In February 1978, five young men from Yuba City, California, known as the Yuba County Five, disappeared without a trace after attending a basketball game in nearby Chico. The group included Bill Sterling, Jack Madruga, Gary Mathias, Ted Weiher, and Richard Knott. After their car was found abandoned near the Plumas National Forest, search efforts were launched, involving local search and rescue teams. The case garnered significant media attention, as the families of the missing men sought answers.

Four months later, in June 1978, two hikers stumbled upon the remains of four of the men in a remote area of the forest. The bodies were discovered in an area that was previously searched thoroughly, leading to speculation about whether they had been there all along or had entered that location later from different routes. The conditions of the bodies prompted further questions—some showed signs of starvation, while others exhibited signs of having been there for an extended period, challenging the narrative surrounding their disappearance.

The fifth individual, Gary Mathias, was initially unaccounted for, adding an additional layer of intrigue to the case. Mathias, who was known to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was the only one in the group not found dead at the time, further deepening the mystery. The varying circumstances surrounding the men's disappearance and the conditions that led to the discovery of their remains have since been the subject of numerous theories and speculations and continue to be discussed in true crime circles.