Things Aren't Right: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five

by Tony Wright

Things Aren’t The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five explores the bizarre and tragic 1978 disappearance of Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California. Four of these men had intellectual disabilities while one was diagnosed with schizophrenia. On Friday, February 24, 1978, they left the Yuba County, California area in Madruga’s 1969 Mercury Montego to attend a basketball game in Chico, California. Four days later the car they were traveling in was found abandoned on a snow-covered road in the mountains of the Plumas National Forest, some 75 miles in the wrong direction from home.

Four jurisdictions of law enforcement would investigate and search for the missing men. Psychics were brought in, and there were strange reports of sightings of the five from numerous people. One witness came forward with an incredible story of seeing the men disappear into the forest that night. Yet every lead came to a dead end. About four months after they vanished, four of the five men’s remains were found some 12 miles from the car, with one discovered in a US Forest Service trailer with plenty of food and fuel to keep them alive for months.

Once described as ‘Bizarre as hell’, the case of the Yuba County Five has baffled law enforcement and the families of the missing men for over 45 years. Tony Wright has meticulously researched this case, earning himself the reputation of being one of the foremost authorities on the subject, and his conclusions are likely as close as anyone will come to making sense of this tragedy.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, Mystery

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 3, 2024

About the author

Tony Wright is the author of Things Aren’t Right: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five. He's the author of two comic books and a graphic novel with Source Point Press. Tony is an archivist, father, husband, and a lost soul of rock and roll. When he is not writing, he is spending time with his family or enjoying a good meal. Tony has been featured as a Yuba County Five case expert on the Mopac Audio podcast Yuba County Five and was also featured as a case expert on the Motor Trend TV show Auto/Biography: Cold Case.

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hate it when authors insert themselves into the cases they are researching. Starting each chapter with something from his own life was completely unnecessary. The story of these five young men should’ve been the centerpiece at all times. I still don’t know what to think and my heart breaks for the families who will likely never have answers.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Things Aren't Right: The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five" by Tony Wright is an exceptional true crime read that I can highly recommend to anyone interested in the genre. From the outset, it’s a page-turner that kept me wanting more. The case is steeped in mystery, filled with unanswered questions that make you rethink your theories at every turn. Just when you think you understand what happened, something new emerges to challenge your assumptions.

Tony Wright has done an amazing job with the research, presenting a thorough and engaging exploration of the Yuba County Five. The interviews with the families are incredibly impactful, showcasing the effort that went into ensuring their stories were told authentically. I particularly enjoyed the individual chapters dedicated to each of the five men, giving us a deeper understanding of their personalities and backgrounds, which added emotional weight to the investigation.

The level of mystery surrounding this case is palpable, and I sincerely hope that one day there will be more answers for the families involved, as well as the recovery of Mathias' remains. It’s a heartbreaking yet compelling narrative that pulls you in and doesn't let go.

The only negative I encountered was the inconsistency in how the author referred to the five men—switching between using their full names, last names, and first names. A more uniform approach throughout the book would have enhanced the reading experience.

Overall, this book is a fascinating and meticulously researched book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from Tony Wright in the future, as I enjoyed his writing style and his deep respect for the victims' authentic stories to be told. Highly recommended for true crime enthusiasts!

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative Account of the Disappearance

This was an excellent account of the disappearance of five young men in Yuba County in the 1970s. Five young men on what would today be considered the spectrum of Autism traveled to see a basketball game and never made it home. Their vehicle was found in a desolate area of the Plumas National Forest with several bodies found months later. How they got lost and walked miles out of the way are a mystery. One man has never been found. This case has been in and out of the public eye for many years. I first learned of this while watching a Netflix documentary. This book is well researched, gives an excellent history of the family and events and notes discrepancies. You could tell that the author cared about the men and their families and wanted to find out what happened. Great book.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting look at the mysteries of the missing Yuba County 5 boys, how they went missing, and a closer look at how law enforcement treated a case. There is a sense of injustice in this story, as there seem to be so many missed opportunities to bring at least some of the Yuba 5 home. Had someone listened to Huett Sr or gone up to check some cabins. There is also a look at how the police approached this case with 5 disabled men, and how the assumptions of their limitations may have led to this mystery going unanswered.
I think the author did a good job at examining the mystery of the Yuba 5 and letting the families have their voices finally be heard. There is a lot of respect for the families and the boys that was maybe not given when the men when they first went missing. My only complaint about the book is that at times the story felt a bit repetitive. That said, the author leaves no stone unturned when it comes to this case, and deserves the title: The Yuba County 5 Bible.

[Anthony Ceschini · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a true crime obsessive I have read my fair share of unsettling cases, stories that both fascinate and disgust me, encounters that make me reconsider sleeping with the lights off.
The Yuba County Five mystery haunts me, and it's not because of the bloodshed, not because of any reported sexual brutality, but simply because the case weighs heavy on an overactive imagination.
Tony Wright does a remarkable job procuring the events and sparce evidence. He interviews almost everyone involved directly or indirectly with the case. But his greatest achievement is his delicate handling of the five families impacted by the case. While the YouTube videos I have seen lay out basic incidents and theories, Tony Wright introduces you to each family, quoting the cousins and nephews and parents who loved the five men and who ultimately suffered through the decades not knowing, only guessing--only theorizing.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to read a book about this case after hearing about it on a podcast. There was too much extra info barely related to the case, about the authors journey writing it, and at times it was repetitive. I found myself speed reading at the end just to be done. I definitely learned a lot, it was clear the author cared about the case and the men, but overall I wish I had read a different book about the case.

[Glennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating subject. I read Out of Bounds (same disappearance) in 2018, and found the story compelling then. I live "in the area". I truly appreciated this author's work to personify the victims, rather than just leave them as "unfortunates." Still...what happened that they wandered so far off course...???

[claudia Huett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulously written!

You did it! The facts are finally out there for all. This case is told in detail. And we now have other theory’s to think about. A must read for anyone following this Case. Fabulous

[Greg Duhachek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story, got a little redundant for me.

This is a very good book about a wildly interesting story. 4 stars because the last few chapters just regurgitated earlier portions of the book and so I found myself wondering if my Kindle had skipped back several chapters.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy listening to true crime podcasts, then you will definitely enjoy this book. Great job Tony! You can definitely tell how much time and research you put into this project and how much you care about the victims and their families.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Plumas native I can say that this case is utterly haunting. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I had no knowledge of this case until about seven years ago (I’m in my late thirties) The Zink Campground is about twenty or so crow miles away, how did I not now about these men and their unresolved end? How did I not know about these families in our neighboring communities that have been left with zero answers for decades? It’s frustrating, disappointing, and heartbreaking.

I appreciate so much that Wright took the time to dig into this case. The sheer amount of research and time it must have taken to compile so much information about this case is commendable. Most notable however is how respectful and honorably Wright built connections then friendships with the victims’ families.

This book gave something to these five men that they never received in 1978- Voices. Identities.

I will be recommending this book. I will be talking about these men. This case. I’m already down the rabbit hole with my own questions and wonderings. I hope so much that there is a resolution for their families. They deserve answers. Maybe this book will get the right people talking after decades of being quiet? We can hope.

For Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias -you deserve to be remembered and I hope someday the truth can give your loved ones some much needed answers and possibly some peace.

[Salma Negrete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent investigation. I'd been following the case for so many years now and this was an interesting view from the author who spent so much time researching and talking with the family.

[Tay Frayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. I was really looking forward to this book because the Yuba County Five Case has always piqued my interest. But unfortunately the delivery was not great. The author definitely deserves his credit for the amount of time he put into researching this case and talking to different people. But at times the book just seemed a bit disorganized and repetitive. At the beginning of each chapter, Wright had shared bits and pieces about his journey and personal life, which I felt could have been its own chapter in the beginning or end. I found myself skipping the first few paragraphs until I got back to the actual book topic. This book definitely could have gotten a higher rating with some better editing! Overall, Wright touched on everything there was to know about this case and gave a new perspective on each of the boys and their families. He even touched on some pieces of information I was unaware of, my heart aches for all of their families and this case is one that will always stick with me.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I actually saw the story of the missing Yuba County Five on a Cold Case Show I believe on Netflix or Hulu. It was such a fascinating story that intrigued me, as it still does to this day. I was excited to find out that Tony Wright had written a book about the Yuba County Five. It's a tragic story of the unknown - what really happened to these five young, challenged men? Read for yourself!

[karen goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

True crime

I recommend this book for readers who are interested in true crime. Since it is still unsolved the author gives plausible reasons for the disappearance of the five. I am intrigued enough to delve more into this mystery.

[Patrick Ruch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for Yuba County Five

I really like the authors tireless work to get the families story down. Their voices deserved to be heard. Hopefully some day we will get justice somehow for the five.

[Janice Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic

I’ve read about this story previously and it was bad enough then. But with the information here it is even more so tragic with true facts from the families and the bad characters throughout. I’ve even contemplated one person as a perpetrator. I do pray that the truth is found. Very, very good read.

[Robert M Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Accounting of the Yuba County Five Thus Far

This has always been an intriguing case and this is the best accounting of the stories I've heard thus far. Although we will never know for sure what happened, I'm inclined to go with the "They were forced down this path close" hypothesis.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright does a tremendous job unpacking all the details of this case. This isn't the only book on the Yuba County Five, but it is the best. Wright footnotes virtually every newspaper writing and newscast regarding the case, with dates and reporter's names. He does this while maintaining a very interesting, page-turning, suspensful read. Having researched from the original Sherriff case files and conducting his own interviews with family members and law enforcement associated with the case, Wright has compiled all the facts, names, dates, and sources to the point that this book in itself serves as an all-in-one source for the case. Right down to concise family histories.

All the homework has been done. All relevant people, articles, and facts are researched. An armchair sleuth could literally begin their own investigation using this book alone as a source and guide. Wright even tracked down a neighbor of one suspect for an enlightening interview. The age of the case virtually assures us that this book contains all that can be known about that night. As Shannon McGarvey states in the book's introduction, "This is a Bible for the Yuba County Five."

[Rudrashree Makwana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is detailed, well researched, informative and insightful. The author has put so much effort ,time and energy in this book. This is about a tragic case of 1978. Five men disappeared in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California; Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias. Four of them had an intellectual disabilities while one of them was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

If you like True crime podcasts, you will enjoy this book. The author has shared about the interviews as well and taken us deep into each of their family. The author has shared about Media, law enforcement and how this unsettling case intrigued people and made them curious. I would recommend it to true crime reader.

Many Thanks to the Author

[Caitlin Hanrahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gripping story but the book suffers from inept and insufficient editing.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy mystery, excellent read

I hadn't heard of this case before. This book was the perfect way to learn about it.

Deep research. And not dry facts. The author takes the reader back to 1978 to get the feel for the victims' lives back then.

The author does a really good job showing the effects on the families as a result of the disappearances.

Highly recommend for anyone who likes true crime and mysteries.

[Elizabeth Walters]

Well researched, surprisingly good book about this intriguing mystery.

I gave this book five stars because it is a very well written.. well researched book about this case. After listening to podcasts about this case I wanted more details. I wasn't disappointed with my purchase.

[Leo Strömberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much information, very good

[Stephanie Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

This really needed an editor. It’s poor

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ Non-fiction Book of the Month: June 2024

I'm a longtime subscriber to the true crime subreddit Unresolved Mysteries, and a few years ago a post appeared discussing an incident called 'The American Dyatlov Pass'. The Dyatlov Pass incident, for those who don't know, is an incident which has become legendary in true crime annals for its extreme strangeness: a number of Russian mountain climbers were found dead under very unusual circumstances, and the case hasn't been officially solved (although there are some fairly convincing theories).

The American Dyatlov Pass incident is the disappearance of the Yuba County Five, and IMO it's even more bizarre than the Dyatlov Pass incident. It rivals the deaths of Judy Smith and David Glenn Williams, another couple of intensely strange deaths (although I think the latter could be explained by a mental health break). Briefly: on 24 February 1978, five young men made a 60-mile trip from their hometowns to watch a basketball match at UC Davis. They never came back. Their car was found abandoned in the Plumas National Forest, in the opposite direction they needed to have driven home in. When the remains of four of them were found months later, it raised more questions than answers.

Wright has clearly done his research, and the book is peppered with quotations from his interviews of family members or the original case files. Unfortunately, what he really needed was a good editor. This is his first book and it shows. Information is repeated CONSTANTLY, often within pages of itself. It doesn't help that the writing style is fairly stilted and overly relies on short sentences. It never got quite bad enough for me to DNF, but a good editor would have done wonders. I found myself mentally rewriting many of the sentences so they flowed better.

I also could have done with less personal information. Interwoven with the chapters on the actual mystery are paragraphs on Wright's search, his feelings, his sense of connection to the men. It might have been better if the connection wasn't so... insubstantial. Like, you and one of them both had dishwashing jobs? You and another both listened to the same music? Ookay.

I also don't agree with his final theory, that someone scared the men into the forest. If I absolutely had to pick, I still think Mathias having a psychotic break and influencing the other men is most likely - they were known to be 'impressionable', although this seems to vary.

Overall though, this got the job done - it conveyed information to me about the case, it was decently researched and adequately well-written - and with better editing would have got 4 stars.

[Kenya Starflight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole some time ago and ended up reading obsessively about missing persons cases, and ended up reading about the Yuba County Five. The case of these five men, all intellectually disabled in some way, and their mysterious disappearance haunted me, and I hoped to read more about the ongoing mystery. I know there have been YouTube videos and podcasts about this incident, but Tony Wright's book looked informative. And while it's a bit dry and clunky to read, it contains a great deal of information about the case... even if there are gaps, contradictory stories, and frustrations galore.

In February 1978, five men -- Ted Weiher, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias -- departed their homes to watch a basketball game. When the men never returned home, their families and the police searched frantically for them. Ultimately, the bodies of four of the men were found, but the fifth's remains have gone undiscovered to this day. And surrounding the case is a host of lies, unreliable witnesses, mysterious occurrences, conspiracy theories, and negligence on the part of the authorities, leaving the families of the five men with unanswered questions and lingering heartbreak.

The writing of this book isn't the best. It's pretty dry and clunky, and Wright seems more intent on just dumping all the information he's collected than on using it to craft a story. But I do appreciate how meticulous he has been in gathering information and sorting rumors and misinformation from the truth, as well as his dedication in interviewing the surviving people involved in the case and the families of the dead and missing men. And I appreciate him showing that these men were more than just statistics, but actual people with loved ones and personalities beyond the mystery of their lives.

Just a warning -- this book does use outdated language when talking about people with intellectual disabilities, due to portions of the text being derived from old interviews and notes. The author makes note of this in the beginning of the book, and while it was common terminology back in the '70s, it's insensitive by today's standards. Keep this in mind when reading.

This book doesn't claim to have all the answers when it comes to the Yuba County Five case, but it's a comprehensive account of the case and the developments in the meantime. It makes me want to listen to the podcast now... and I hope that someday the case finally gets solved.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered this interesting, heartbreaking and frustrating case on YouTube. once I learned more and that there was a recent book written on this story I had to read it.
this book was fantastic. It has a good deal of insight, information, opened ended theories on what could have happened to this group of young men. I'm glad I got this book out and I highly recommend it to anybody interested in this case or missing person/mystery cases in general.

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I attended an author event with Tony Wright and he was very interesting. The story is interesting. At the very least the book needed an editor. The writing is poor and distracts from the story. I resented the time lost reading it. I was hoping for more details than were shared at the author talk. I guess that's what I got, but I was distracted by the unskilled writing.

[Laura Bazalgette Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a case that fascinates me as it’s so puzzling and so tragic. I really enjoyed this book and felt it covered most of the theories that are discussed about the case in detail. It did however get repetitive towards the end and could have been a chapter or two shorter. Perhaps the writer not wanting to let go of the case. RIP the Yuba County Five.