Netflix's latest documentary anthology series Files of the Unexplained sheds light on the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Yuba County Five in one of its episodes.
On February 24, 1978, five men in their twenties and thirties – Bill Sterling, Jack 'Jackie' Huett, Ted Weiher, Jack 'Doc' Madruga and Gary Mathias – set off to watch a college basketball game and never returned alive.
Several days later, Jack Madruga's 1969 Mercury Montego (the car the group drove in) was found abandoned in Plumas National Forest, 70 miles away from their Yuba County home.
Investigators determined that they left the car after it became stuck in approximately five to six inches of snow, and began walking in poor weather conditions. The question of why they left the car instead of dislodging it has puzzled investigators and those who have researched the case.
The young men (aged between 24 and 33) were considered vulnerable given Gary's schizophrenia and the collective learning difficulties of Bill, Jackie, Ted and Jack.
The bodies of four of the men were later discovered in June 1978 after the snow had melted – all except Gary Mathias, who was never found.
What happened to Gary Mathias?
Three and a half months after the Yuba Five had vanished, Ted Weiher's body was discovered, wrapped very tightly in several sheets, in a US Forest Service trailer around 12 miles away from the abandoned car.
Ted was discovered on June 4, and coroners estimated that he had been alive for between eight and twelve weeks following the group's disappearance on February 24. It was found that starvation and hypothermia had contributed to his death.
Jack Madruga's body was the next to be found on June 5, along with Bill's remains. Jackie's remains were found on June 7. Their deaths were put down to exposure to the elements.
However, it was agreed that not enough is known about the circ*mstances surrounding their fatalities to get the full picture.
Only Gary Mathias' shoes were discovered during searches. They were found next to the body of Ted Weiher, which suggests that he was the last person to see Ted alive and was the one who swaddled him. Many have speculated over what that could mean.
Jackie's brother Tom Huett doesn't believe Gary even made it to the trailer. Instead, he theorises that an unnamed bully from one of the notorious families from their hometown was responsible for the Yuba Five's disappearance.
Tom, believes in the rumours about the "very scary" bully who held a grudge against Gary, and suggests that this grudge is what led him to take "his vengeance out on all of them".
He went on to speculate that the unnamed bully and a group, beat Gary to death and threw him over the Oroville Bridge before forcing other boys to drive the 19 miles. Tom believes the Yuba Five were so badly frightened they didn't return.
He goes on to suggest that one of the boys carried Gary's shoes with them to the trailer, which would explain why there were only ever four sets of footprints found leading up there.
He also believes that it was Jackie – Ted's inseparable, best friend – who wrapped him up in the sheets, stating: "My brother would have never left Ted alone. Not if he was alive."
Gary's sister Tammie Phillips has a different idea of what happened to her brother. She believes that he did make it to the trailer and was the one to take care of Ted until the end.
Tammie theorises that he and Jackie took off to try and find help. She said it was likely that Gary had gone "weeks without his medication" by this point, which would have had an impact on his mental health, and he got lost after becoming separated from the group.
"I do believe he didn't make it out of there any more than the other boys did," she added.
However, some believe Gary Mathias could still be alive today.
Is Gary Mathias of the Yuba Five still alive?
Evidence from the investigation suggested that Gary could have made it to the trailer and with no sign of his body, people became suspicious.
Among those who suspect something more sinister was afoot is Jack 'Doc' Madruga's niece Cathy Roberts.
During the interview for Files of the Unexplained, Cathy shared that she believed the other men were afraid of Gary, stating: "I do know, God forgive me, Doc and the other guys were scared of Mathias.
"Gary was going to go to the game with them and they didn't really want him to go but they were too scared to say anything. And that came from my uncle."
Cathy also claims that she had seen Gary within a year after the bodies were found at her mother's bar in Browns Valley. She believes she locked eyes with Gary before he took off running.
According to Washington Post reporter Cynthia Gorney, Gary had experienced "drug problems", a "very chequered experience in the army," and some "violent and problematic outbursts". However, she also acknowledged he had been "under medication, successfully, [and] had a very peaceful two years before the events of that night".
Gorney went on to say in the documentary that "the only explanation that made any sense to [her] was that Gary's psychosis had returned and that somehow, he had persuaded these guys that this is the right thing to do".
Tony Wright, the author of Things Aren't Right: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five, disagrees with this summation of the events.
"His schizophrenia is easy to use as an excuse," Wright outlined in the documentary, "but there's no proof of Gary ever pulling something like this before".
Wright added: "If they can get in a car, drive to Chico without incident, attend a basketball game without incident, go to Behr's market [convenience store] without incident, how's Gary the problem? I don't buy it."
In mid-October 2020 a Yuba County Sheriff's Department letter ruled that Gary Mathias is believed to be "a victim of foul play". According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the letter was made public in October 2023 following a records request.
The note added that "this case remains open as a missing person/homicide case," meaning the mystery surrounding Gary's fate remains unsolved.
Files of the Unexplained is available to watch now on Netflix.
Janet A Leigh
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
