What happened to Jack Irwin? Details explored ahead of Cabin in the Woods on ID

Investigation Discovery's latest television show, Cabin in the Woods, is all set to cover the murder of Jack Irwin, an elderly war veteran who seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth months after befriending two shady women. This case remains shrouded in mystery even now. It was one of the most prolific cases in Irwin's community, who were absolutely shocked by the developments around the 71-year-old's disappearance.

The upcoming episode of Cabin in the Woods, titled Murder on Mt. Baldy, will cover this case in extensive detail when it premieres on September 16, 2024, at 10.00 PM EST.

The synopsis for the episode reads:

"Tragedy strikes a mountain community when a beloved resident, 71-year-old Jack Irwin, disappears without a trace; strange crimes plague the old cabin where Jack used to live, and a compelling wiretap operation."

Ahead of the episode, let us go over the events surrounding Jack Irwin's disappearance.

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Who was Jack Irwin and what happened to him?

Jack Irwin's remains were never found (Image via Pexels)

Jack Irwin was born on May 3, 1928, and dreamed of serving his country from a young age. He fulfilled this dream when he enrolled himself in the army for the Korean War, where he served bravely.

The war veteran started looking for solitude in his later years and decided to move into a small cabin he owned on Mount Baldy, California, in the 1980s. Since then, Jack spent a life detached from most material things and only lived with the bare minimum necessities.

Because of his helpful and kind nature, he was also popular in the community and routinely received help from neighbors. He also suffered from a disability in his later years.

By the late 1990s, Jack started contemplating a move to the town of Upland and finally managed to buy a two-story house for $159,000 in February 1999.

However, his move to Upland went rather awry as the 71-year-old war veteran seemingly disappeared on September 13, 1999. His acquaintances filed a missing persons report, but there was nothing that authorities could initially lay their fingers on.

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Who was behind the disappearance of Jack Irwin?

Irwin was murdered by the people he tried to help (Image via Pexels)

As the police dug deeper into the life of Jack, they discovered that he had befriended two women, Judy Gellert and Marcia Johnson, months before his disappearance. The duo reportedly got in touch with Irwin to buy his cabin, which he had put up for sale after moving to Upland.

However, the women allegedly did not have the funds to pay him right away. Jack Irwin allowed them to pay the mortgage on the cabin and start using it. Judy and Marcia even convinced Jack to hand over his financial assets to them. He also signed an agreement that would allow Judy and Marcia to have possession of the cabin if Jack died. Suspiciously, Jack also gave them access to his bank accounts.

Soon, Jack's friends started suspecting that the women could be behind his disappearance. Moreover, Jack had around $200,000 in his bank account, which the duo extinguished within months.

The authorities soon started digging into Marcia Johnson and Judy Gellert and realized that they sold Jack Irwin's house to buy a different property in San Diego and even burned down his cabin for the insurance money.

Soon, they were arrested and interrogated. Marcia Johnson eventually confessed to killing Jack by shooting him in the head and then dismembering his body after which she was sentenced to life in prison.

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The upcoming episode of Cabin in the Woods will cover this case in more detail.