Jack Irwin

 ## Key Takeaways

- **Jack Irwin**, a disabled **Korean War veteran**, disappeared from his Upland, California, home on September 13, 1999.

- His acquaintances, **Marcia Johnson** and **Judy Gellert**, gained control of his property and finances before his disappearance.

- Investigators determined that Jack had been murdered and dismembered, although his remains were never found.

- **Marcia Johnson** confessed, was convicted of 26 counts, and received life imprisonment without parole.

- **Judy Gellert** testified against Marcia and received a reduced sentence for receiving stolen property.

## Detailed Summary

The **Investigation Discovery** episode **“Murder on Mt. Baldy”** examines the disappearance and murder of **Jack Irwin**, who had retired to a cabin on Mount Baldy before purchasing a $159,000 home in Upland in February 1999. Although he lived modestly and had more than $70,000 in savings, Irwin became vulnerable because of his age and disability.

Several months before his disappearance, Irwin befriended **Marcia Johnson** and **Judy Gellert**, who expressed interest in purchasing his cabin. He allowed them to make mortgage payments and later gave them access to his bank accounts and other assets. After the women stopped making payments, Irwin disappeared. Johnson reported him missing on October 3, 1999, claiming he had traveled to Seattle.

Investigators discovered that Johnson and Gellert had sold Irwin’s Upland property, bought a luxury home in San Diego, emptied his bank accounts—reducing his balance from more than $200,000 to $14—and burned down the Mount Baldy cabin for insurance proceeds. During questioning, Johnson confessed to shooting Irwin, dismembering him with a chainsaw, and disposing of his remains on Mount Baldy. She later recanted, claiming the confession resulted from bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse.

On November 2, 2004, Johnson was convicted of 26 counts, including **first-degree murder**, **grand theft**, **insurance fraud**, **arson**, and **elder abuse**. She was sentenced on December 15, 2004, to **life without the possibility of parole** and remains incarcerated at the **California Institution for Women** in Chino, California. Gellert pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and received **180 days in jail**, **five years of probation**, and **$150,000 in restitution**.