MURDERED: Jill & Julie Hansen
The 1986 shooting of 16-year-old twin sisters Jill and Julie Hansen stunned the small town of Willow Creek, California. The investigation into who shot the girls and set fire to the Hansen family home is marked by twists and turns, with evidence ultimately pointing back to a suspect close to the family. Did tunnel vision cause investigators to overlook critical pieces of evidence?
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Jill and Julie Hansen
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Hans and Betty Hansen
Courtesy: Hansen Family
The Hansen siblings. From left to right: Donny, Jill, and Julie.
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Jill Hansen
Credit: Hoopa Valley High School
Julie Hansen
Credit: Hoopa Valley High School
A recent photo of Donny
Credit: Stewart Family
Timeline:
Donny borrows a shotgun from a friend to go target shooting and purchases five gallons of gasoline.
Donny purchases a box of shotgun shells.
Donny visits his family in Willow Creek, California, and sleeps on the couch overnight.
Around 3 a.m.
Firefighters respond to a fire at the Hansen family trailer.
Jill Hansen is found dead in the fire; she had been shot twice with a shotgun.
Julie Hansen is also shot, suffering a wound to the stomach, but escapes the fire alive. She is transported to Mad River Community Hospital.
Within hours of the fire, a neighbor reports seeing two teenage boys near the Hansen home.
Detectives find spent shotgun shells inside the trailer, a 12-gauge shotgun hidden in a warehouse, and unspent shotgun shells in Donny’s car.
Donny is arrested and charged with arson and Jill’s murder.
Julie dies at Mad River Community Hospital after an air bubble enters her bloodstream through an intravenous feeding tube.
Officials announce Donny has been charged with two counts of murder, including two counts of first-degree murder.
The Hansens file a wrongful death lawsuit against Mad River Community Hospital, alleging negligence in Julie’s death.
Donny’s trial begins in Alameda County.
Donny is found not guilty on all charges and is released from jail.
The Humboldt County sheriff announces the Hansen case has been closed.
Betty and Hans Hansen offer a reward for information in the case and hire a private investigator in an effort to reopen the case.
Willow Creek, California
The location of the Hansen family trailer, where the fire and shootings that killed Jill and Julie Hansen occurred.
Fortuna, California
The city where Donny lived with his grandmother before returning to Willow Creek the week of the fire.
Alameda County, California
The site of Donny Hansen’s trial after the case was moved from Humboldt County because of fairness concerns.
Please contact the authorities if you have any information:
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
Anyone with information about the deaths of Jill and Julie Hansen is asked to reach out to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 268-2539 or submit a tip through the department’s website.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Lorelai Sykes
- “Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack – Season 6, Episode 8 – Full Episode.” YouTube, uploaded by Unsolved Mysteries – Full Episodes, 11 Mar. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bixLNESECoc. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
- “Girl killed, twin wounded.” Santa Maria Times, 18 Nov. 1986, p. 5. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-maria-times/166263574/. Accessed 20 Feb 2025.
- “Twin sister succumbs.” Auburn Journal, 24 Dec. 1986, p. 4. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/auburn-journal/166264255/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
- “The State.” The Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 1986, p. 2. Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/166334031/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- “Hansen Jury Selection Begun.” Times-Standard, 21 Feb. 1988, p. 3. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-feb-21-1988-p-3/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- “Jury Seated for Hansen Trial in Alameda County.” Times-Standard, 20 April 1988, p. 3. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-apr-20-1988-p-3/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- “Opening Arguments Made in Hansen Trial.” Times-Standard, 30 April 1988, p. 1. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-apr-30-1988-p-1/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- “Hansen defense begins this week.” Times-Standard, 22 May 1988, p. 3. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-may-22-1988-p-3/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- Zezotarski, Stan, “Others involved in Hansen deaths?” Times-Standard, 2 June 1988, pgs. 1, 7. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-02-1988-p-1/ & https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-02-1988-p-7/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- Zezotarski, Stan, “Final arguments near in Hansen trial.” Times-Standard, 11 June 1988, p. 1. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-11-1988-p-1/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
- “Hansen jury to get case today.” Times-Standard, 15 June 1988, p. 1. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-15-1988-p-1/. Accessed 4 March 2025
- Pialorsi, Rhonda, “Hansen not guilty.” Times-Standard, 17 June 1988, pgs. 1, 10. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-17-1988-p-1/ & https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-17-1988-p-10/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- Pialorsi, Rhonda, “Hansen’s mom blasts murder investigation.” Times-Standard, 17 June 1988, pgs. 1, 10. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-17-1988-p-1/ & https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-17-1988-p-10/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- Pialorsi, Rhonda, “Hansen may seek freedom elsewhere.” Times-Standard, 18 June 1988, p. 1. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jun-18-1988-p-1/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- Pialorsi, Rhonda, “Cleared murder suspect shares his side of story.” Times-Standard, 10 July 1988, pgs. 1, 14. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jul-10-1988-p-1/ & https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jul-10-1988-p-14/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- “Both sides still convinced they’re right.” Times-Standard, 10 July 1988, p. 14. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jul-10-1988-p-14/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- “Sheriff: Hansen case closed.” Times-Standard, 24, July 1988, p. 3. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/times-standard-jul-24-1988-p-3/. Accessed 4 March 2025.
- Parker, Rhonda, “Unsolved Mystery.” Times-Standard, 12 April 1992, pgs. 1, 12. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-apr-12-1992-p-1/ & https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-apr-12-1992-p-12/. Accessed 5 March 2025.
- Parker, Rhonda, “Pieces to puzzle missing.” Times-Standard, 12 April 1992, p. 12. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-apr-12-1992-p-12/ . Accessed 5 March 2025.
- Parker, Rhonda, “Toll-free ‘Hansen Hotline’ installed to gather new leads for private eye.” Times-Standard, 12 April 1992, p. 12. NewspaperArchive.com, https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-apr-12-1992-p-12/. Accessed 5 March 2025.
- Records courtesy of Humboldt County Sheriff, 27 March 2025.
- “Donald “Donny” Leroy Stewart.” Angelcrest Inc., 28 May 2025, Angelcrestinc.com, angelcrestinc.com/obituaries/donald-donny-leroy-stewart/. Accessed 28 May 2025.
- Bennett Rylah, Juliet, “Inside the Murder Mountain Documentary Everyone is Talking About.” High Times, 8 Feb. 2019, hightimes.com/culture/inside-murder-mountain-documentary-everyone-talking-about/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
- Butler, Edie. “TIMELINE for Marijuana in Northwest California.” Version December 2015, compiled for the Community Study of the Emerald Triangle Project, © Guerra & McBane LLC, 2015. Humboldt State University, https://www.humboldt.edu/sites/default/files/hiimr/2024-10/mjtimeline.pdf. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
- “Why Are There So Many Missing People in Humboldt County?” California County News, 3 Feb. 2018, www.californiacountynews.org/news/2018/02/why-are-there-so-many-missing-people-humboldt-county. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
- MacBride, Katie, “‘Murder Mountain’: New Series Explores Missing Persons in Weed’s Emerald Triangle.” Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/murder-mountain-marijuana-netflix-humbolt-county-776733/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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