In the summer of 1985, Del Dean Herndon, 37, and his 58-year-old aunt Berta Herndon were prospecting for gold in the remote Ruby Meadows area near McCall, Idaho, when three men confronted them at their mountain cabin on July 25. Gerald Ross Pizzuto Jr., accompanied by James Rice and William Odom, entered the cabin with a .22-caliber rifle and forced the pair inside. The victims’ hands were tied behind their backs with a shoelace and wire; both were struck with a hammer, and Berta Herndon died from head injuries. Delbert Herndon survived the initial attack but was shot between the eyes by James Rice, who later said he did it because he didn’t want him to suffer. The assailants then stole cash from the cabin and buried the bodies in shallow graves nearby before splitting the money.

A manhunt led to the arrests of Pizzuto, Rice, and Odom. Rice and Odom testified against Pizzuto in exchange for lesser charges; Pizzuto was convicted in 1986 of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Rice and Odom served 12 years in prison and were released; charges against William Odom’s wife, Lene Odom, were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Does anyone have memories of Ruby Meadows in 1985 or information that might shed more light on what happened that week?