In the summer of 1985, Del Dean Herndon, a 37-year-old man, was prospecting for gold with his 58-year-old aunt, Berta Herndon, in the remote Ruby Meadows area near McCall, Idaho. On July 25th, their peaceful endeavor was shattered when they were confronted at their mountain cabin by Gerald Ross Pizzuto Jr., who was accompanied by two other men, James Rice and William Odom. Pizzuto, armed with a.
22 caliber rifle, forced the nephew and aunt inside their cabin.
Inside the cabin, the victims' hands were tied behind their backs with a shoelace and wire. Pizzuto then brutally attacked both Delbert and Berta, bludgeoning them with a hammer. Berta Herndon died as a result of the blows to her head. Delbert Herndon, still alive after the initial savage attack, was then shot between the eyes by James Rice, who later claimed he did it because he "didn't want him to suffer." The assailants then stole money from the cabin and buried the bodies of their victims in shallow graves nearby before dividing the stolen cash amongst themselves.
A manhunt was launched for the killers, leading to the arrests of Pizzuto, Rice, and Odom. In exchange for lesser charges, Rice and William Odom testified against Pizzuto at his trial. Their testimony was crucial in securing Pizzuto's conviction in 1986 for two counts of first-degree murder, for which he was sentenced to death. William Odom's wife, Lene Odom, was also initially charged in connection with the murders, but the charges were later dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Both Rice and Odom served 12 years in prison for their roles in the heinous crimes and were subsequently released. Gerald Ross Pizzuto Jr. remains on death row in Idaho.
