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 Sander, armed with a high-powered rifle, opened fire from a balcony overlooking the ocean, killing Barbara Harmon and critically wounding her husband, Percy. He then entered the motel office and fatally shot the manager, Gordon Knott, and his wife, Shirley Gail. Ella Beam was shot when she came out of a door after hearing the initial shots. Two other individuals were hospitalized in critical condition, and a young girl was slightly injured by flying glass.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and terrifying. David Jiminez, an off-duty policeman, and his wife, Becky, were in the motel restaurant when the shooting began. They initially mistook the sounds for something else until the windows vibrated and glass hit David's hand. Liquor store owner Don Sanders, who was not related to the suspect, recounted that he had been in the motel lobby just ten minutes before the shooting started. He described the suspect as a seemingly normal guest who had stayed at the motel the previous night.
The investigation revealed that Sander had recently quit his job and purchased a rifle. His mother confirmed that he had a history of robbery and had been placed on probation in 1970. Deputies found a new rifle box and ammunition in his motel room. The community of Smith River was left in shock and fear following the incident, with residents expressing their horror at the senseless violence that had shattered their peaceful town.
