Show Going West: True Crime, Ep The Lake Oconee Murders // 121 - 18 May 2021. He was decapitated after he died, likely on May 3 or the day before. Weighed down by a pair of 30-pound concrete blocks, her corpse bloated and surfaced facedown in 46 feet of water. Babys dad is charged with murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia? Police: UGA football staffer drunk, racing at 104 mph before fatal crash, Police: Stetson Bennett hid behind brick wall prior to arrest, UGA star Jalen Carter present at scene of fatal crash, Long before season, Georgia Tech president found football performance worrisome, Kemp, Rivian double down on $5B Georgia factory despite challenges, Georgia Power customers bills could jump again soon. Manslaughter shouldve been the highest charge they came up with.. He said he also believes that when Shirley Dermonds body was tossed into the lake, the killers could easily have thrown Russell Dermonds head into the lake at the same time. On Sunday, the likely anniversary of the couples death, Key planned to lead an afternoon memorial service at the church. Russ Dermond. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Search continues for person who decapitated elderly man at Lake Oconee home, WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta facebook feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta twitter feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta instagram feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta youtube feed(Opens a new window), UGA star charged in connection to crash that killed teammate, staffer, UGA football staffer had blood alcohol level twice the legal limit before crash that killed 2, 9 elementary school students sickened by unknown substance at metro Atlanta school, 16-year-old reported missing found dead at Gwinnett home, police say, TIMELINE: Investigation into crash that killed UGA football player, recruiting staff member. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond occurred in early May 2014 in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife Shirley Dermond, 87, were brutally murdered in their gated community overlooking Lake Oconee, Georgia, in 2014, according to Fox Macon affiliate WGXA. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. It would appear that there was a struggle and dad was trying to be protective of mom, Brad surmised. The professor claimed that a psycho love interest she had met online was responsible for killing the Dermonds. Together, they had three sons and a daughterand eventually, they would dote on nine grandchildren too. On May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), The Dermonds owned a house, above, on Lake Oconee. But the thing is, a lot of the times serial killers are very hard to catch. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. They went on to have four children and nine grandchildren. David W. Key Sr. of Lake Oconee Community Church, where the Dermonds were members, says shock and despair linger. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. Mauldin, the prosecutor, said the states case against him will be much clearer then. Sills said he could not elaborate on what was discussed with FBI agents from the Macon field office, however. That data was downloaded into a program the FBI has and they are assisting us in analyzing the data now. But he wakes up before it leads anywhere. Haufler had bruises on his back and elbows, according to his attorney. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery," he said Friday. On Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a Navy veteran, tied the knot. Neither his head nor his wife, Shirley (age 87), could be located in the house. And thats the information were looking for.. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. Shirleys phone and purse were still in the house. Its very raw, Brad Dermond said. Russell, 88, was found decapitated inside of his garage on May 6, 2014. They have merited days, weeks of inquiry. Two dozen of Hauflers friends, most of them firefighters, made the drive up from central Florida to testify on his behalf Tuesday. Before joining Sills staff in 2012, he helped train police investigators in Iraq. Deputies believed she might have been abducted and were extremely concerned for her safety. Along with Shirley, he spoke with his son Brad over the phone later that day. At this point, maybes are about all the sheriff and his investigators have when it comes to potential culprits. From the street or the water, even in early spring, seeing anything distressing happening inside would have been all but impossible. You have no clue as to what youre looking for. I got some data just last week, Sills said. WebGREENE COUNTY, Ga. A man accused of killing his friend at a Lake Oconee mansion walked out of jail Monday evening, released on a technicality. The headless body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was on the floor surrounded by towels. Im the sheriff of Putnam County, Georgia., Yeah, the woman said, youre the one with that case.. Russell's decapitated body was found on the floor of his two-car garage, lying in a small pool of blood. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. - New evidence might reinvigorate the investigation into a chilling murder mystery that still haunts a Lake Oconee community eight years later. WebCome Wednesday, a year will have passed since that emergency call, since the frantic womans husband found the decapitated body of their 88-year-old friend, Russell J. Within hours of the May 6, 2014, discovery there in the Great Waters subdivision, a dozen miles northeast of downtown Eatonton, investigators concluded that Dermonds wife of 68 years had disappeared. [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. Investigators said a professional would know that would not He then traveled to the nearby Publix, at 2:26 p.m., to pick up a prescription for Shirley, for an upcoming cataract surgeryas well as a loaf of bread and a few cucumbers. The murders of Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife, Shirley, 87, have A neighbor had invited the Dermonds to a Derby party, but they never showed up. But he was also realistic. Investigators said they believe the towels were put down around the decapitated body to keep the blood from seeping out under the garage door. That said, it points out a daunting truth. Subscribers and Viewers! Follow us on -Instagram @kmh.podcastTwitter @kmhpodcastFacebook click hereTikTok @kmhpodcastThank you for listening! WebA few days ago, Howard Sills, Putnam Countys plain-spoken, sometimes-philosophical sheriff, rose from bed at 5:38 a.m., bedeviled yet again by crimes as confounding and Someone who likes guns and knives, Sills said, recalling some contents of the FBIs report. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. The body of Shirley Dermond was found weighed down in Lake Oconee on May 16, 2014. The Dermonds went on to move into Great Waters Reynolds at Lake Oconee, a gated community located about twelve miles northeast of Eatonton. [5], Initially, investigators were pursuing multiple potential leads to find the perpetrator(s) and their motive for killing the Dermonds. Over a week later, Shirley's body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee, her body having been weighted down with concrete blocks. WebThe elderly Georgia couple was murdered four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible. For seven years, the killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at Lake Oconee have gone unsolved, the motive unknown and the culprit or culprits uncaught in a bizarre double slaying that has remained as baffling as it was heinous. Oh, my God. Russell Dermond, 88, was found beheaded in the garage at his home on Lake Oconee on May 6, 2014. There's no way one person did this," he said. For more of Georgia's cold cases, visit 11Alive's Cold Case page. Progress, gradual as it may be, has been made. Haufler will return to court in two weeks for a preliminary hearing. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". There have been 11 violent homicides in Macon this year, including five in February, Heres how to qualify for medical marijuana in Georgia, Pregnant woman shot in the head, Georgia cops say. "It's been eight years, I'm sorry," he said. I mean, just dead end after dead end.. WebNew technology to be used in unsolved murder case Billy Hobbs May 16, 2020 Comments Submitted photo In 2014, Russell and Shirley Dermond were the victims of a brutal Lake Hes probably the nicest person I met in my entire life, said neighbor Mark OConnell, calling Haufler an honorable man.. It originally had been thought by authorities that Shirley had possibly been abducted and taken from her home for ransom. That bag was tied to her feet.. WebPUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. Marc Dimos will be laid to rest Thursday in Ohio. But you think there would be other crimes, Keith Dermond said. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. WebLake Oconee Stock Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime 63 Lake Oconee Stock Photos, Images & Pictures Most relevant Best selling Latest uploads Within Results People Pricing License Media Properties More Safe Search lake allatoona lake lake sinclair virginia landscape ohio manufacturer oconee lake odell athens georgia 2023 FOX Television Stations. But Brad is confident in Sills ability to solve the only two homicides of his career that have gone cold. The Dermonds were expected to attend a party for the 2014 Kentucky Derby the following weekend with their neighbors, who grew concerned when the couple did not show up. His head was never found. So the neighbors, a few days later, went to check on them. The 88-year-old Russell Dermond, a World War II veteran, is believed to have been shot in the head and was beheaded afterward. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast. The sheriff told Wilfon that unfortunately, leads in the case have really slowed down. Sills narrowed the timeframe of Russells murder to somewhere between 4:30 p.m., on May 1when the mail was deliveredto 6 p.m., on May 4, when the couple failed to show up for the party. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Timeline | Multiple rounds of strong to severe storms possible, Woman convicted in husband's murder after stabbing him with butcher knife, Douglas County prosecutors say, Douglas County jury convicts woman in husband's stabbing death, Forecast | Shower and storms increase to finish the week, Putnam County murder mystery: Why the sheriff won't ask the GBI for help, Sheriff: Beheading is most frustrating homicide in his career, Justice for Love: A mothers relentless pursuit to find her daughters killer, https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonecold/. She was on the phone, gasping, breathless in the 11 seconds it took someone to answer and say, Putnam County 911., Yes, uh, I have an emergency, the woman, 68, said. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Dermond might have been taken and held against her will until some sort of demand was made. His body was discovered by neighbors in the garage of the couples home. Sills, 59, professorial and occasionally profane, has explored all avenues, obvious and not so, including the circumstances surrounding the murder of the Dermonds eldest child, Mark C. Dermond. Among locals who didnt even know the slain couple, an uneasiness set in. A look at the Dermond's home on Lake Oconee in May 2014. He said, Russell comes to him in his dreams, offering him clues about his death. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. Example video title will go here for this video. And anytime you have that, then theres a greater chance for that information to leak, Brad Dermond said. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. He suggests inebriation mightve played a role, noting the two men had purchased $130 worth of adult beverages the day before Haufler called 911, 30 minutes before sunrise on August 28. Leads have, at times, looked promising. Especially when someone was decapitated, the whereabouts of his head unknown. WebBy Joe Kovac Jr. Despite that, Im confident in our case, he said. Anyone with information about this unsolved double-murder is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office at 706-485-8557. Sills had not until earlier this year wanted it known that the blocks were what Shirley Dermonds killer had apparently used to anchor her to the lake floor. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. Get personalized After not hearing from the Dermonds for a few days, the friends went to the lakefront Dermond house that is nestled in a wooded cove on Carolyn Drive to check on the pair. A few weeks back, a tip from a college professor in another state seemed plausible until Sills ran it down. Chad has not changed since he was a kid. Movies. "That person with that little sliver of knowledge would come forward at this point lives -- (that would be) very much appreciated with our family," their son said. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. EATONTON, Ga. A cold case is warming up as the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said there is new evidence in their search for whomurdered an elderly couple, then dumped one of their body's into a rural Georgia lake. On May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam. On Friday, Sills said he recently received long-awaited cell phone data. Each of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the case. His message, he said, would touch on coming to grips with something that should not have happened., Thats what makes it even a stranger story. For a decade and a half, from about the turn of the century on, the Dermonds had called Lake Oconee home. I try to keep an open mind. Low 66F. I think about this (case) every day no matter where I am. This story was originally published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM. Key recalls the Dermonds being in church the weekend before they died, and how so much time has passed since. Russ, who would have turned 89 last June, was seen at the Publix grocery store near his house the Thursday of Shirleys bridge outing. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. Channel 2s Justin Wilfon learned that there is new evidence from the FBI that is giving investigators new hope in trying to solve the case. Theres been a lot of brick walls in this case, Henry said. Despite the non-stop efforts of local law enforcement, this cruel murder case has never been solved. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Georgia Couple, Somebody knows. Before that, he spent most of his working years as an executive for a New York-area clock company. Haufler and Dimos were, by all accounts, close friends, even though they just met last fall, on a hunting trip. So, if somebody does know something they have the responsibility of coming forward, even if its just a shred of information. Murdered, beheaded and dumped into a lake: Who wanted the Dermonds dead? [In] that stage in life, you prepare for that call at any time, but not that type of call, Brad said in his Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., home this week. Their killer, a stranger whod abducted them at a park south of Atlanta, was sentenced to life without parole. [1] When police were unable to locate Shirley inside the house, they initially suspected that she had been kidnapped. Anyone with information should call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. Meanwhile, his 87-year-old wife, Shirley Dermond, was nowhere to be found. (FOX 5). Arora does not know what compelled his client to lie. 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