Info Re: Gard Young murders circa: 1943

[loren_abbey]

I'm doing research for a possible book on the murder of the Gard Young family which occurred in Chester in the early 1940s. I beleve the Jack Santo gang was involved; also Barbara Graham who was executed in San Quentin. A movie about her was made in the '60s ("I Want to Live")and starred Susan Hayward as Graham.
I'd like to find a source for obtaining info about the family and how the murders affected the town of Chester. My email addr. [e-mail]

[loren_abbey]

jack santos was a neighbor of my family, i was about 6 years at the time but remember some of the story. gard young owned a store and cashed checks for the loggers, he would go to a bank in another town to get the money and return home. he usally went alone but this one time he took his kids and possibly neighbor kids. they were ambushed near soda springs, ca. i believe there was one survivor. santos conmitted this murder with a friend named perkins. it is my understanding that the library in chester has abook on this or at least the story. my email addr. [e-mail]

[loren abbey]

I lived in Chester when the murders occurred. I was 6 or 7 at the time so that would place them somewhere in 1948 or 1949. My parents would have remembered them more clearly, but I do remember some of the story.my e-mail [e-mail]

[loren abbey]

loren_abbey wrote:

jack santos was a neighbor of my family, i was about 6 years at the time but remember some of the story. gard young owned a store and cashed checks for the loggers, he would go to a bank in another town to get the money and return home. he usally went alone but this one time he took his kids and possibly neighbor kids. they were ambushed near soda springs, ca. i believe there was one survivor. santos conmitted this murder with a friend named perkins. it is my understanding that the library in chester has abook on this or at least the story. my email addr. [e-mail]

Thank you so much for your response. The accounts as you describe them are pretty accurate in every detail. Did you get this info from the book 'Decathlon of Death' or from another source? If you know of someone who was personally acquainted with any of the people who were involved in either the murders or the trial or in any other capacity for that matter, I would be most grateful if you could put me in touch. My telephone no. is in the Santa Rosa phone directory. Please feel free to call at any time.

[Carolyn]

I thought you might be interested in this link http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/7053... concerning the murders of Gard Young and his family and the surviving child. I lived in Chester, was only 5 at the time, but remember the horror of having schoolmates murdered and how it affected my mother and father. Email [e-mail]