Timeline

Spellbound Calendar

•  Wed., 9 August 1977: Spellbound leaves Washington with Loren, Jody, Kerry, Larry, and Gary (a passenger, not Gary Edwards).  

•  Thurs., 17 August 1977: Spellbound arrives in San Francisco where Gary departs.  (Drummer arrives in San Francisco on August 19).  Spellbound leaves San Francisco on August 20.

•  Thurs., 24 August 1977: Spellbound arrives in San Diego, CA.

•  Fri., 16 September 1977: Gary leaves for San Diego to join the Spellbound Crew.

•  Thurs., 17 November 1977: Spellbound leaves San Diego for French Polynesia with Loren, Jody, Kerry, Lori, and Gary as crew, they arrive 27 days later on December 15, 1977 (Restless Wind left on November 9 and on  December 17, Drummer arrives). 

•  Tues., 21 February 1978: Gary states he injured his wrist when a winch struck it.

•   Wed., 22 February 1978: Loren radios Jerry aboard the Restless Wind to tell him the Spellbound will be heading straight to Papette.

•  Thurs., 23 February 1978: Loren calls Seattle to check on the status of his Dad (5:12 pm TAHT).

•  Fri., 24 February 1978: Kerry suffers a head injury allegedly at 4:00 am.  Sunrise was at 5:41 am local time (nautical twilight, when there is sufficient light to use a sexton to determine your position, occurred at 4:51). 

•  Fri., 24 February 1978: HAM operator hears Spellbound’s mayday call; relays Loren is dead.

•  Sat., 25 February 1978: HAM operator relays Jody is dead. 

•  Sat., 25 February 1978: Loren and Jody’s bodies are buried at sea.

•  Sat., 25 February 1978: The Tahitian Rescue Coordination Center uses an aircraft to find the Spellbound and guide a rescue boat to her; both boats arrive in Rangiroa at 9:30 pm local time.

•  Sun., 26 February 1978: Larry flies to Tahiti to sort out what happened and to help Kerry and Gary, he arrived Monday morning. Kerry and Lori fly to Papeete where Kerry is admitted to L’hôpital de Mamao.

•  Mon., 27 February 1978: the French police question Gary, Lori, and Kerry in Papeete at the hospital. 

•  Tues., 28 February 1978: official inquiry opened by French authorities who suspect foul play. 

•  Wed., 1 March 1978: Kerry and Lori return to Seattle.  Kerry is admitted to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, released about a week later.

•  Thurs., 2 March 1978: Gendarme Captain Michel Bereze states the affair was not normal.  The French investigation is turned over to the American authorities, the FBI.

•  Tues., 14 March 1978: Gary and Larry sail the Spellbound to Tahiti and arrive in Papeete on Sat., 18 March 1978 (200 miles from Rangiroa).

•  Wed., 22 March 1978: Larry returns to Seattle as there is nothing more he can do in Tahiti.

•  Tues., 4 April 1978: Kerry and Lori testify before a Grand Jury in Seattle.

•  Wed., 26 April 1978: Gary interviewed by the FBI.

•  April 1978: Gary & the Spellbound are in the movie "Overboard."

•  August 1978: Gary sails the Spellbound to Richmond, CA where the boat is sold in June, 1979 to Ralph (Ralph remained the owner of the Spellbound until his death in 2008) for $110,000.00.

•  Thurs., 16 November 1978: Gary interviewed by the FBI again in San Francisco. 

•  May 1979: Phyllis, Gary and Larry’s biological mom, passes away.

•  Thurs., 17 January 1980: Gary is interviewed again by the FBI in San Francisco, CA.

•  January 1980: Kerry takes a polygraph test and fails.

•  Fri., 17 October 1980: Larry files an affidavit in King County Superior Court alleging Gary killed Loren & Jody under Washington “Slayer” laws to bar Gary from inheriting; Jody and Bobbie join the to disinherit Gary & Kerry.

•  Fri., 19 December 1980: Court Commissioner Jack Richey signs the order to distribute Loren & Jody’s assets and disinherits Gary.  Gary didn’t contest - he didn’t want a ghoulish court battle.

•  1983: the FBI stops the investigation in the murder of Loren and Jody Edwards as there is not sufficient evidence for a conviction.

(note: Tahitian time is 3 hours earlier than PST)