Final Moments on Oxygen: Evidence from the 2004 Jenner Beach slayings explored

The 2004 Jenner Beach slayings brought the nation to a standstill when the case turned cold for over thirteen years until the primary suspect, Shaun Gallon, was found and charged with double murder.

The 22-year-old Lindsay Cutshall and her fiancé, 26-year-old Jason Allen, had camped on Fish Head Beach in the small town of Jenner on August 14, 2004, when they were shot in the head using a .45-caliber Marlin Model 1894 long rifle.

The Final Moments episode airing December 31, 2023, at 7 p.m. EST on Oxygen details the double homicide on Jenner Beach with details of the evidence found at the beach. The synopsis reads,

"When Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen are found shot to death on a Northern California beach, police must trace their trail on the camping trip to find clues to their killer."

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Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen found murdered in Jenner Beach on August 18, 2004

Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen were discovered dead, each having suffered gunshot wounds to the head, while inside their sleeping bags by a Sheriff's helicopter on August 18, 2004. The couple was on a three-day sightseeing tour after their summer job as counselors at the Rock-N-Water, Christian summer camp had ended.

Unable to find accommodation for themselves on a Saturday night, Cutshall and Allen took their sleeping bags to a sheltered area on the beach to spend the night in an adventurous way, unaware of what their fate held for them.

When Cutshall and Allen were discovered by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, there was little to no evidence at the crime scene. Their belongings were in place, and there was no sign of s*xual assault. The investigators ruled out murder-suicide as the cause of their deaths.

Their red Ford Tempo was left behind in a pullout spot on the side of Highway 1, close to the beach. Meanwhile, a fragment of the bullet lodged in Jason Allen's head gave the police the necessary ballistic information - the choice of murder weapon was unusual for the couple were killed using a hunter's lever-action .45-70 Marlin rifle 1894 model.

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The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department released information on evidence in the case in 2006 to the public

As the Jenner Beach slayings remained unsolved for over two years with no proper leads, the investigators released a list of evidence they collected from the crime scene with a $50,000 reward for information. So far, the police had questioned drifters in the area and went knocking on doors with the Marlin rifle as a lead.

The new list of evidence included poems that were recovered from the crime scene, graffiti made on pieces of driftwood, an empty 40-ounce bottle of Camo beer, a visitors' journal from a driftwood hut, and a distinctive hat. The casings from the crime scene at Jenner Beach were never found.

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Shaun Gallon officially charged with double murder on May 17, 2018

A breakthrough in the unsolved Jenner Beach slayings came when a 911 call reporting a shooting at Forestville came in. Shaun Gallon had fatally shot his brother Shamus Gallon in the chest, leading to his arrest.

Gallon had initially drawn attention as a person of interest around 2004 when he was found in the Fish Head Beach area with a loaded gun in his pocket. However, he was dismissed as the weapon did not match the description of the murder weapon.

In a strange turn of events, Gallon confessed to the double murders on Jenner Beach and led the investigators to the drink can in which he had stashed the shell casings hidden behind a bush on the beach.

Shaun Gallon's admission to the crimes and the corroborating evidence linking Gallon to the murders led to his conviction in June 2019. He was sentenced to serve three consecutive life terms without parole and another 94 years in prison.