CA CA - James, 41, & Darlene Boles, 37, & two sons, Crestline, 16 Aug 1965

Callahan and Paterson entered the cabin. They noted numerous blood spots splattered across the living room, continuing across the fireplace, coffee table, and into the dinette area of the kitchen, as they passed through on their way to the back bedroom where Rice had found the bodies.

There they found an adult male on the floor on his back. A young male juvenile was directly behind him with his back against the wall in a sitting position. They also found a female adult in a crouched over position at one end of the wardrobe closet. Upon closer examination, the body of another young male juvenile was found next to the female adult, in a position that indicated she had attempted to hide or protect him. Numerous .22 caliber shell casings were found strewn about the bedroom. Thirty five casings were eventually found throughout the cabin, including five in the living room and 30 in the back bedroom.

The bed was covered with white sheets and a bedspread, at the foot of which blood smears were seen, indicating that an object, probably a knife, had been wiped off. Several footprints were also noted in the vicinity of the adult males' feet, of a ridge type sole, apparently left there by the assailant after stepping in the victim's blood. The prints were measured at 11 inches, with a 3/8 inch gap between the ridges.

The bedroom door was examined, but no scuff marks nor signs of forced entry could be found.

In the dark, early morning hours on Tuesday, August 17th, the bodies were photographed at the mortuary with the following wounds identified: James - lower right leg, left knee, multiple to chest and head; Darlene - multiple to arms, chest and right side of head, injuries to the right side of her face, right ear and right shoulder; Bobby - multiple to back of neck and head, injuries to upper body; Tommy - multiple to right side of head and chest and arms, multiple to top of head, injury to left rear thigh.

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While Stewart occupies the center of attention in this case, there are other intriguing aspects that have puzzled Detectives. How, for instance, did the Boles, with a combined take home pay of $853 a month in 1965 afford to raise two boys, own a condo in Fountain Valley, a chalet in Crestline, two fairly new cars, and three other properties scattered around Los Angeles County? Why did the Boles tell several people in Crestline that they were retired and moving there and that the boys would be starting school there in the fall? Who was the person that James talked to on the phone at the San Moritz club on the afternoon of the murders and why was James upset over the call? Who was the person they were going to meet at 8 pm at the cabin on that Saturday evening? Was it the same person from the earlier call? Did that person show up? Did the murderer plan it in advance or was it spur of the moment? What kind of a person can fire 35 or more bullets into four people and a dog, obviously reloading more than once in the process? How was the assailant able to get them all into the bedroom and then shoot them without apparent struggle? Where was the red Dodge from Saturday night until it was found on Tuesday morning?

All good questions, but without answers. After 38 years, the finger of guilt is still waiting to be pointed in the vicious Boles' murders, but for now, it remains a cold case in the files of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

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JusticeWillBeServed said:

http://www.mountain-news.com/news/features/article_a57367da-b0ae-5e44-84cb-1d90cae4dde8.html

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While Stewart occupies the center of attention in this case, there are other intriguing aspects that have puzzled Detectives. How, for instance, did the Boles, with a combined take home pay of $853 a month in 1965 afford to raise two boys, own a condo in Fountain Valley, a chalet in Crestline, two fairly new cars, and three other properties scattered around Los Angeles County?

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JusticeWillBeServed said:

On August 13th 1965, James and Darlene Boles traveled with their children Bobby (13) and Tommy (12) to their new cabin in Crestline. They were planning on staying there for just the weekend. By Monday, a few family members became concerned when they hadn't heard from them. They didn't have a phone set up yet in the cabin so they couldn't be reached there directly. After learning that neither James nor Darlene had gone to work, Floyd (Darlene's brother) contacted the authorities there to have someone check on them. Floyd waited for a few hours but never got a call back. He asked one of his employees to accompany him to the cabin as he was unfamiliar with the area.

When he arrived, the door was unlocked and he immediately saw the family dog dead on the couch. He went to the master bedroom where he discovered all four bodies. James and Bobby were both next to the bed while Darlene and Tommy were on the floor in the closet. Investigators interviewed all the neighbors, family, co-workers they could to try to solve this gruesome murder. They were also inquiring about the car as that was missing when they first arrived on the scene.

They had a few suspects in mind but most were eliminated. A couple of years later they zeroed in on George Robert Stewart, who was wanted in Alabama for a different murder. He allegedly failed a polygraph test but they couldn't get the murder charges to stick. The detectives back then were convinced that Stewart was responsible. On the 40th anniversary of the murders, the new detective said that Stewart had an alibi for that time period and was most likely not the person responsible.

Here's a very detailed article on the case and the investigation. It gives more specifics on what the neighbors said and different theories they were looking at.

http://www.mountain-news.com/news/features/article_a57367da-b0ae-5e44-84cb-1d90cae4dde8.html





The Boles Murders Documentary Info

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JusticeWillBeServed said:

On August 13th 1965, James and Darlene Boles traveled with their children Bobby (13) and Tommy (12) to their new cabin in Crestline. They were planning on staying there for just the weekend. By Monday, a few family members became concerned when they hadn't heard from them. They didn't have a phone set up yet in the cabin so they couldn't be reached there directly. After learning that neither James nor Darlene had gone to work, Floyd (Darlene's brother) contacted the authorities there to have someone check on them. Floyd waited for a few hours but never got a call back. He asked one of his employees to accompany him to the cabin as he was unfamiliar with the area.

When he arrived, the door was unlocked and he immediately saw the family dog dead on the couch. He went to the master bedroom where he discovered all four bodies. James and Bobby were both next to the bed while Darlene and Tommy were on the floor in the closet. Investigators interviewed all the neighbors, family, co-workers they could to try to solve this gruesome murder. They were also inquiring about the car as that was missing when they first arrived on the scene.

They had a few suspects in mind but most were eliminated. A couple of years later they zeroed in on George Robert Stewart, who was wanted in Alabama for a different murder. He allegedly failed a polygraph test but they couldn't get the murder charges to stick. The detectives back then were convinced that Stewart was responsible. On the 40th anniversary of the murders, the new detective said that Stewart had an alibi for that time period and was most likely not the person responsible.

Here's a very detailed article on the case and the investigation. It gives more specifics on what the neighbors said and different theories they were looking at.

Lake Arrowhead News | Mountain-News





The Boles Murders Documentary Info

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Broomrider523 said:

Can anyone give me the exact Crestline address of the cabin in Crestline where the Boles murders occurred?

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