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Pinyon Pines Murders: 15 Shocking Facts You Didn鈥檛 Know

The Pinyon Pines murders were a triple homicide that took place in Pinyon Pines, California. On the evening of 17th September 2006, three people were brutally murdered by some unknown person(s). 53-year-old Vicki Friedli, her 18-year-old daughter Becky Friedli and her mother鈥檚 55-year-old boyfriend Jon Hayward were the victims.

The crime scene of the murders was horrifying as the House of the Friedli was burned down to ashes. On the scene, investigators and the neighbors were met with a shocking sight. The body of 18-year-old Becky Friedli had been burned and placed in a wheelbarrow outside the remains of the house.

In the house, the body of Vicki which was still burning was also found alongside the body of her boyfriend. Later on, investigators found out that the body of Vicki had gunshot wounds in the head. Jon had also been shot by a shotgun in the chest before getting burned.

Even though the evidence was burned down in the house, investigators arrested and charged Becky鈥檚 former boyfriend and her friend. Robert Pape, Becky鈥檚 former boyfriend had threatened to kill her as he was unable to move on after the breakup. On the night of the murders, Becky had revealed that she was going out hiking alongside Robert and his friend Chris Smith.

After seven years after the murders, Robert Pape and Chris Smith were charged with murder. This came after several interrogations of persons of interest. Here are the 15 shocking Facts about the Pinyon Pines Murders you didn鈥檛 know:

1. Three People Were Victims of the Murders

On the night of 17th September 2006, residents of Pinyon Pines, California were shocked by a triple homicide. Three individuals were brutally murdered that night. 18-year-old Becky Friedli, her 53-year-old Vicki Friedly, and her mother鈥檚 55-year-old boyfriend Jon Hayward were brutally murdered. The three were murdered in their home in Pinyon Pines.

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2. The Victims were Burned & Their Home Razed Down by Fire

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On that unfortunate night, the Friedli home was hit by an unfortunate incident. A fire razed down the home with the foundation only remaining in its place.

Inside the house, there were two bodies of Vicki and Jon. The body of Becky was found outside the house and had been burned extensively.

3. Becky鈥檚 Body was Found Burning in a Wheelbarrow Outside the House

After police received the 911 call and rushed to the scene, they were received by a shocking sighting. They found the body of a young woman in a wheelbarrow outside the home.

What shocked them more is that the body which was later recognized as Becky鈥檚 was still burning. It was badly burned to the extent that the cause of her death was not established.

4. Vicki was Shot in the Head and Burned to Death

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The house of the Friedli was still burning when the investigators arrived at the crime scene. The investigations began immediately after the retrieval of the bodies. 53-year-old Vicki Friedli鈥檚 body was recovered from the house and investigators were able to determine the cause of her death. She had been shot in the head using a shotgun and then burned.

5. Jon was Shot in the Chest before being Set on Fire

The body of the live-in boyfriend of Vicki Friedli was also found in the burning house. Investigators were also able to determine the cause of his death as his body was not badly burned. It was later determined that Jon had been shot in the chest using a shotgun before his body was also set on fire.

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6. Investigators had No Lead in this Murder Case as All Evidence was Burned

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The Pinyon Pines murders became a tough challenge to the investigators when they arrived at the scene. The bodies of the victims had been burned extensively. The evidence at the crime scene was also insufficient as the fire had razed down the whole house without leaving any evidence.

7. Charred Photos of Becky鈥檚 Ex-boyfriend & Other Items were Found in the Scene

Even though most of the evidence at the scene was destroyed, investigators were able to retrieve some crucial details from the remains. The crucial details obtained from the crime scene included charred photos and some childhood items.

Charred photos of Robert Pape were found in the scene which raised some suspicion. A baby doll was also among the remains from the house of the Friedli that had been gutted down.

8. Robert Pape was the Main Suspect in the Murders

As investigations began, suspects were noted with one specific name being pointed out. The 18-year-old ex-boyfriend of Becky was rumored to be the suspect in the murders of this family.

Becky and Robert Pape had dated for more than a year and had broken up after some issues. It was later revealed that Robert was unable to accept and move on after the breakup as he was obsessed with Becky Friedli.

鈥淲hen she and I went on vacation about 10 months before she died, he called about 20, 30 times in a night. Just harassing her, wanting to talk to her while we were hanging out with friends,鈥� Becky鈥檚 sister, Tanya stated in an interview.

9. Robert had Harassed Becky at Her Workplace before the Murders

As more statements were being recorded from the people close to the Friedli family, more crucial details started emerging. Daniela Zerme帽o, a cousin of Becky Friedli gave some crucial details that helped the investigators.

She stated that Robert had gone to Becky鈥檚 workplace where he harassed her. Becky told Daniela all the information the night before the murders.

鈥淚 had spoken to Becky the night before the murder,鈥� Zerme帽o explained. 鈥淎nd she told me that her ex-boyfriend … Robert, had come into her work at Denny鈥檚 and 鈥� was harassing her … he had harassed her to the point of being removed from the restaurant.鈥�

10. Becky had Planned a Hike with Robert & Chris

Photo by Baihaki Hine:

Daniela also revealed that Becky and Robert had decided to go off hiking after the harassment incident. She stated that the hike was to talk about their relationship.

鈥淎nd I think, talk about you know…whatever their relationship was …how it was finishing and where it was,鈥� Daniela stated.

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11. Becky鈥檚 Ex-boyfriend had Threatened to Kill Her before the Murders

More crucial details started coming out about the relationship between Becky and her ex-boyfriend, Robert Pape. Another friend of Becky, Jeanie McDaniel revealed that Becky had told her that Robert had threatened her. She revealed that Robert had threatened to kill Becky as he was not taking the breakup lightly.

12. The Two Suspects were Arrested 7 Years after the Murders

The Pinyon Pines murders case was a tough one to decide due to little to no tangible evidence. Robert Pape and Chris Smith remained to be the main suspects in these murders. However, the two were arrested seven years after the murders and faced the charges.

13. Chris was an Army Veteran & Robert was a Dedicated Church Man during their Arrests

Seven years after the murders a lot that had happened. The two suspects had become important people in society which led to the belief that they never took part in the murders.

Robert Pape had married and he was a devoted Christian in his home church. On the other hand, Chris was an army Veteran who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

14. Robert was Charged with First & Second Degrees in the Pinyon Pines Murders

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In 2016, Robert Pape was charged with the murders of Vicki, Becky, and Jon Hayward. He maintained his innocence and never got involved in the murders. However, in 2018, Robert was tried and convicted for the first-degree murders of Vicki Friedli and Jon Hayward. He was also convicted for the second-degree murder of Becky Friedli.

15. Chris Smith was Convicted for the First-degree Murders of Vicki & Jon

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On the other hand, Chris Smith was also charged in the Pinyon Pines Murders. He was convicted of the first-degree murders of Vicki Friedli and Jon Hayward in 2018. However, he was not charged with the murder of Becky Friedli.

Even though Chris and Robert were tried and convicted for the Pinyon Pines Murders, their motivation for the murders has never been revealed. However, their families believe that the two men are innocent.

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