MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: The Jamison Family
Bobby, Sherilynn, and 6-year-old Madyson Jamison went to the Sans Bois Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma in search of a fresh start. The family planned to live off the land in a remote, rugged area of Latimer County.
But on Oct. 8, 2009, they vanished – leaving behind their truck with all their belongings inside. Their remains were found four years later, less than 3 miles from where the truck was abandoned. Now, more than a decade later, the circumstances surrounding their deaths remain a mystery.
Was it a murder-suicide? Or did the family encounter someone dangerous that day? What really happened to the Jamison family?
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The Jamison Family
Source: Jamison Family
The Jamison Family
Source: Jamison Family
Sherilynn Jamison
Source: Jamison Family
Bobby Jamison
Source: Find a Grave
Madyson Jamison
Source: Find a Grave
Madyson with the family dog
Source: Jamison Family
Sherilynn and Madyson Jamison
Source: Jamison Family
Sherilynn and Bobby Jamison
Source: Jamison Family
Sherilynn (right) and her best friend, Niki
Source: Find a Grave
The Jamison residence
Courtesy: Latimer County Sheriff’s Office
The photo of Madyson that is found on the Blackberry.
Source: Unknown
The shipping container found on the Jamison’s property
Courtesy: Niki Shenold
Footage of the Jamison’s loading up their truck
Source: Parkaman Magazine / YouTube
The dashboard of the Jamison’s truck
Courtesy: Niki Shenold
The money found in the Jamison’s truck
Courtesy: Niki Shenold
Police searching the Jamison’s truck
Courtesy: Niki Shenold
Map of one the searches for the Jamison family
Courtesy: Niki Shenold
Timeline:
Bobby and Sherilynn meet and begin their relationship.
Bobby suffers a back injury in a car accident.
Bobby and Sherilynn marry in an out-of-state ceremony.
Bobby’s lawsuit related to the car accident is resolved, resulting in a financial settlement.
Bobby claims his father tried to kill him by hitting him with a car.
A second alleged incident occurs involving Bobby and his father.
A protective order is issued against Bobby’s father.
Sherilynn’s son is removed from her care due to alleged abuse.
Sherilynn attempts suicide and is hospitalized for three weeks.
8 a.m.
Bobby speaks with a realtor about land in Latimer County.
10:30-11 a.m.
Surveillance shows the family near their truck at home.
2:15 p.m.
The Jamisons arrive at the property on Panola Mountain.
2:51 p.m.
A photo of Madyson is taken in the woods.
Later
The family disappears.
A landowner notices the Jamisons’ truck but assumes nothing is wrong and does not report it.
Authorities discover the abandoned truck with the family’s dog inside.
Bobby’s father dies about two months after the family’s disappearance.
A hunter discovers human remains in the woods about 2.6 miles from where the truck was found.
Authorities confirm the remains belong to Bobby, Sherilynn, and Madyson Jamison.
Eufaula, Oklahoma
Sans Bois Mountains
The mountain range where the Jamison family’s abandoned truck is found.
Smokestack Hollow, Oklahoma
A rugged area where search teams looked for the family after their disappearance.
Latimer County Sheriff’s Office
The agency that responded to the abandoned truck and led the initial investigation into the Jamison family’s disappearance.
Additional Info:
Contact Us With Tips
If you have any information about what happened to the Jamison family, contact the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office at (918) 465-4013.
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 Char Adams
- Latimer County Sheriff’s Office. 2015. Investigation Report: Case No. CR 09-0576. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
- Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office. 2009. Autopsy Report Case No. 1305059. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025
- Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office. 2009. Autopsy Report Case No. 1305073. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025
- Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office. 2009. Autopsy Report Case No. 1305074. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025
- Anderson, Jake. The Vanishing at Smokestack Hollow: A Missing Family, a Desperate Plan, An Unsolved Mystery. Citadel Press Books, 2024. Accessed Jan. 10, 2026
- “Paradise Lost.” Disappeared, season 2, episode 10, Investigation Discovery, 2010. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
- “E27 // Israel ‘Ish’ Beauchamp.” I Don’t Drink Coffee Podcast. 14 Dec. 2020, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayw8eRZCLXM. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
- Jackson, Ron, and Johnny Johnson. “Eufaula Family’s Fate Remains Mystery.” The Oklahoman, 2 May 2010. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2010/05/02/eufaula-familys-fate-remains-mystery/61252629007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z1133xxe1133xxv000054&gca-ft=8&gca-ds=sophi. Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.
- Johnson, Johnny. “Mud Slows Hunt for Missing Three in Southeast Oklahoma.” The Oklahoman, 24 Oct. 2009. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2009/10/24/mud-slows-hunt-for-missing-three-in-southeast-oklahoma/61339191007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z1126xxe1126xxv004254d–47–b–47–&gca-ft=181&gca-ds=sophi. Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.
- Murphy, Sean. “Ground Search for Missing Family Ended.” Tulsa World, 31 Oct. 2009. https://www.newspapers.com/image/892812664/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.
- Knittle, Andrew. “Mother Believes Religious Cult Is Responsible for Oklahoma Family’s Disappearance.” The Oklahoman, 19 Nov. 2013. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/crime/2013/11/19/mother-believes-religious-cult-is-responsible-for-oklahoma-familys-disappearance/60864948007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z1197xxe1197xxv004054d–45–b–45–&gca-ft=183&gca-ds=sophi. Accessed 18 Sept. 2025.
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