@jake12466 you mad?

[@megatinmand5524]

Gacy didn't do it he was a respected member of the community he was just a fun clown

[@TK0921]

Thinking about how Ted and Gary were still alive for so long after people stopped searching is a real gut punch.

[@Kayla-eh5fb]

So sad. They probably thought people were still searching for them too but gave up on hope after a while

[@danpaz9485]

If only they decided to continue the search, their families and other people would of gotten a greater insight into what could of happened to them.

[@alvaroprieto2092]

The Andes Disaster Team: skill issue

[@lpstigerlily8506]

I’m also wondering if they knew the others were dead. Like not definitively, but in the sense that they had a feeling Sterling, Madruga and Huett were dead. If not, they were probably thinking that the others had been rescued, and that they would be found soon

[@ketamlne3414]

yep

[@anonymouseggy6837]

the thought that Gary could have even carried Ted the rest of the way there in an attempt to save at least one of his friends breaks my heart. The finger pointing at Gary and the infantalization of the others upsets me so much. the fact that this case could possibly have more evidence if police and investigators had viewed them as people instead of disabilities.

[@victory8928]

Agree the police set up too small a search radius thinking that they could not travel far and because of that the last survivors died.

[@ANJROTmania]

They are mentally disadvantaged. They are not savants. People wishing washing they got an aha moment and solve the issue unorthodoxically are not realistic

[@beanybabyrabie]

Oh PLEASE. He assaulted women and girls, snuck into peoples houses at night and assaulted many people. Stop pretending that’s a good person. Schizophrenia doesn’t make you a sexual predator

[@victory8928]

@@beanybabyrabie it does greatly affect your mental health and ability to interact with the world. Once Gary had the ability to properly threat his issues he became better. And he certainly isn't the type of person who would hurt his friends if what we know is anything to go by. He attacked people who to him would be strangers and there were many unreported cases. I think his crimes caused the boys to go up cause Josef was one of the Victims and a pissed off drunk at that.

[@anonymouseggy6837]

@@beanybabyrabie oh! i didnt realize you were a doctor!!! wheres your degree? grow up. yes he did those things and those people NEVER have to forgive him. you NEVER have to forgive him. He did do those incredibly shitty things. and im sure he never forgave himself. and yet. he still got better because he was offered the help he needed and he took it and put forth effort to get better. Gary suffered from one hell of a head injury as a kid, which can absolutely fuck you up enough to make you violent and creepy and even give you paranoid schizophrenia. there are several cases even in modern times of this happening (its actually very interesting, you should look into it. there was even a dr phil episode where they discovered something similar about a little girl and got her help). the only difference is that we know more about it in modern times and provide help in childhood before these kids become adults. Gary got help for it later than he shouldve. and He still put in the effort not only to get better with this opportunity given to him, but he ALSO made efforts to make up for the shitty things he did in his unwell state. and im sure he understood if those people chose not to forgive him. he put in so much effort to get better and looked after his friends with a fierce care. there is literal proof that must have taken care of Ted for weeks before Ted finally died because Ted was alive long enough to grow facial hair. you can hate him and call him a horrible person, but he did that and you cant erase that fact. you should be more upset that his parents just... let it happen instead of getting him the help he needed sooner. this shit had been happening since he was a kid after he got a severe head injury and they JUST LET IT HAPPEN? anyway, you're a PRIME example of the people i was talking about who only see a monster because of his disability and therefore causing the boys to never get a proper investigation that they deserved. thanks for being a perfect example on what i was talking about!

[@lilrudylp]

I’ve heard this story countless times . And this the first time that I’ve heard of so many details left out, so many. You really meticulously broke down and explained their personalities, paths , reactions, and so forth. Top tier Wendigoon

[@annahappen7036]

You worded that backwards. Sounds like the first sentience implies Wendigoon left out so many details.

[@motionless_horizon]

I have two cousins with paranoid schizophrenia. They both have suffered immensely from it, and it’s heartbreaking when society sees that diagnosis and immediately uses it as a reason to vilify a person who is already struggling so much. I don’t think that Gary did it. I think it’s possible that his meds had stopped working, or he had missed a dose, so he wasn’t entirely in reality, but the fact that he clearly tried to keep his friends alive for as long as he could really shows that he cared about them, no matter what. Being in psychosis doesn’t mean you automatically lose control or suddenly want to hurt people. Hell, my cousins both had religious psychosis and put themselves in major danger to “save the world.” Schizophrenia is so demonized, but they are just people. They’re struggling. One of my cousins said, “The hardest thing about schizophrenia is that you never can be sure of the world. Even if you’re medicated and haven’t had an episode in a long time, you can never feel certain that what you’re experiencing is real. Am I actually seeing this person, or is it a hallucination? Is there a spider in the wall, or is it a hallucination? Does this food taste bad, or is it a hallucination?” Imagine living with a condition that makes you constantly question reality. Then imagine that at the same time, the world treats you as a murderer, a danger, a threat to society. The person most at risk of harm from a schizophrenic, is the schizophrenic themself.

[@6Haunted-Days]

Buuut the type of schizophrenia that can become violent are the paranoid types. I’ve known 2 people with it and one of them was incredibly violent and frightening…..OFF his meds. On them he was just a big AZZhole prone to mild physical fighting…..still tho let’s not act like it’s rare or something …It’s just not as common as the people acted like it was in past decades. You act like it’s a totally made up thing 🙄

[@shablabh]

my heart breaks for each one of them and their families, and Gary not having his meds and having to see his friends die...god damnit...

[@theDJway2005]

The idea of Gary writing those affirmations and practicing old coping methods in attempt to stay strong while his medication was wearing off is absolutely heartbreaking. Nonetheless, while caring for his dying friend and mourning the deaths of the others.

[@mullittmustang256]

Definitely messed up

[@briannesmith5040]

Yes very heart breaking

[@Dani-pr6yx]

That part made me feel really icky inside, it truly is heartbreaking.. :((

[@maximillian1109]

It also shows what a strong, clever, and insightful guy he was. Like, he knew what to do during a crisis, even if it could only ever help to a point. That is more than most people would be able to do.

[@dismurrart6648]

Ty for this. My brother had schizophrenia and, he wasn't always the best, he never had evil in his heart. Mostly he kept to himself because of the schizophrenia.

[@katethielen3883]

If Ted hated fire, then it makes sense Gary couldn't use some of the more intensive warming equipment. Imagine keeping your friend calm and warm at the same time

[@jexmarro9]

I was thinking about this as well

[@danhtranquoc3745]

ok

[@ripwednesdayadams]

That is heartbreaking.

[@thatonedude]

​@@danhtranquoc3745ok?

[@SCUMMY4205]

​@@danhtranquoc3745??

[@stevenmcghee6649]

I've always had problems with Schoens' heart attack story. Walking 8 miles in the middle of a freezing winter's night after suffering one is just not on. I suffered one several years ago and I couldn't walk 8 feet let alone 8 miles.

[@settame1]

It made me think panic attack. They’re often mistaken for heart attacks and if he had had heart issues in the past it’s likely he would have mistaken it for one (especially because his car was stuck and he needed help).

[@toziassmitt]

Eh, there’s levels to heart attacks. My grandad had 4 heart attacks, and just went about his daily life. On the 5th one, it was major, he had to go hospital- that’s when they figured out that those last 4 episodes were actually major cardiac arrests. Literally no one even knew because up until that point, he hadn’t told anyone. He’d gone about his work day as a mechanic as usual

[@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425]

​@@toziassmittwe have a family friend who went days before ending up in hospital, also living his normal day to day, just felt a bit more poorly! To be fair, he has been treated as a bit of an enigma for it, but yeah, it certainly happens - apparently! Crazy what the body can manage. He was probably healthier in those few days than he is post heart transplant, tbh!

[@cubriffic172]

​@@settame1According to doctors, Schons did have a mild heart attack (unless the doctors somehow were mistaken)

[@Critical3rror]

​@@cubriffic172he very well could have had one. But the vomiting and defecation was likely related to the alcohol. Same thing with falling asleep in the car. I do find it unlikely he could walk 8 miles even several hours after the heart attack.

[@AtrocityEquine01]

It's sad to imagine that after Ted died, Gary just gave up and decided to just...walk out into the cold never to be seen again. Whether or not it was because his schizophrenia finally reached its breaking point after that or he just figured he'd rather die because he lost all of his friends (and felt responsible for it), I cannot even image what went through his mind in those final moments.

[@jake12466]

*its breaking point ("it's" means "it is")

[@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425]

It was Ted, not Jack.

[@AtrocityEquine01]

@@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425 thanks for the correction

[@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425]

@@AtrocityEquine01 no bother🙂

[@johnkrstyen7351]

I can imagine Gary also being off his meds hiding from people looking for him.

[@limpnoodle3272]

Living in Yuba, you kinda hear this story go around, like everyone knows it by the time they’re 15, but you just kinda take it as ‘the town legend’, it’s a local joke to beware of Gary, the one who survived, he’ll getcha and take you up the mountain, now hearing all the details is… really upsetting.

[@EagleTimberWolf]

Imagine dying horribly and because your body wasn't found like the others, people just start treating you like some boogeyman who's lurking around the area. As if this case wasn't tragic enough.

[@breannathompson9094]

There are people up the hills, for real. Even in socal, there are definitely camps either drug runners or something else, they say a lot of people go missing in those camps, they pack up and leave just to leave very little evidence.

[@leatherman180]

Bro I'm from yuba county and this is the first time I've heard about it and I've never heard anyone talking about it😂😂

[@Australia-shaped-Chesthair]

Aw man that's just cruel

[@randomperson1997]

@@leatherman180guess you’re just 14 then lol

[@kittyk782]

Honestly probably the first video I've seen on this story that hasn't actively demonised Gary but rather treats him as a human being. Also first video that hasn't overstated the men's disabilities and totally minimised them to that. Honestly refreshing to see.

[@foolsAmongstGhouls]

That's why wendigoon is goat

[@carnuatus]

I didn't notice anything about the Nexpo video that was a problem but I also haven't watched it in a while.

[@coletrainhetrick]

I think wendigoon is very good at viewing things from the perspective of others and the logistics what actions people would take versus what people expect them to take based on prejudice.

[@jacksonmordente8716]

The missing enigma did a good job of that to his video is also very good

[@limitedbreadstx4152]

I was going to say something along these lines, but you put it better than I could. Wendigoons humanity and non-linear approach to these cases that have been covered a billion times is extremely refreshing.

[@mrtoast244]

The Yuba County 5 weren't all just athletic and young, two of them were literally in the Military. Whatever made them flee up the mountain had to have been more dangerous than the five of them combined... I think it's possible that whoever was in the mysterious Red Pickup truck chased them after the Basketball game and may have had a weapon or outnumbered them. Though, that still doesn't explain how they would have made it to the convenience store for snacks, while being chased... that's something out of Scooby Doo lol. What I don't like is how many fake variables there are, are people really so greedy that they would make up accounts just for money? BUT WHY DO THE ACCOUNTS ALL HAVE A RED PICK UP TRUCK.

[@avak2101]

That's a damn terrifying point. Whoever chased them out there, must've been fucking terrifying. It's hard to imagine what would make 5 athletes (two having history with the military) run like that

[@dankbuds-md5li]

Well the fight happened at the convenience store, I’ve always assumed the chase started from there. If ppl knew Gary in Forbestown, it makes sense the boys went towards that at a to lose an attacker. Maybe they thought a pursuer would stop if they went up a mountain and maybe they were wrong 🤷‍♂️

[@dadhj]

I think it was people with guns either that or some animals scared them enough to run

[@apexyl5135]

I honestly wonder if this group of people were like “If we all have the same detail, we might get the money reward because nobody could refute us” Cuz it seems like everyone new everyone in this area.

[@trequor]

Something often overlooked is how one bs story feeds another. One dude goes to the media with a red pickup and suddenly everyone saw a red pickup. Doesnt even have to be intentional, since all memory is reconstructive

[@SpeedyWeedyYT]

This story hit close to home for me. As a person who is mentally disabled, I grew up around other people who were like me, and I’ve met people who sound identical to the young men that lost their lives in this tragedy. And it makes my blood boil the way I hear people talk about these men like they’re dumb and helpless, when they clearly aren’t, and that people think Gary murdered them just because he has a mental disorder.

[@PinkApocalypse]

The thought that two of them may have refused to leave eachother and died in the snow, the thought that gary took care of his last remaining friend for 2-3 months, playing cards, feeding him, eventually mummifying him, all while suffering from schizophrenia and freezing cold, the fact that he left alone without a trace

[@cmillspa1]

Heavy stuff

[@mrselfdestruct7605]

And the fact people chalked it up to gary just being the “crazy schizo” stereotype who lead them out there to die and essentially killed them all because the rest of them where “too feeble minded” to stop it is disgusting

[@aazhie]

@@mrselfdestruct7605 absolutely. He clearly was doing his best to keep him alive, and NOT leave him alone. So distressing

[@vidgamarr5126]

Would make a pretty good movie. Like a demented version of mice & men.

[@biancamlf288]

@@vidgamarr5126and continue to spread the stereotype that being schizophrenic is most dangerous for those around you and not yourself. You’re the type to love the movie Split, aren’t you?

[@nekrroid]

perhaps the reason Gary never started a fire or turned on the gas for warmth was because of Ted's aforementioned fear of fire? obviously a terrible choice for the sake of survival, but it seemed in that moment all Gary cared about was making sure his friend was comfortable, and he knew starting a fire would stress him out. A really tragic case regardless, i hope all these boys are resting easy now.

[@big_moment]

Well it was mentioned there was electricity...

[@amoureux6502]

​@@big_momentif there wasn't a space heater then they wouldn't have been able to heat with the electricity (barring the small amounts of heat that the electrical devices generate)

[@inthefort6003]

Didn't Ted literally sleep through a house fire?

[@big_moment]

@@inthefort6003 that's where he PICKED UP his fear of fire.

[@nekrroid]

@@inthefort6003 wendigoon mentions at around 7:20 that Ted developed a fear of fire after the house fire

[@elite_8]

I think the torches and heating elements went unused at the cabin because of Ted's fear of fire. Gary could have been trying to protect him and off his meds irrationally bought into Ted's fears.

[@janscimccaw9091]

To add to how terrifying this would be for Gary after everyone else died is his unmedicated paranoid schizophrenia. I can't imagine being in the woods. Hearing voices, paranoid delusions, and possibly visual hallucinations.

[@martinamaggio6976]

Well that was just fodder for my intrusive thoughts Now I'm stuck with the mental image of Gary haunted by hallucinations of his friends saying he let them die and being too ashamed or scared of what would happen to go back down the mountain :(

[@antaresthirdeldenlord4840]

Yeah the fact that knowing they all have a distaste for nature completely contradicts the idea they went up the mountain willingly.

[@boredweegie553]

id thought about that but why ,if they were forced,would whoever take the car just leave it up a mountain? I thought,a car jacking at first but,still doesn't make sense

[@antaresthirdeldenlord4840]

@@boredweegie553 a car jacking wouldn't require a 70 mile drive. Perhaps it was someone they all knew.

[@MrBombastic302]

It just means they didn't intend to leave the car, their reason for going up there could be as simple as taking a detour to prolong their time together.

[@baraenbojassen6611]

@@MrBombastic302How do you explain the open window on the car?

[@daddymuncher1015]

53

[@stupidbabey2071]

thinking about Gary caring for Ted until the very end only for half the internet to suspect he purposefully lead his friends to death breaks my heart

[@42sraf]

Well it could be the other way around for all we know. He might have killed the boys and half of the internet think he’s a saint who took care of the boys until we died. While I personally don’t think that he did it, we can’t completely dismiss him having bad intentions.

[@teamaster8004]

@@42srafif he had bad intentions why would he even bother keeping his bro alive

[@42sraf]

@@teamaster8004 if I would want to theorise I could come up with many reason. He might have killed him in his shizo delusion and regretted later and so on. Again I don’t think he had bad intentions but some people just say that he is innocent as if it’s a solid fact with proofs but it’s not.

[@joshbuck1586]

​@@42srafIt's really aggravating seeing comments like OPs acting like there's definitive proof when all we have are theories.

[@EagleTimberWolf]

@@joshbuck1586 The same thing could be said about the people vehemently insisting the "schizo" killed them all.

[@refukulated9603]

"At the end of the podcast Yuba County Five, by Mopac Audio, she reveals that their team was one of the first to get a full digitalized copy of the case from the police. As they were going through it, they found an internalized memo from the Sherriff from October 8, 2020 that said “Gary Matthias is believed to be a victim of foul play. This case remains open as a missing person/homicide case. It is in the best interest of all involved that this letter not be forwarded to the Matthias family.” I've never seen the actual document or anything, but this is interesting if true

[@lexirayee]

omg!!! why are they hiding it though!!! 🫣

[@atumanov55]

I don't get why these emergency shelters in the mountains didn't have some kind of button you could press in a time of emergency. That could've saved at least one life. Possibly even all of their lives.

[@settame1]

It’s also odd that it wasn’t checked during the search. I get it’s far out, but a survival shelter seems like a good place to find someone.

[@RyanRosario]

Most of them have landline service. Whether or not it is active during the winter, not sure.

[@apexyl5135]

@@settame1Because it’s 20 miles away. People probably assumed (and they would have done so naturally) that the boys went down the mountain, because why on earth wouldn’t they? Obviously we know now that there was a reason, but there’s literally not a single reason for the searchers to think “Ah, we must check upward! That’s where we’ll find them!” Think about it: Even NOW, with hindsight that they came up this mountain, we still can’t agree on why. How would the searchers possibly come to that conclusion to search upward when even now there’s no confirmed reason for them to do so?

[@katrinaoliver4167]

I live near here. This entire section of road is currently “closed for the winter” right now per maps, exactly 46 years to the week that they went missing. This could have saved their lives it was closed back in 1978 as well but they didn’t have as many alternate routes back then

[@lixyororke]

It was the 70s, so I assume the shelters were built even earlier. Possibly they just didn't have the infrastructure to do something like that when they were built. That kind of thing would require wiring and whatnot that I assume would've been expensive and time consuming considering the terrain and that it's on a mountain. Sure, it's a great idea, but if those cabins were built in the 50s? 40s? I don't know that the place would've been built with something like that in mind. I don't know though, maybe they were brand new and it was entirely possible

[@jakemitchell1132]

Wendigoon: This is a very spooky story where viewer discretion is advised. Also Wendigoon: Magic Spoon is life, Magic Spoon is eternal.

[@GrabTheSwitchMike]

Too bad the boys didn’t have any Magic Spoon :(

[@ShrexyGuy]

Magic spoon may just be the coming of the anti christ as it's officially taken grasp of our wholesome, devout, Wendidad

[@wyattsmith7556]

I love how you can just see a dead body floating in his pool in the background after the very quick cut.

[@JK-gm6kk]

Gotta fund that habit

[@p-__]

My farts are better than Wendigoon's farts

[@StariingDown]

Ted being scared of the dark, the woods, and fire honestly just sounds like common sense.

[@phatballs3570]

Ted is just that nigga

[@greywithana2678]

Who wouldn't be afraid of fire if you woke up and your room was on fire

[@barryjohnson8733]

yeah those are pretty instinctual fears to have

[@dimon007007]

@@greywithana2678 Very good point (I forgot about that)

[@mach3677]

bitches be like "how are you scared of wild animals and unexpected factors of nature" my brother in christ that's how fear keeps us alive

[@astrocat229]

your compassion and understanding for these boys mental disabilities is extremely refreshing. Thank you for seeing them as functional people when so many people didnt.

[@emmetthowell899]

As someone who was once forced to quit taking an antipsychotic medication cold turkey I can verify it’s horrible. Not only the physical sickness but being aware as your mind slips away to how you were before medication is awful. I’m not schizophrenic and took the medication for my bipolar disorder to manage mania and with how I felt I was becoming out of control to my own mind I can’t imagine how much worse it would be for someone with paranoid schizophrenia. Even though Gary didn’t die he was also a victim of this tragedy. After facing the fear that made them flee, seeing three people he loved die, and trying to take care of his dying friend he was losing his own reality but that doesn’t suddenly make someone dangerous as can be seen by how long he took care of Ted after the meds would’ve been out of his system

[@miles1560]

I have genuinely never heard ANYONE talk about the fact that Gary was getting medicated, and was benefiting greatly from it. I have heard people relay this case before many times, and Gary is always written off as being dangerous because of his mental health with no regard to the fact that he was getting treatment and doing well at the time of the disappearance. Thank you for actually taking this man and his disorder seriously.

[@Minednam]

So many podcast of people claiming to be good people and this is the first I’ve heard him covered like this.

[@Socrates526]

Everyone was taking his schizophrenia very seriously.

[@urgae9125]

@@Socrates526they weren’t if they’d neglected to note he always took his meds, based on how his behavior was greatly improved. You can cover his symptoms, and behaviors, but that needs to include the history of the behavior. ESPECIALLY when he’s writing his mantras to fry and stay grounded in the midst of a genuinely horrible situation.

[@marstar9410]

Not only was he medicated, but most people with schizophrenia are only a danger to themselves and not others. My uncle had schizophrenia and was such a sweet and amazing guy. He made beautiful art and loved animals. He and my cat were besties

[@ssr8555]

@@marstar9410 yeah. Gary definitely did things that hurt others (groping, punching a guy, breaking into a house) but from his history, it didn’t sound like he did those with the purpose of causing harm, but rather for his own benefit. If he really loved his friends then I don’t see what the benefit to him would be from killing them or putting them in a dangerous situation on purpose, especially if he was going to just disappear after it too (plus the note it is evident he took care of one of his friends in the trailer. Why bother doing that if it was intentional). If he wasn’t on medication then I could see how this could have been an accident, an impulsive trip because something in his mind wanted to go to the woods, but he was on meds and was doing great so that doesn’t see, 100% likely.

[@dazenguile4215]

i wish people understood-back then, even showing symptoms of ADHD would’ve gotten you labeled as “mentally deficient”.

[@heehoopeanut420]

Exactly

[@janetrose3750]

If women were even considered to be free spirits, they were almost instantly lobotomized, I mean, I’m probably getting my years mixed up most definitely, but what about the one Kennedy girl?

[@drrocketman7794]

To some people these days, it still does.

[@henkdachief]

rightfully so

[@maxs.3238]

​@@henkdachiefwell judging by the bs you're spewing you don't seem to be the brightest bulb either big man🙃

[@laurajunerose]

This story reminds of the Dyatlov Pass incident. No answers of why people would act in a way that threatened their well being and chance of survival. So very sad. You did an awesome job telling this story. Thank you!

[@SorAxel]

I saw a podcast, it's in spanish, that gave a really accurate theory on what happened and makes so much sense, it's like 2 hours long but just to make it short it involves a phenomenon called Von Karman Vortex, which makes your body vibrate in a frequency people don't perceive but makes you so nauseous, so the theory was that due to the winds and the pass structure, some scientists, according to the due, made a simulation that showed that it was indeed possible to get this phenomenon there, so the group felt that and terrified of what they were feeling fled the tent, then he goes on each individual and how the event went down, so yeah, it makes so much sense hearing it like that cause before it made no sense at all

[@LunaB5488]

I thought of the same thing (Dyatlov incident) ! Incredibly sad and heartbreaking

[@karinalopez9708]

​@alejandrofloreslerdodeteja2395 what's the name of the podcast??

[@SorAxel]

@@karinalopez9708 Leyendas Legendarias: E58: El Incidente en el Paso Dyatlov (con Mario Capistrán)

[@SorAxel]

@@karinalopez9708 Leyedas Legendarias E58: El Incidente en el Paso Dyatlov (con Mario Capistrán)

[@MagneticPowder]

I don’t know if Gary is innocent or guilty but how much would it suck to have spent your last days in mourning of your three dead friends and then trying but failing to save your last friend and you give up and leave to die and the news basically calls you a murderer. That would be tragic.

[@JessicaSmith-gw1dd]

Gary Mathias was my uncle. His sister Sharon was my mother. I appreciated your video and expressing my uncles mental illness with compassion rather then treating him as the villain like many others have done. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. To everyone; Please remember his family is still here and watching these videos too… and still grieving his loss for 45 years now…

[@MrIanMatthew]

I hope you and your family have a modicum of peace about the situation. God bless you all.

[@JessicaSmith-gw1dd]

Thank you 💗

[@jeffo7799]

So sorry to hear this, hope you can find closure one day

[@hydraevilsizer]

i hope your family the best

[@YoshLovesYou]

I believe, like Wendigoon seems to, that your uncle in fact most likely died a hero. Why they got lost is pretty irrelevant, but the evidence we have suggests that Gary successfully led the way to shelter, they simply weren't as capable as he and Gary, try as he might, could not save them. His compassion and dedication to his friends is evident in the state of Ted's remains and the cabin where Gary attempted to nurse him back to health. As someone who has experienced it before, I can say that suddenly going off your medication causes the symptoms to return in force. Gary was struggling with his illness the whole time that he was trying to save Ted's life, and afterward as he lived beside the corpse of his friend. Your uncle is a tragic figure who should be remembered for his courage and fellowship.

[@officialelonmuskyoutubecha4905]

I don’t think anyone is appreciating Wendi’s girl being an absolute trooper holding her breath for that magic spoon ad enough

[@OrangeYouGladILikedIt]

Literally! the one time I saw her talk she genuinely made me laugh I hope they do a vid together sometime

[@detectiveblunt4657]

Haha yeah.... holding her breath

[@malikevans2615]

Comments like this are seriously pathetic

[@burtemis1]

Bro she wasn’t acting… she’s still reported missing.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@burtemis1 She's going to be the subject of his new video

[@malavery5017]

my brother has down syndrome and he absolutely would know to push the car. even if he doesn’t know the underlying reasons that pushing would help, he’d be able to work that out. the idea that all five of the men wouldn’t know to push is ridiculous

[@Three_Sevens]

I'd bet a years pay on these things - The boys got into some kind of confrontation. - They were followed and got way off track trying to get away. -Gary being the leader but also a paranoid schizophrenic let his thoughts get the best of him and he had it in his mind that they were gonna be killed. - So when they got stuck he told them to run for their lives. And they ran up the mountain. This is also why Gary didn't light any fires. What probably would have been just a beating or some kind of bullying ,in Gary's mind was gonna be their murder. And I stand by that... it's the most sensible theory.

[@wenerjy]

This makes the most sense to me as well. The driver in the red pickup truck was the instigator that was tailing people (potentially an enforcer for weed growing operations that are extremely common in Yuba), and the boys' car broke down or got stuck and they panicked.

[@StellaChristelle]

I disagree. If you are familiar with the area you know that there are plenty of places to turn around and until way up there, there are turn offs. So why wouldn’t they simply have turned around? Why would they go uphill not down? And this is way off in the opposite direction from Yuba city. So where would the tailing have started. No think you have it wrong.

[@BeEnNLGaming]

But why is the car not damaged? It was claimed impossible to get there with no damage driving slowely. If being chased its even more impossible.

[@HerbeyStudies]

@@StellaChristellethe boys weren’t familiar with the area

[@BeckyGard]

Thabks for sharing it. IVe watched a million different versions of this story and ive always left scratching my head....what HAPPENED?!?! And you I do believe have answered that question that has troubled me for a very long time now.

[@sterlingwilkes3240]

Let me be totally honest with you. I really appreciate how you humanize your subjects, not just “they were all mentally handicapped” or “they just kept this irradiated man alive for three months”. Youre a quality guy for doing that

[@alertrcb5928]

Truuuee

[@deerecoyote2040]

TBH, as an autistic person, I would armchair diagnose two of them (I don't remember the names lol) as autistic. They seem to fit a lot of the criteria. They do a lot of things and showed a lot of behaviors that me and many other autists have, and perhaps they were good enough at masking to go mostly unnoticed by everyone else. Edit: I think Ted and Jack Madruga were the ones I was talking about, Ted, and the guy who really liked his car. I totally could be wrong though, this is just my crackpot theory.

[@armintor2826]

Many of these stories ive heard of before, but Wendigoon goes about it with a totally different perspective that makes the story that i believed i had an otherwise simple understanding of, sound like that something totally new to me. Like i thought the irradiated man story was a cruel against-his-will experiment to see how long a human can last but now i understand that they and even himself wanted to survive. They pulled the best doctors from around the ENITRE world to save that mans life. It wasnt an act of malign curiosity it was a genuine attempt to save someones life from a force of sheer nature

[@squidward8125]

that didnt take any honesty

[@spliphos8769]

Gotta love the people who make fun of others for saying a phrase.

[@Alex-mf3jj]

I appreciate that you treat the boys as PEOPLE and not reducing them solely to their disabilities

[@LiamMcc]

@@Bigfortniteguylovesfortnite weirdly aggressive there

[@dimmi_woah8520]

@@Bigfortniteguylovesfortnite You could still treat them with respect?

[@elvenbugs]

bare minimum but a lot of people dont do that unfortunately

[@cawsomeaolin]

@@elvenbugsyes. that is the point.

[@yourhope5410]

@@Bigfortniteguylovesfortnitethey might not care, and it might not affect them, but it DOES affect people living with similar disabilities today as well as their families. Creating negative stereotypes and stigmas can absolutely harm disabled people.

[@glamdolly30]

I often wonder if the boys got into some kind of road rage incident with Joseph Schons that night, and the volatile older man possibly hit and/or threatened one or more of them, sending them fleeing, terrified, up the mountain on foot to their ultimate deaths. Such behaviour from Schons would not be out of character. He had a violent history, with two criminal convictions for assault. Such an altercation with the boys could have been the real cause of Schons' heart attack. He may have lied to police to cover up the critical role he played in the deaths of the 5 young men.

[@nolimitmoto119]

“Once he lifted his sons jacked a spine fell from it” That really messed me up… No human should have to go through that…

[@MoonDoggie82]

Here's my rule of thumb: Never trust a grieving family when they talk about possible motives of other people especially when it's contradicted by other people statements. Absolutely take it into consideration but never hold it higher than other evidence. EVERYONE said on his meds he was an upstanding citizen he got his life together, but all the family held onto was "well he had a criminal past and was violent!" Completly disregarding and the facts that he has grown, sought help and changed his behavior and made amends. They just needed someone to hate and to blame.

[@bronsontolliver9027]

"on his meds" being a key phrase. He certainly ran out at some point during this ordeal. Not saying that he became violent, but there's plenty of danger you can put people in and through without a closed fist.

[@nckojita]

⁠@@bronsontolliver9027owever considering everyone’s cause of death, that seems unlikely; gary’s body was never found, and so we have no idea of what condition he was in. for all we know his hands were frostbitten and he could no longer open cans eventually, which is when they stopped using the rations. honestly gary being an aggressor of any kind in this case is like… a wildly out there theory when you look at what little evidence there is tbh. at most by the time his meds wore off he may have still been too paranoid and scared to turn on heating or start a fire - and ted was scared of fire, so he might have not wanted one to be started. wrapping up a body is usually a sign that a person cares for the person and he may have even stayed with his body in the trailer for some time before leaving, in which case covering it is what most people would do. i would guess he wandered off afterward either to try and get to civilization or to die (bc all his friends are dead and he’s probably still suffering from medication withdrawals) or just bc sometimes schizophrenic ppl do that during episodes and god knows thats enough to send you into one. someone will probably find a skeleton that gets dna matched to the guy up in the mountains somewhere one day & then the only real mystery will be why they went up there in the first place 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@NuthaMuthaLuva]

Gary’s past wasn’t an issue when they were all hanging out to begin with. Plus, Gary tended to sexually assault women and then fight their boyfriend/husband, why would he turn on his friends?

[@SquidwardTentacles225]

needing to blame others is a major reaction of a traumatic event, makes sense

[@doom3798]

‘on his meds’ yeah. without his meds he assaulted people and stole from people and was generally unhinged. like….

[@Froz3nTundra]

As someone with schizophrenia, it can’t be overstated how crazy it is that Mathias could do literally anything while going through withdrawal from his meds. I dropped from a high dose to a medium dose of Geodon and it basically left me bedridden for a couple of days. I would not wish antipsychotic withdrawal on my worst enemy.

[@solaresares]

ayeee i take geodon/ziprasidone too. but yeah, withdrawal is brutal for me as well, it often induces more hallucinations because of the insomnia that comes along with it

[@greendalf123]

@@solaresaresis it rude to ask what you hallucinate? I heard stories of people who tried drugs like ayahuasca and wondered if that’s similar to what schizophrenics see

[@kylesyx8432]

I lost my oldest to this problem, he self medicated w some fentanyl laced Xanax and died 2 yrs ago

[@redcoat2411]

@@kylesyx8432very sorry for you’re loss

[@Ademorbs]

@@kylesyx8432may they rest in peace and be happy in the after life, I’m sure they’re waiting for you with open arms :((

[@drgunsmith4099]

This case always makes my brain hurt, it’s truly sketchy and strange.

[@ryanrobison8973]

I wonder if Gary had somehow angered or offended one of the drug pushers he used to buy from in a psychotic episodes. Then, the dreams about disappearing with some other guys would make sense, because he would have been still scared for his life (after presumably being threatened after he did something while psychotic) and was scared his friends would get hurt too with him. It also would explain how they could have been driven into the woods so fast by a single guy or small group. If Gary knew them from his drug-indulging days, then he knows to absolutely not fuck with them, and knowing that they would likely kill him if they got ahold of him, alongside his friends, he, as the leader of the group, set the pace and tone of the flight into the woods. Also, the red truck might have actually been at the gas station, trailing the boys, and then the people there just stretched it out a bit to help their chances at the money, Also, also, the older asshole guy might have actually had that heart attack on the top of the mountain road after being threatened and questioned by the drug gang people/guy. There's just so much to this story.

[@lexirayee]

@@ryanrobison8973this is good!!!

[@kylewilson3751]

The 2 cars being stuck so close together seems like more than a coincidence. I think the town drunk dude was chasing them, they got their car stuck so he pulled off just ahead of them, chased them into the woods assuming he had a gun, walked back to his car and realized he had gotten stuck too.

[@dankbuds-md5li]

He left the bar drunk at like 8-9 pm. The boys were in Chico after 10 pm and schons car was ahead of their car. There were no tracks going around the boys car

[@dankbuds-md5li]

The boys got in a fight at a convenience store after 10 pm called the behr market brawl. Those are most likely your chasers

[@apexyl5135]

@@dankbuds-md5liThere weren’t any reports of a fight? What happened?

[@dankbuds-md5li]

@@apexyl5135 where they bought snacks at behr market, which is confirmed, locals supposedly started harrasssing one of them - the dude, I forget his name now, from the army the oldest one, ran up and fought them and there was a brawl. All of their families and virtually everyone in Chico takes this as sacrosanct, there’s tons of reports of this taking place

[@dankbuds-md5li]

@@apexyl5135 my theory has always been the behr market brawl led to them being chased. If you look at the road they were found on, it’s essentially the same road that’s the main exit into oroville, so I figure they were getting chased and were trying to dodge ppl chasing them, wound up hitting the snow and bailed when they got stuck

[@Raphe9000]

Unironically, the drunk uncle vibe you bring to your videos is probably one of the most comforting and enjoyable video formats on the platform.

[@hippiestoner3411]

I've never been able to describe why I love his content as much as I do. Thank you kind stranger.

[@morgangunning30]

can confirm, got dumped a week ago and wendigoon is the only thing that I can find joy in watching right now. always so comforting

[@White_Breeder]

​@@morgangunning30squad

[@emlynselene1096]

​@@morgangunning30When I got dumped in December I was the exact same way. I don't know your situation, so I won't say "everything will be okay", but I can promise you that at some point things will get a bit easier

[@Danny344S]

@@morgangunning30oh my

[@leatherneck7778]

Imagine jacks father. Your son has been missing for several months, and of all the people searching, you happen to be the one to find something that belonged to him, and you pick it up, and his spine falls out. The sheer horror and disgust must have been unworldly.

[@MightyMoon1]

I felt terrible for him when I heard that. That’s a detail I don’t remember ever hearing before. I don’t know how I could live after seeing that. My heart would be broken even further and mind would be haunting me so much I think I’d be suicidal at some point. I’m probably missing something pretty obvious here but I wonder where the rest of his skeleton was? Why was just his spine there? I can see him getting eaten and picked at by animals, maybe pieces of him getting dragged off but it seems odd that only his spine remained.

[@Zaybith_7]

​@@MightyMoon1well to be *completely speculative* it was probably that the spine was the only thing that came with the jacket when the father pulled on it. A vertebrae could have been caught on the inside and was disloged by picking it up The remainder of his bones were probably under the jacket and in the nearby area

[@urgae9125]

@@Zaybith_7yeah, I feel it could’ve been a partial spine, could have been the thoracic segment/part of it since he certainly would’ve been clutching the jacket to himself, and parts could’ve caught on the jacket.

[@Michael-ex8lk]

Such a horrific image and utterly inconceivable.

[@srdf990]

Step on a crack you break yo momma's back

[@ratchet0120]

My theory. Volkswagen dude had road rage chased the boys off the road, passed out drunk, next morning woke up and saw they didn’t go back to their car and panicked.

[@Hopeandpeaceinjesus]

These men sound like a delight. What a blessing they must have been to their loved ones.

[@kendavis5063]

The fact that Ted was wrapped up the way he was shows respect. If Gary was a cold blooded killer, he would have just left the body. Also, Gary probably took off because he knew he would be the scapegoat being he was the only one left alive. So I don’t blame him for taking off.

[@lalli8152]

I dont believe Gary killed him, but i think some killers do actually for example cover the victim or atleast face with something. Its kinda like act of remorse, and guilt because not all killers are full blown psychopaths. Even though i dont suspect him for example though if he would have had some kinda psychotic fit due to his mental illness, and wiuld gave killed him he could then be remorseful or some kinda delusion could be motive. I think what actually happened as his friend died he would have also been in extremely bad condition likely at that point both physically, and mentally he then maybe as last resort took off to find safety, but been weak, and such just died in the woods. Also i feel if wendigoon is correct, and they were scared of someone him been literally paranoid schitzophrenic might have made him extremely well paranoid maybe explaining why he didnt build fires, and all that

[@42sraf]

He might have killed him and show remorse later.

[@42sraf]

Just to add, my dad friend had a surgery gone wrong and had oxygen shortage in brain or something similar, making him lose him sanity. Even on meds sometimes he would be almost normal, then he would accuse my dad of being demon and that god told him to kill all demons (common in mentally unwell people)

[@wealde]

It might just be projection of what I would have done if I was Gary, but I had kinda thought that maybe he'd left because he didn't want to be in the place that his friend had passed away because of emotions, and he didn't have the heart to remove the body and put it back out in the cold that he succumbed to, but that was what I'd built up in my head during the video. Or at least what I hope for. I'm sure realistically he would have had other reasons to leave, but again, probably projection.

[@juliadwiggins-jo3fo]

No a person capable of killing eouldnt wrap their body..... A real killer.... someone who's so obsessed with killing g they possibly plan it in their head n all that most likely would have some form of ritual or respect for people.... Most likely he killed them or another group did and made sure he was never found so it looks so

[@SweetReed17]

Isnt Ted afraid of fire? That could potentially be a reason they never lit the torches or started a fire to keep warm.

[@TheHighvolt480]

There was also the gas heater that they uncovered when getting blankets though. And unless it went to a fireplace it likely wouldn't be a heating system with an open flame.

[@SweetReed17]

@@TheHighvolt480 ahhh that's a good point. I forgot about heater..

[@huntermcnabb2791]

@@TheHighvolt480gas heaters mostly cause some sort of flame

[@TheHighvolt480]

@@huntermcnabb2791 radiators, furnaces and heat exchangers all can use propane and none of them have exposed flame. I've been trying to figure out what kind of heater it was in the shelter, or at least if it was a prefab shelter that has floor plans or adverts that have that info but no luck so far.

[@ClaymanV]

Still tho yall think of this: if Ted's afraid of the woods and the dark too then he was just (for lack of better term) "forced" to go through just that. If he was truly afraid of those things he likely was terrified, maybe even inconsolable, so when Gary thinks about a fire or even the heater he might not have wanted to traumatize his friend more than he already was. Keep in mind too, that silly store aside, Ted woke up to his CEILING in flames in that house fire, so I can see him being extremely triggered even by the thought of fire/a heater. Further heaters, even ones without exposed flame, can sound very very much like fire is just a-spreading.

[@davidcantrell2568]

As a renegade therapist I would say that Jack Medruga could have had a learning disability (dyslexia and so on). Considering he did just fine working outside of a strictly ordered school. Also, “I’ll be late for work, that fire will still be there when I wake up later”. That 100% sounds like something I would’ve said before.

[@settame1]

My husband and I woke up to our entire bedroom filled with smoke because the smoke alarm went off. Our apartment always had the alarms going off so we both rolled over and tried to go back to sleep (even mentioning the smoke as we did). It was only because our dog hated the alarm that we decided to wake up enough to realize the entire apartment was smoke filled and we had to get out. So I can definitely see waking up to a fire and your first thought being go back to sleep.

[@ColtTheWolf]

Waking up and seeing your ceiling on fire only to go back to sleeping is honestly concerning levels of relatable

[@bigpapamagoo8696]

That and spending a hundred dollars on pencils. Maybe it’s the autism but he’s so real for that one.

[@xminusone1]

I would probably think I'm having a nightmare

[@settame1]

My husband and I did this when our apartment was on fire. Our bedroom and apartment were filled with smoke, the only reason we got up was because the dog wouldn’t go back to sleep. Like we actually talked about it-we didn’t want to get up because my husband had a big day at work.

[@ElectricJelly03]

I woke up to a chair in my bedroom being on fire. No smoke alarms. Funnily enough, when the thick black smoke from burning synthetic materials fills most of the room and you have to drop to the ground to get air that your body doesnt violently reject, it has a way of motivating you

[@xe8905]

Buddy of mine pretty much had this happen. He's not nuts so he didn't go back to sleep but you know

[@jeremycoffen4619]

Hearing how jacks dad found him makes me feel sick, I can’t imagine a more painful and heartbreaking experience

[@abroogie]

I was listening to the video from another room at that point and was like "oh no, my heart breaks for that father, what a terrible thing to find your sons own jacket..." and then Wendi quickly followed up with the spine falling out and it made my stomach turn. Good God only knows how a parent could even fathom that combination of events on top of everything else...

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

Everybody nowadays is walking around with a smartphone. I’m surprised more murderers don’t record their deaths and send them to all their contacts. I cannot think of anything more vicious. Shoulda bought me that Nintendo, mom.

[@michelleanderson245]

Right? Like, even if he was prepared for his son to not be found alive it's a whole other level to find the corpse/body parts

[@urgae9125]

@@TheRealCaptainFreedomwtf man, this isn’t the time or place for this.

[@TheRealCaptainFreedom]

@@urgae9125 Says you.

[@duraburr3612]

10:00 I may not be religious myself, but I think it's so incredibly sweet and kind that he went out of his way to read the bible to elderly and/or sick people. it really feels like such a beautiful soul was lost.

[@speakofhisgrace]

Nothing compares to Jesus ❤️

[@catcadev]

Man... Y'know I really liked these boys. They seemed like an all-round great bunch and they didn't deserve their fate. Especially the reading to the elderly bit... They didn't deserve it

[@SnowblindOtter]

Malice? No. Bad decisions and mistakes? Yes. Ted was kept alive for MONTHS by Gary, and he was wrapped well head to toe in blankets when they found him. You don't murder your friend and then lay them to rest like that after having tried your best to keep them alive for that long. Something else happened to those boys, and somewhere out there, Gary is waiting to be found and put to rest himself.

[@oyasumae7319]

true. these boys were literally like brothers I wouldn't believe that Gary offed his brothers.

[@victory8928]

The biggest mystery is honestly why were they there. At the time of the incident, you need to be purposefully travelling to the area where the boys got out of their car from where they left and they had no plans or reason to be there as they were preparing for an event at the time as well. Everything else makes sense given what the families, witnesses and police say about the situation and boys. The main issue at the site is why did they leave as they did which can be explained by looking at the main witness and he seemingly has bad blood with Gary from when Gary was not medicated. So the why they were there is the biggest mystery that needs to be solved. Were they harassed by some people who then chased them off their path leading them to follow the primary witness up the mountain or something else

[@beanybabyrabie]

Some people who murder others LITERALLY adorn their bodies, cover them respectfully, wash them etc….. what you said is not necessarily true

[@victory8928]

@@beanybabyrabie eitherway, Gary had shown great care and love to his friends and the families do not think he was capable of doing such a thing even as his meds wore off

[@ItsToColdInMN]

@@victory8928 one of the boys had a friend along the highway that lead up in the mountain, you had to take a certain exit which they missed because the road was dark. I feel like they were trying to see their buddy and then while waiting for the exit to come up they missed it and then thinking it was still coming up they ended up just driving straight until they ended up at a dead end, as to why they didn’t turn around and just drive back down, thats the part that doesn’t make sense to me. One thing we often take for granted is how much we use gps to get around, its hard finding your way around a city you don’t know in broad daylight let alone a dark mountain pass with no gps and then getting lost, maybe where they ended up had them so turned around they decided to stay until morning to gather their bearings and then something happened in the night.

[@skadisonn8630]

Friend. As someone who lives with schizophrenia, I can not put to words the feelings that I have over just.. like.. the benefit of the doubt you give Gary, despite his many faults and acting out. We're not monsters, and I know it's stupid, but it means so much to see someone with your clout and pull to just treat us like people. You're a very bright light in a very dark world. And as always, you're welcome for watching.

[@Grimlooper]

You can tell that he has empathy and values human life. To truly care is a blessing and a curse, much like (but very different from) other peoples struggles. It’s not hard to use your pain to empathize with others, even if you cannot understand- you should at least try. No one should die or suffer more simply for being different.

[@15gamershaven89]

I hope more people show you guys that we don't think you're monsters

[@aelix56]

It's really not about your morals but rather your brain playing tricks on you. A man beat his mother to death not because of malice but because he believed she was covered in bees and he was beating them off. Bloody and brutal but I don't doubt the kid loved his mom and felt sickened he did that.

[@macifesting2193]

I felt the exact same way. As another paranoid schizophrenic person, we are so demonized through media and society. It made me so emotional that Wendigoon gave Gary the benefit of the doubt and didn't use his mental illness as a guilty sentence.

[@gruzi.]

@@macifesting2193there are people in your walls and you’re being watched

[@thesamanthacassie]

One thing to note as well for the times - paranoid schizophrenia was a blanket diagnosis. He may not have had actual schizophrenia. It wasn’t until late 90s and early 00s that schizophrenia has been defined the way we know/understand it today. So I would also like to see a modern psychiatric professional look at his medical files to get a better idea of how we would classify him with our knowledge today. That could confirm or deny the theory of Gary being responsible. Also too, medications were heavier than today. Gary could have experienced withdrawal and succumbed to that early on and like the boys, have been food for wildlife. This could make him harder to find and even answer why he isn’t found in the same area as the other boys. Edit: not just paranoid schizophrenia but psychopathy as well were blanket for the time. Mostly because this is when a lot of modern day serial killers and crimes began and we had to develop an understanding- which takes time, criminals, and lots of research.

[@user-gm4iz1eh5n]

Just a thought of that Gary wrapped his friend’s body so caring & respectful before he left him, almost made me cry. Also that he actually didn’t start a fire because of the fire fear of his friend, knowing they’d both die from the cold without the heat, speaks his possible love for his friend as well. Plus he knew what was going to happen when his meds wore off. That is scary as well. If this is how it went down. It’s soo sad for them & their families.

[@juanlescano3646]

As someone with schizophrenia, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being kind and understanding, because I can not put in words how afraid I am of people seeing me as a threat to others. Thank you.

[@Blessed_V0id]

Hes not the only one. I dont see you as a theeat either : ) Hope your ok. May the world be kinder than the past has been to you

[@orionshi4009]

You're a human being, not an accident waiting to happen, Juan! And like me, there are many others outside who will look at you for your humanity.

[@SewardWriter]

I've had a number of friends and acquaintances with different types of schizophrenia, and they're all wonderful people whose brains battle against them. It's a cruel condition, but it doesn't define any of them. (HUG)

[@funfairordnance]

I know, right?! I’m also schizophrenic, and I only open up to people who are understanding because usually, when they don’t they think I’m crazy or become cautious. We can’t help being neurodivergent. Kind people are such a breath of fresh air, especially when they advocate for people like us and look into the subject with care. -w-

[@funfairordnance]

@@SewardWriterIt is seriously cruel, it makes daily life difficult and I don’t even want to wake up some days. I hope they’re getting the help they need, and I hope you have a good day.

[@postaldudeshusband]

an an autistic person myself, i appreciate the way you talked about the boys the way you did and not just "oh they are stupid and died!"

[@greysonholtz]

the level of sheer ableist ignorance by people that cover this case is truly fucking astounding - and Wendigoon is always so respectful and kind when talking about terrible cases like this one. I have a lot of respect for him with his video on this case and others. As another autistic person, he has a really great grasp on what it would be like for a disabled person to experience this compared to how most people describe it.

[@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon]

Well, I mean, they literally had a lower intelligence, except for the smart guy and the ex military...

[@honeycrispsnail4032]

i ain’t autistic but i have ADHD that affects my life a lot. it means so much that he didn’t just say they bumbled off into freezing weather, trudging over sheets of snow, didn’t have the idea to push their car, and didn’t think to keep walking on the main road. just because someone is disabled doesn’t mean they don’t have basic survival instincts or knowledge.

[@greysonholtz]

@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon intelligence is relative, for the most part. From some of their descriptions, they definitely didn't have high academic intelligence, but that doesn't mean they made decisions randomly. Most of them would have been able to make decently logical decisions, it's their emotional response that's the problem.

[@ih2738]

@@illseeyaonthedarksideofthemoon They're still human and deserving of empathy, no?

[@emersonwright972]

Good guy Wendi once again proving that a little bit of humanity and empathy can melt all our hearts, even when the topic of conversation is so horrific.

[@macruss4500]

my family had a cabin right near where this happened. my uncle used to tell me they were still wandering the woods around there and scared the hell out of me.

[@Ducky_1987]

What’s interesting too is you mentioned gary’s tennis shoes were found at the trailer, but ted’s leather boots were missing and never found. It would make a lot of sense for Gary, after Ted dying, to take his boots instead of the tennis shoes, to try and trek out of the snowy forest. Obviously boots would be the much better option for hiking through deep snow.

[@sonia-nf3eh]

this is what i thought too

[@Eldeecue]

yeah. The people who think Gary went apeshit hollywood psychonuts and was responsible for the whole thing are...misguided, at best. He's very definitely dead, nothing left of his body.

[@amel888]

Immediately when he mentioned Gary's tennis shoes were left and Ted's boots were missing I thought "Oh he must have took his instead, it would be better for walking in snowy woods"

[@antaresthirdeldenlord4840]

That's exactly what I thought as soon as he mentioned that

[@yorkshire_tea6875]

The only issue if what size shoe did they both wear?

[@treepigg7967]

I do really like the idea that Gary did everything he thought he could to save the others. That despite whatever schizophrenic episodes he may or may not have been experiencing in that trailer, he was sound enough to look after Ted.

[@Disaster724]

That’s what really got me about this story. He had to have been fighting so so hard to take care of Ted 😢💔

[@absolutelyalice1754]

To survive in the cold for as long as Ted did is a testament to Gary's skill.

[@rinashort3919]

The detail of the positive affirmations etchings found in the cabin really got to me. Thinking about Gary just trying to keep himself stable while he was withdrawing from his meds, in a traumatic situation, so he could take care of himself and his friend.

[@absolutelyalice1754]

@@Disaster724 And he lovingly wrapped Ted's body up after he passed.

[@TheSlammurai]

I believe that taking care of Ted staved off the worst of the negative effects and after losing Ted Gary just succumbed and walked off into the wilderness.

[@Dippuler]

Okay but added theory what if the man did see the flashlight in the woods and when he did yell for “help”(or in general to get someone’s attention in his drunken state) they turn the flashlights off, but the people holding the flashlight were what the boys were running from and so terrified of.

[@bryonslatten3147]

Imagine Gary walking out of the forest into Chico in the year 2033, at the age of 80, with a story that changes everything we thought we knew.

[@katrinaoliver4167]

He once walked from Portland to marysville/Yuba city. He either died right away or that cats been out of the forest for the past 46 years

[@Bugsy_Brown]

an alternate reason why Gary stayed in the cabin without using the torches or heater (other than him being off his meds) is he didn’t realize how bad off he was and wanted to conserve his resources not knowing how long he’d be there

[@kenjethao7774]

Almost like how a lot of people died of dehydration out in the desert despite having plenty of water in their containers, they want to ration out their supplies and underestimate how much they need to survive.

[@JojiUrHomie]

possibly but for him not to have used a single one the entire time seems a bit weird if that was his strategy

[@Tonsils-micman]

@@JojiUrHomie he was also a schizophrenic, that probably had a hand in too.

[@katethielen3883]

Didn't Ted hate fire?

[@Tonsils-micman]

@@katethielen3883 yeah

[@katiewingfield]

The legend about Gary writing his affirmations as he fought to survive and take care of his dying friend is truly heartbreaking. Same with the detail about candles and playing cards being used. In his final moments- even as he was battling unmedicated schizophrenia- he acted with so much compassion and determination. Even if it’s just a legend, it says a lot that there are local people out there who want to believe it.

[@almond3066]

Same with the story of him allegedly defending his more disabled friend from mockery at the basketball game Even if they aren't true, it is confirmed by many he was defensive of his friends and it makes me sad how much people seem to dehumanize him into some emotionless psychopath who would have been willing to kill all his friends at any moment, especially when it's pretty obvious he was proven to be taking care of a dying ted the best he could

[@GayToBeHere]

This. When Wendigoon first told the story, the only thing I thought Gary could have done wrong was ''not light a fire'' because he was struggling with his unmedicated schizophrenia/paranoia and was scared something would happen to him and his friend if they were found. Schizophrenic people always get portrayed as monsters in medias when in reality they can be perfectly ok people. My teacher had a schizophrenic friend who the only thing he heard as voices (he thought it was God) was ''take care of stray cats and feed them'' which is pretty sweet.

[@turtle7043]

​@@GayToBeHerei dont think him not lighting a fire was wrong they were clearly being hunted

[@abagailbilledeaux4945]

No matter what happened, this is just horrific. The thought of not having meds for something as debilitating as Gary's mental illness seemed and slowly sliding back into such a dark place, writing affirmations, and living with the weight of whatever happened to get them all there... it's unfathomable. On a lighter note, the outro was great ❤

[@ryanrobison8973]

I just can't believe that police were told by the park rangers that they probably would want to check out these trailer shelters they have to specifically keep people alive, but the police couldn't be bothered to even send one dude by.

[@alatusseraphim]

The one thing about this that has bothered me throughout the entire video is that most of the boys were doing things they never would have done. Scared of the woods, the dark, etc. ended up going to the woods in the dark. Why did they even take the detour?

[@bekawright8226]

Plus, one possible explanation for Gary not lighting the fire, Ted was afraid of fire. It's bittersweet to think that Gary was trying to be considerate of his buddy's feelings, even in the most dire of situations

[@juliadwiggins-jo3fo]

No get real.... You aren't going to freeze to death or allow someone to freeze to death..... Are you really that niave?

[@liberpolo5540]

... Oh god I hadn't thought about that and now I am disturbed

[@bekawright8226]

@@juliadwiggins-jo3fo I didn't say it was smart, my dude.

[@PR0MAN01]

Put that doesn't explain the gas valve he could've turned. Lighting a fire wasn't his only option.

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@juliadwiggins-jo3foL

[@ikeatable1]

Dude might have been a bit off his rocker unmedicated, but Gary was a man of pure willpower

[@generalmarkmilleyisbenedic8895]

Vic Rattlehead

[@justinbiller6683]

one of the madlads of history

[@talancorwell]

A man of focus, commitment, and sheer will.

[@ballistischerfalke4061]

Nice pfp

[@zero424]

After watching this video, I had another theory. You mentioned near the end about the 'hate against the Gateway Projects'. It is also well known that some extremist individuals were hateful/repulsed towards differently-abled individuals in that era. Shone's daughter having dysphagia could be his relation to such groups and peoples. I think it's important you highlighted this, as well as the fact that the small town nature means everyone likely knows each other in one way or another (meaning it's not easy to get away with such crimes or to present such beliefs). There is a chance that Shone harbored frustrations, resentment, or such ill-feelings towards said peoples, himself, his daughter, or particularly one or more of the boys; giving him a motive (e.g. if they were forming a relationship with his daughter or due to the place, era, and circumstancial mindsets therein. Such emotions overprotective parents, parents with differently-abled children, and parents in general often struggle with, if even momentary). I can't imagine the full complication to which Shone operated, but with the limited data it at least seamed he battled some big demons, anger problems, was a compulsive lier, and was directly involved at some point. Perhaps, there could also be an element of personal connections which is relevant and most likely he is withholding/twisting information for his personal agenda. I think it would be worth investigating more into Shone's cabin estate, his personal relationship with his daughter, his relationship with the other members of the differently-abled community, as well as Shone's daughter's context within the Gateway Projects community (and with the boys personally/individually if any). My theory is that: as Shone is a compulsive but inconsistent lier, certain elements of his story were true and key for viability/consistency's sake. Those elements being that he interacted with 'the boys' and *A* rusty red pickup truck. I believe Shone had seen *A* red pickup truck on occasion in the area and used it as a diversion to his own true intent/actions; which was either leading the boys up the mountain, or to cover his interactions with them while they were all up there together (by chance or by coercion). My sense tells me he held a personal malice which never presented an opportunity to express itself until this point; until the worst of his judgement got the better of him (or a culmination of several personal issues). Thus, it was not difficult for him to keep concealed and avoid suspicion afterward as he had always done, on top of his solid diversions. Maybe the red truck has another reason too, like to get revenge on his old drug dealer if it belongs to them. I think the boys didn't go up the mountain through fear of violence but probably through false urgency or by manipulation of good will (or of something else like naïvety or some kind of reward). Unfortunately, individuals similar to 'the boys' shown in this story are prone to gullibility. Additionally, if the boys were being chased, there is a high likelihood they could find a way to signal other cars or people of their distress; especially within the distance they covered and having control of a vehicle (assuming they had some basic options and were not under direct gunpoint/blackmail). Maybe the boys wanted to buy some drugs and followed Shone to that location willingly, as Shone had such connections; or maybe he convinced them to help him retrieve his car from that place; or maybe he offered his cabin to them in congratulations; or that his daughter invited them to come hang out; or blackmail; etc; all with either the intent to send them to their deaths or by mistake, based on a miscalculated request. To expand, no one spoke out about a car being chased or signaling for help, which would be quite obvious. When the car was found, the window was open and doors unlocked, meaning there was a conversation with the driver, it was without force, and it was left in a rush. What kind of rush? Most likely a gun-to-your-face type situation, a quickly-in-and-out type situation, or a emergency-help-no-time type situation. An example of a gun/threat of violence situation is covered in the video; a quickly situation example would be Shone asking for a quick push to dislodge his car; and emergency situation example might be Shone directing the boys that: up ahead is some emergency (or necessity, prize, etc) that requires all their immediate attention. An rough example I imagine out of many possible combinations would be: Shone brings the boys out to the location to 'sell them drugs', but suddenly has -or makes up- a medical emergency/heart attack and tells the boys his cabin is just up ahead and to go get help (the order could stem from actual worry or premeditated malice). In a rush and knowing they must move as a unit due to their competencies and difficulties therein (it's very hard to manage 4 differently-abled people, especially if you are one yourself; you can not leave anyone as it may be more of a problem), the boys reluctantly leave Shone in his car (as he would probably instruct) while they frantically run to find the cabin and call for help. This is all mainly assuming Shone has malice for these boys for some reason or another, as well as that only Gary would really need to be convinced since he seems to be the leader of the bunch. Another consideration is that Gary also had army experience/training/sense which would make him more inclined to help and tackle challenges, which could easily be taken advantage of. Or maybe they really did stay at the cabin together for a time, with Shone lying to the boys that he already notified their team/family members (hence the store sightings). All while he executed his plan. Or maybe Shone guided them along the 20 mile trail he was familiar with but the boys weren't, suggesting deadly options to the unsuspecting boys (like: if you are tired then wait here we will be back, I'll take the equipment and go search ahead, don't use fire or you'll attract bears/ghosts, etc). Or maybe the red truck are drug dealers/dangerous people as suggested and they intervened (but I don't know what they would be doing out there in that season/condition; highly unlikely to be growing or such I think). All just my imagination really but I still see many possibilities. Just too many unknowns... Speaking of unknowns- when on an unknown trail, one main thing that keeps people going forwards is knowing that there is something at the end, and how far it is. You don't take a 20 mile trail and keep going at 5 miles when you know you can't make it for obvious reasons like weather. If the boys didn't know the trail beforehand, they must have had the idea that something was 'just ahead' for them to keep pushing forwards with no gear, no preparation, and with such conditions and circumstances they were already in. This could also explain why they didn't use the heating equipment at the trailer; they could have been continuously moving with the perception that their salvation was just ahead and they couldn't affort to stop (but had to stop nonetheless due to health concerns). Yet this doesn't fully explain the long duration at the trailer without heat. I would probably attribute this to a forlorn+delusional Gary. If they were being chased, why would they continue to take a road and risk getting caught? When you could just go briefly into the forest and hide. Or why would you stay in the same trailer just off the trail and risk getting found but not lighting a fire? To me it sounds implausible from the beginning that someone chased them. If the naïvety and best interest of the boys was manipulated with ill-intent, it makes much more sense in my eyes how they got there. They probably were coerced into a deadly situation through Shone's personal malice/vendetta/accident which would reduce his personal involvement+ties, on top of his 'red truck' misdirection. Or someone else coerced them for reasons unknown. My imaginaiton of the situation is kind of like movie, "The Usual Suspects" (which -as a side-note- is a great movie that I recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it). Additionally, the gold watch could have a significance too. They really should have tried to find who it belonged to, as such an item is not something that is easily nor purposefully lost. If it was not one of the park ranger's, maybe it was Shone's? Or what if it was a prize or incentive used by the perpetrator to manipulate the boys into taking the 20 mile path to their demises? In the end, I believe Gary, being the leader, having miltary experience, being overprotective, running out of medicine, and many other factors, probably drove him to lose his sanity and disregard his own life (or try to find help but in a perturbed/distorted way). With the mindset of walking 557 miles as well as being the most surival-capable of the bunch, he likely left others behind naïvely thinking he'd come back in no time with help to save everyone; imagining incorrectly that help was around the corner and/or overestimating everyone's abilities as compared to his own. I don't think I could live with the burden that I got tricked, carried my best friends to their death and watched them suffer, missed my big game, let my dead friends and their families down, made the worst decisions, ad nauseum. Seriously, on top of schizophrenia I can't even imagine. I would be far pressed personally to face reality again, even with assistance if I survived all that. I pray they all went with as little pain as possible and that the truth of the situation comes to light to bring justice to their deaths.

[@AviendhaR]

as someone who has adhd and other disabilities. thanks for not treating them like morons. that means a lot actually.

[@iank472]

It's incredibly sad to think that Gary may well have done everything he could to help his friend before his mental health degraded due to a lack of essential medication. It's worse that if that was the case the man most people blame for their deaths was the one who did the most to help them all.

[@alexc4731]

Want something even worse to think about? If he WAS alive after he may have never came out and said anything because everyone blamed him.

[@RallyTheTally]

Sometimes the goodest people suffer the most. No good deed gos unpunished.

[@Syntex366]

@@alexc4731yeah for all intents and purposes Gary’s 500 mile trek proved that he can move silently and unnoticed as a vagrant, since his parents didn’t even know he’d left until he was on their porch. It’s likely he made it back alive and after seeing news articles and reports calling him the culprit, he ran from the area and likely survived for some time on the lam.

[@SearchingStranger]

The thought that Gary, who loved his friends so much, he'd pick a fight to defend them, might've been trying his hardest to keep them all alive only for them to die one-by-one in front him but ultimately being forced to leave them behind while dealing with his waning medication genuinely broke my heart. It's so sad, I can't stop thinking about it.

[@Hawkeye83627]

​@@JDoe-gf5ozStop, no he did not. He clearly, even through his mental issues, loved his friends and did what he could to save their lives.

[@SynysterProjects]

​@@JDoe-gf5oznever work in law inforcement/detective institutions. If THAT'S all the "proof" you need that he killed them, your opinions are worthless and you shouldn't be taken seriously even a little.

[@j-wilk4835]

Sounds like the plot of a horror TV show, if it wasn't so real and true

[@SynysterProjects]

@@j-wilk4835 IRL horror is the scariest horror

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

@@Hawkeye83627 You have no evidence of that. The families didn't trust him and we don't actually know what happened after they disappeared.

[@catierobinson8969]

I appreciate you taking the time talk about these men and their specific disabilities and how (for lack of a better term) *functional* they were. I've seen a lot of videos who just generalize that they were mentally disabled and infantalize them because of it. It's important to recognize that these were not actually "boys," but disabled men. It does an incredible disservice to them and other disabled adults to treat this situation as silly mistakes that no "normal" person could understand. Obviously the 60s were way different time in regards to mental health, but for many people recounting the story today there's really no excuse for that kind of thinking. You have been incredibly respectful of these men and other youtubers should take note and follow your example.

[@christineyoung1326]

What if they talked to someone in the gateway group or someone during their travels that owned a red truck and claimed to own a cabin in the mountains and invited them to go up there to stay? When their car got stuck, the red truck offered to take them to get supplies then up to the trailer (doing this twice) leaving them there without a vehicle and offered to come back and pick them up in a few days. Three of them then decided they didn't want to wait and started hiking down the path to the car to try and get the wheel unstuck so that they could bring it back up to the trailer, but the snow storm had gotten so bad that they succumbed to the weather. And when the red truck got back to the trailer, only 2 of them were left, one of them having an extreme phobia of woods and the dark that hindered his ability to leave the trailer and the other not wanting to leave the first alone. So the red truck went out searching for the 3 that were missing and couldn't find them in the storm so they came back down to their car and searched around there, and that's when they came upon Joseph. Not wanting to be interrupted on their search for the 3 missing boys, they ignored Joseph's call for help and continued their search through the woods for the next several hours. That would explain Joseph's testimony of people with flashlights in the woods, and it would also explain why there were no signs that anymore than 2 of them had inhabited the trailer.

[@cameobrides]

Something about Gary staying with Ted for months just to keep him safe and care for him breaks my heart, not alot of things in cases like these bring me to tears like that, knowing they were both probably cold and scared, and imagining how Gary felt most likely watching Ted die and knowing the other 3 were already gone too, being all alone must have been terrifying. I do believe that he must have died in the wilderness too, but the fact he's never been found terrifies me.

[@almond3066]

I can't imagine how scary it is because his medication wearing off and being paranoid with the knowledge of someone being after you that made you too scared to light a fire in the first place AND being all alone Not only was it sad but also probably pretty frightening too

[@sohji9412]

He likely could have used the supplies to get himself back down the mountain to safety, too. But he stayed with Ted until Ted passed. I think he started to head back after that, but it was too late at that point to make it.

[@TheLikenessOfNormal]

@@sohji9412 Well if someone or something had driven them up there... I doubt his paranoid schizophrenia woulda let him think that it was safe to travel back down.

[@mimilopmemes7915]

@@almond3066 oh definitely. i don't have schizophrenia but i have bipolar disorder. not being able to get my medication is a complete phobia. its one of my worst fears. i can't imagine going through withdrawals and the growing paranoia while watching my loved ones die. i'd be surprised if Gary didn't unalive himself.

[@JDM-is-my-name]

​@@TheLikenessOfNormalI don't have schizophrenia, but I experience occasional random paranoia (not sure if the proper term, this is the one I use). I'm lucky that it's not too intense, lol. If someone or something was chasing me or I had convinced myself that someone or something was chasing me, I'd probably drop on the spot or run as far away as I possibly could get. I can only imagine how it would feel to have that intense "something is wanting to hurt me" feeling coupled with having issues understanding what was and wasn't reality. It must have been absolutely terrifying

[@owlskulls]

Literally as SOON as there's someone with a mental illness or condition involved, people just automatically point to that as the root cause, so thank you for being reasonable and explaining why that might not be. I've never thought Gary did it, but his condition just instantly makes people think he did Just Because "well he was schizophrenic, so OBVIOUSLY!!"

[@beepbop6542]

While there is clearly too much blame put on Gary, it is likely that some strange details in the case could be a result of his schizophrenia. If he believed they were being followed/hunted or had trouble discerning reality, that is likely why the fire and gas were never used (especially if there really was a weird red pickup truck, as Shone said)

[@SHITSWEEEK]

well it happened 40 years ago when we knew very little about mental disabilities so you cant be too hard on the people who thought that

[@maldonr2758]

​@@SHITSWEEEKyes you can lol

[@marocat4749]

Gary, was treated, pretty sucessful, he found a sucssful tratment. Which makes that even more infuriating. Like even if he had symptoms, he would likely know how to dal with it somewhat, and no harm anyone .

[@marocat4749]

@@beepbop6542 But thats no blame on him, they just didnt want to trigger a psychosis probably. I mean its hard to not go crazy in such a situation, and it was a good call if they had tried to find them earlier, and you dont want to fuel any psychosis while surviving. Its not unreasonable to not try triggering his symptoms, its hard enough to not freak out there for a person with no baggage..

[@OpalLeigh]

Wendi: imagine something you are twenty miles from Me: *is confused in Canadian*

[@Waxycats]

It’s weird to think I played at Mary’s Country Store for so many years of my childhood and didn’t know about this story. I lived in Brownsville (now live in Yuba co still but in town) and I’ve heard the words The Yuba Co 5 but never really looked into what it was. Such a twisted, heartbreaking mystery 😢 Thinking them choosing to run into the woods at night was the better option is just crazy. We have bears, mountain lions, you name it. I didn’t like to go into my driveway after dark and they chose to go into the woods. It’s just crazy.

[@ace_does_internet_stuff1817]

I've researched this topic before and I am an adamant supporter of Gary's innocence. He has an upstanding citizen on his meds and always protected his friends. Even after his meds wore off he still kept Ted alive for months. A man who will do that would not kill his friends.

[@gewfbaulle6883]

Still curious that the rations were opened with 2 different can openers, though one of the boys in the house was deemed incapable of doing anything

[@dismurrart6648]

​@gewfbaulle6883 could be one was used until it either got too dull or broke. Or both were used to save the blades on them

[@geoffreyentwistle8176]

The problem with that assertion is that schizophrenia is characterized by EXTREMELY disordered thinking. I can't say what he was thinking; NOBODY can. That's why although I FEEL like Gary wouldn't have hurt or killed his friends, I can't rule it out with absolute certainty, sadly...

[@a-rat-in-your-walls]

​@@geoffreyentwistle8176 My father has schizoeffective disorder. I can tell you that even though paranoia and disordered thinking are the main traits of an episode, a victim can still tell who their friends and family are.

[@yodafan1645]

I don't think he hurt any of them intentionally. He was a paranoid schizophrenic. He may have had an episode possibly believing someone was following them so he tells his friends that they have to hide. The rest of them with their lower mental ability may have just trusted him without questioning it. Remember another one seemingly had a lack of common sense so he probably just agreed with Gary that they had to run and with two out of five saying they had to go the rest surely followed.

[@mattblancett1776]

As soon as I heard that Gary had paranoid schizophrenia I knew what the most popular theory would be. As someone with schizophrenia, I cannot thank you enough for your sensitivity and compassion regarding an illness most people tend to immediately use as an open and close type of out. I was a little disheartened at the first mention of the most popular theory, but you did an excellent job handling it. Bravo!

[@xerxies8947]

As a person who is schizophrenic myself, I'll admit my heart sank hearing the theory, but then I was pleasantly surprised when Wendigoon didn't just buy into it and end the video there. People with schizophrenia aren't evil or even bad, we're all just people with a devastating disease that's been hiding in our genes or our environment until it strikes. It's not some punishment from god for being a bad person, it's just an illness.

[@tinyybiceps]

BPD and schizophrenia related disorders are still SO demonized in media and pop culture. This is what we should be talking about when it comes to mental health acceptance and education!

[@LadySKizo]

Also schizophrenic and 100% agree. Schizophrenia needs to be more openly talked about in a better way. It’s always stigmatized as if we’re bad people

[@soph5306]

I feel like at worst Gary’s schizophrenia spooked him into going up the mountain. And because he was the leader maybe the other boys believed what Gary was scared of was real and followed him.

[@demonking86420]

​@@soph5306At worst, yeah Though my hunch is probably that a group of people who knew of Gary's past, or were one of the people Gary wronged and hasn't forgiven him in the slightest, wanted to get the Boys for whatever reason, so the Boys probably ran because of it, and knowing how Gary is protective of them, he probably concluded that he'd rather run and not get the others hurt, instead of fighting them off like I assume would be the case when it's just like one or two people, so I think it was a noticeably numerous amount in that group.

[@DrewTastic658]

BUT WHY DID THEY JUST DRIVE 70 MILES OUT OF THE WAY UP A MOUNTAIN BEFORE THEIR BIG GAME 😭

[@limasierra6639]

Your theory is the most plausible. I 100% think they got spooked and ran into the woods where they became disoriented. Especially in the cold and dark. I don't believe Gary Mathias did it either. Especially with the evidence he cared for one of the young men in the trailer for weeks and weeks. What a sad story. ETA: You did an awesome job with this! You didn't make it all supernatural but instead told it as the real tragic story it was all while showing amazing compassion. Great video!

[@rgbcgroup]

Additional Information: When The Missing Enigma did his video on the case, he asked the authorities involved in the case for additional case files, but was refused public access, because Gary Mathias is still missing, and believed, but not confirmed, to be the victim of foul play. So it seems that the FBI and the sheriff department share the sentiment that Gary tried to save his friends, and that the boys were forced up the mountain.

[@NoCustomMusicGD]

This case is pretty confusing, glad the police and the FBI are agreeing on a theory.

[@zusukoriotomo]

woah thats pretty interesting

[@steele_heart77]

@@NoCustomMusicGD Imagine a three letter agency getting enough of their shit together to agree on something

[@NoCustomMusicGD]

@@steele_heart77 lmao

[@majorkalashinikov1277]

@@steele_heart77 better yet, imagine a three letter agency and the general public agreeing on common grounds. Since it seems both them and the (modern) public share the opinion that Gary wasn't responsable

[@soupguy5243]

it makes me so sad people are so quick to villainize people just because they have mental disorders, thank you for making such a respectful video

[@n4z1f4]

Fr I watched Bailey Sarien video about a women that was stalked and k*lled, and the police and media constantly treated it like she was just paranoid. Even when they're was evidence, and witnesses. They even called her death a s*icide despite the fact that it would have been physically impossible for it to be one. I'm not gonna go into details, but litreally pissed me off so much to see everyone treat her case like that.

[@SilliamWilliam-xb7sl]

It's not villanising if said disorder can cause violent outbursts

[@saintyboi9258]

​@SilliamWilliam-xb7sl It's villanizing to disregard the fact he was on medication, and by all accounts had improved greatly, just because it provides a simple open and shut narrative.

[@Windwalker88]

@@saintyboi9258 the dude threatened to kill a 3 year old and stood in someone,s bedroom yelling about satan. That is pretty villainous behavior, even if you are ill

[@aquaaria3489]

It’s villainising when people see a flaw in you and jump to conclusions… Gary had finally started to live a calm and enjoyable life, with friends, a lover and a community that was supporting him and helping him. There wouldn’t be any benefit for him if he really did what he did and “plotted” a wicked scheme to murder them one by one. He finally had his life in check and was titled a model citizen after years having to deal with his problem unchecked. You believe he would just throw away everything just like that, and be seen as a madman once again?

[@elizabethpage2871]

I've been watching true crime content for at least a decade now since I was in high school and I genuinely can't remember the last time I teared up and actually shed tears during a video and I've seen videos on this case before. I don't think anyone else I've ever seen cover the video suggested that the person everyone thinks is responsible was actually the one doing everything in his power to save his friends (or they did and I just didn't catch it) and that after his last friend died, he carefully and lovingly wrapped up his friend's body and tucked him into bed for the last time and just... wandered back out into the snow. And to be going through withdrawal from his meds on top of the spiral that came from being off of them.... Like another commenter said, it's a true horror story. In terms of what happened, what chased them up into the mountains, it's equally possible that unknown element isn't even the old drug friends. I think it's entirely possible they saw something else they weren't supposed to, maybe it was drug related, like seeing a deal go down, maybe it was something else. It could have been something completely unrelated to them. Not that that makes it any better but it's something that came to mind when listening to you talk about your theory. A theory I believe more than any other, I think it's the theory that truly respects who they all were as people, not just four out of the five. Truly one of the saddest stories I've ever heard.