Kriti Mehrotra
It was December 22, 1990, when the entire state of Utah was left baffled as the Tiede family was attacked at their mountain cabin near Beaver Springs in Oakley, Summit County. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Three Days Before Christmas’ covers the case in detail, showcasing how it sadly left two individuals dead, one fighting for their life, and two with the trauma of not only their losses but also being witnesses. Those who passed away were 49-year-old Kaye Tidwell Tiede and her 76-year-old mother, Beth Harmon Potts, both of whom were fierce family women with deeply caring, kind, loving souls.
Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts Were Both Quite Family-Oriented
Beth Harmon Tidwell Potts was born on August 20, 1914, in Manti, Utah, to Rozella Lowry and Milton Harmon. One of their eight children, she reportedly grew up in a very tight-knit family. In fact, it was from them that she learned the significance of affection, empathy, and support, especially considering her unique bonds with each of her siblings – five brothers and two sisters. They were Milton Jr. (1909-1965), John Leonard (1913-2001), Norma (1915-2013), John Willis (1917-2006), George (1918-1991), Richard (1920-2011), and finally Melva Harmon (1922-1995).
According to records, Beth ultimately married Claude Eugene Tidwell on February 14, 1936, following which they built a home in Nevada and welcomed five beautiful children. They had four daughters, named Claudia Tidwell, Kaye Tidwell, Barbara Tidwell, and Sue Tidwell, as well as one son, Kenneth “Ken” Tidwell. Unfortunately, things turned upside down for them on September 19, 1960, as the patriarch sadly passed away following a car crash in their then-base of Lincoln County, Nevada. Beth remarried around 11 years later, on November 5, 1971, but her union with William Clifford Potts also ended in an automobile accident in Provo, Utah, on January 25, 1983.
The couple had seemingly settled in Beth’s home state by this point, but what’s even more imperative to note is that the horrific crash that took her second husband’s life involved her, too. In other words, she was in the vehicle with him and was injured to such an extent that she ended up losing her eyesight, along with most of her mobility. Therefore, by the time 1990 rolled around, the Latter-Day Saints church member had been residing at the Old Farm community in Murray, Utah, for over 7 years. As for her daughter, Kaye, the Nevada native was based in Humble, Texas, where she lived alongside her husband, Rolf Tiede (married May 24, 1963), and their three children — Linae, Shaun, and Tricia.
Kaye Tiede and Beth Potts Were Ambushed and Killed Within Minutes
According to records, the Tiede family had a wonderful cabin called Tiede’s Tranquility near Beaver Springs in Oakley, Utah, where they would gather almost every holiday season. The Christmas of 1990 thus felt no different to them, so they made their way to the secluded estate with Kaye’s mother, Beth, and began preparing for the arrival of more extended family. However, on December 21, they all left for an overnight shopping trip in Salt Lake City, unaware that two armed intruders would arrive and hide inside while they were away. It was the next afternoon, at around 12:30 pm, when Kaye, Beth, and the former’s 20-year-old daughter, Linae Tiede, returned via a snomobile.
As per Linae’s account, she was the first to enter the cabin and was immediately confronted by the two men — while one stood behind her, the other was pointing his weapon at her from the front. She reportedly managed to scream out to her mother that “there are robbers in the house,” but to no avail, as Kaye and Beth had also already made their way into the main gate. The then-Utah State University student subsequently witnessed the men ordering her 49-year-old mother and 76-year-old grandmother inside, instructing them not to make any moves.
Linae later told officials Kaye was essentially standing guard while Beth was allowed to sit on a bar stool less than 10 feet inside, following which they both asked the intruders what they wanted. What none of them expected was that the two men would not even deign to respond in words. According to court records, the one facing the 20-year-old simply aimed and started firing. He did not target Linae, though. He fatally shot her mother before turning to fatally shoot her elderly grandmother once in the head and then twice in the chest after she attempted to stand up.
The Intruders Continued Their Crime Spree With Attempted Murder, Arson, and Kidnapping
As per Linae, from the second she stepped into the cabin to the moment the intruders killed Kaye and Beth was less than three minutes, making her fearful for the lives of her remaining family. That’s because she knew that her father, Rolf Tiede, and 16-year-old younger sister, Tricia Tiede, were mere minutes behind, plus their extended relatives were also due at any given point. She was scared for her own life too, but she was more worried about loved ones, especially when the assailants tied her, gagged her, and dragged her to the garage with no apparent urgency.
According to records, the offenders had already decided to take Linae with them because she had seen what they looked like, following which they began trying to set the cabin ablaze. That’s when they heard another snowmobile closing in, so they grabbed the 20-year-old from behind as a hostage and jumped on the individuals it carried – Rolf and Tricia. While the one who hadn’t shot Kaye and Beth then reportedly pulled his weapon on the 51-year-old patriarch, the other used the young girl as bait to pull them all into the garage once again.
That’s where the former ordered Rolf to take off his clothing and asked him if he had any money, resulting in the father of three removing his jacket before tossing $105 cash at them. In the moments to follow, the man holding Linae told his accomplice to shoot Rolf, only to pull the trigger himself after the latter hesitated – the Skyline Equipment owner was shot in the face. The two men subsequently continued pouring gasoline on the house before the triggerman shot Rolf once again in the temple, poured gasoline on him, and then set the place on fire. As it burned, they grabbed the girls and forced them on the snowmobiles and then their family car to flee the scene.
Thanks to a Quick Response, The Intruders Were Captured Within An Hour
While Linae and Tricia were coming down from the cabin with a man behind them each, they came across their uncle, but refused to acknowledge him out of fear of more death. Initially, Randy Zorn assumed the males were their boyfriends, but when he saw them again in the family car, driving away from the area in a hurry, he began to feel as if something was wrong. However, it wasn’t until he saw a partially clothed, bloody Rolf speeding down on another snowmobile mere minutes later that he learned the whole horrific truth about what had transpired.
Despite being shot in the face twice, Rolf had survived by consciously holding his breath and playing dead until the assailants had fled, following which he even tried dousing the flames. He did get burned in the process, driving him to take off more of his clothes, pat himself out with a towel, and then ride in search of help — he was fortunate he bumped into his brother. Randy immediately took action by placing Rolf in the back of his car and driving in the direction he had seen his nieces go, all the while trying to get in touch with the emergency services.
Randy not only caught up with his nieces and the intruders within a few minutes but also managed to contact 911 to quickly relay the kidnapping situation to the dispatcher before the line cut off. He then pulled into a gas station to dial 911 once again for a medical helicopter for his brother, and an efficient response helped apprehend the assailants and get Rolf the care he needed within an hour. The moment the men saw police, they broke speed limits and drove off the road in the hopes of avoiding arrest, but they were outnumbered as well as surrounded.
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Kaye and Beth’s Killers Were Identified as Convicts on the Run
Once the two assailants were captured, it came to light that they were Von Lester Taylor and Edward Steven Deli, two parolees who had met at a halfway house a mere month prior. They had escaped the halfway house at different points before arriving at the Tiede family cabin with the intention of committing burglary before fleeing the state. They had reportedly chosen this cabin owing to how secluded it was. Edward, who had previously served a 5-year sentence for arson, was from the area, so he was familiar with it, whereas Von was allegedly experienced in burglary. It was subsequently also ascertained that after Von and Edward broke into the cabin, ate food, drank soda, and opened all the Christmas presents while waiting for the residents to arrive. The duo carefully planned the burglary because they wanted the family’s vehicle.
Von reportedly anticipated violence, as reflected in statements later cited in court records, including a call in which he said he planned “to shoot some people.” According to records, he alone was the one who shot Kaye, Beth, and Rolf, while his accomplice enabled the crimes and later helped set the cabin on fire, actions for which he was convicted. In the end, Von pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder on May 2, 1991, for which he was handed down the death penalty. On the other hand, a jury found Edward guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, attempted murder, aggravated arson, robbery, theft, and assault, following which he was sentenced to life in prison.
