This case is bizarre as hell. - Yuba County Undersheriff Jack Beecham, February 1978

The Yuba County Undersheriff simply could not think of a better choice of words to describe how five grown men, who had attended a basketball game an hour's drive from their homes on a Friday night, simply never made it back home. For months after their disappearance, not even a trace of their whereabouts was found despite frantic and thorough searching.

Adding to the intrigue of this classic American missing persons' case is that four of the missing men had some form of cognitive disability. The fifth man was a diagnosed schizophrenic, who had a history of violent outbursts, arrests, and drug use. According to their families, "the boys," as they were affectionately referred to as a group, would not "just disappear." Not telling anyone where they were going was highly unusual, especially in light of the fact that all five of "the boys" were set to play in a regional playoff game in a Special Olympics basketball tournament the next day, something that each of them had been looking forward to for many months.

In this book, I have made a heartfelt effort to piece together the known facts of this case, many of which have been misreported; present all known theories of what may have caused the boys to disappear; and examine the merits of these theories. This case raises many more questions than it answers, which is one reason why it is one of the most fascinating cases in American history.

The case of the Yuba County Five is one of mystery, intrigue, bewilderment, and most of all, tragedy and sadness.

For the families of these young men, the sense of heartbreak and loss is just as strong today as it was over forty years ago.