On November 28, 2016, People Magazine Investigates aired their investigation into the Cabin 28 Murders. They found a letter written by Martin Smartt 16 days after the murders. The letter was written to his wife in an effort to reconcile their relationship. In the letter, Smartt wrote, "I've paid the price of your love & Now that I've Bought it with four peoples lives, you tell me were through." This sounds like a confession to me.

People Magazine Investigates also discovered that in 2010 the murder investigation was reopened. At that time, the authorities discovered that at the time of the murders Smartt was seeing a therapist at the Veterans Administration. The police interviewed the therapist. With Smartt now deceased, the therapist admitted that Smartt confessed to him the he (Smartt) participated in the murders.

The other significant update was that a rusty hammer was recently found near the murder scene. The hammer matched the description of the hammer Smartt said he lost shortly before the murders. The hammer is being tested for DNA evidence.

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