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Ella Beam death by force case profile photo

Ella Beam

Case from Smith-river, CA dated Mar 02, 1975

Victim Details

Ella Beam

Female

Smith-river

CA

1975-03-02

22

Ella

Beam

07/17/2026

Case Description

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On the night of March 2, 1975, a tragic incident unfolded at the Ship Ashore motel in Smith River, California. Ella Beam, a 22-year-old maid from Brookings, Oregon, was among the four victims fatally shot by an overnight motel guest who went on a shooting spree. The suspect, Robert Paul Sander, a 21-year-old from Cincinnati, Ohio, was arrested three hours later on the Redwood Highway near Grants Pass in southwestern Oregon. He was booked on four counts of murder.

The shooting began when S ...
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Links to Additional Sources (3)

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  • Fifth Victim Dies in Coast Shooting (Published 1975)
  • Ella Beam, age 22 - National Gun Violence Memorial
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    Forum Posts (3)

    I just can't stop thinking about what Ella Beam's family must be going through right now. To lose so... ...Read More
    12/28/2023
    I've been thinking a lot about Ella Beam in all of this. She was just doing her job that night, simp... ...Read More
    10/10/2023
    I've been thinking a lot about the tragic events at the Ship Ashore motel in 1975. It's so sad to im... ...Read More
    03/12/2023
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