Robert Paul Sander and the 1975 Ship Ashore Motel Massacre
The Shooting at Smith River
On March 2, 1975, Robert Paul Sander carried out a deadly shooting rampage at the Ship Ashore Motel in Smith River, a small coastal community in Del Norte County, California, near the Oregon border. The attack left five people dead and two others injured. Contemporary reports described Sander as a young man from Cincinnati, Ohio, who had checked into the motel as an overnight guest. Employees who encountered him before the violence reportedly found nothing especially alarming about his behavior.
The Ship Ashore was a resort-style motel and restaurant complex located along U.S. Highway 101. Its peaceful coastal setting was suddenly shattered at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 2. Armed with a high-powered rifle, Sander began firing from an elevated balcony or breezeway overlooking the motel parking area. He then moved through portions of the complex, continuing to shoot at guests and employees.
The First Shots
Among the first people struck were Barbara Harmon and her husband, Percy Harmon. The couple had traveled from Fortuna, California, and were in or near the motel parking area when the shooting began. Barbara Harmon, 58, was fatally wounded. Percy Harmon, 69, was critically injured and transported for emergency medical treatment.
Percy initially survived the attack, but his wounds proved fatal. He died in a hospital on March 3, 1975, one day after the shooting. His death raised the number of fatalities from four to five.
After firing into the parking area, Sander entered the motel's lobby or office section. There he encountered motel manager Gordon Frederick Knott and Knott's wife, Shirley Gail Knott. Both were shot and killed. Gordon was 42 years old, while Shirley was approximately 30 or 31.
The Killing of Ella Beam
Ella Beam, a 22-year-old motel maid from Brookings, Oregon, was working at the property when the gunfire erupted. Reports indicated that she stepped out of a motel room after hearing the shots. She was then struck by gunfire and killed.
Beam's death illustrated the sudden and indiscriminate nature of the attack. She apparently had no known connection to Sander and was simply performing her duties at the motel when she became one of his victims.
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