The sheriff told Wilfon that unfortunately, leads in the case have really slowed down. Russell and Shirley Dermond (Family photos). Stolen concrete truck leads to 60-mile chase along I-20, Former Wilco jail administrator indicted by grand jury, Employee helps makes cables used in his own rob, Owners passion for fashion fuels Js Fashion & More, CHILDRE, Phillip Ernest "Erny" Sep 16, 1961 - Jan 29, 2023, Authorities investigating attempted hijacking in Putnam County, 'BE A LIGHT': Annual fundraiser honors life of dedicated nurse by paying it forward, Trojan baseball looking for another long season, Winner comes forward to claim $1.35B Mega Millions jackpot, Shoplifting case leads to womans arrest on drug charge. Sills has chased down leads across the country, but still nothing to solve the case. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. Im not exaggerating, Sills said. A man, the sheriff said, well just leave it at that, was seen on the property during the period that the murders could have occurred., Also, he said recently, Im considering some new forensic testing of evidence we have.. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. Show Going West: True Crime, Ep The Lake Oconee Murders // 121 - 18 May 2021. Each also voluntarily took polygraph tests and passed. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Held up by push pins, the Dermonds' unsolved murder poster is faded, but remains on the Putnam County Sheriff's bulletin board as soon as you walk inside. Updated May 05, 2021 8:25 AM For seven years, the killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at Lake Oconee have gone unsolved, the motive unknown and the Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. Sheriff Howard Sills, who is personally spearheading the probe, earlier this week declined to publicly divulge what evidentiary avenue was being pursued, but told The Telegraph that the effort could prove promising. Dermond might have been taken and held against her will until some sort of demand was made. Anyone with information is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, at (706) 485-8557. Russell, 88, was found decapitated inside of his garage on May 6, 2014. Later that evening, before dinner, Brad spoke to his parents on the phone. The body of Shirley, 87, was found in Lake Oconee, tied to concrete blocks. A few weeks back, a tip from a college professor in another state seemed plausible until Sills ran it down. Shirley, the sheriff says, appears to have been up and dressed for the day, while Russ, in a robe, T-shirt, boxer shorts and slippers, may have, when the killer arrived, just been into his morning coffee-drinking and reading routine. WebLake Oconee double murder probe turns to NY for clues; Person of interest identified in murder, beheading of elderly couple; Mystery man emerges in year-old Ga. beheading I am currently trying to obtain data of a highly technical nature that I believe will be fruitful. Come 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. WebHer body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. Shed gone to her duplicate bridge club meeting in Eatonton the Thursday before her death. 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 A $45,000 reward was offered. I would ride my bicycle from here (Eatonton) to McIntyre (in Wilkinson County) backward with thumbtacks in my butt if I thought it would solve this case, Sills said. Web5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound. The spot where her body, which had not been decapitated, was discovered is about five miles down the lake from the home the Dermonds, New Jersey natives, had retired to about a decade and a half prior. Monica Haufler testified Dimos suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, a diagnosis that, ironically, may figure into Hauflers defense. Its still just as tough as day one. (Provided), The Dermonds adored their nine grandchildren. 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 They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. Despite what the listing describes as large windows found in every room, the house sits in a tree-shrouded lot. Example video title will go here for this video. The judge cited the 45-year-old ex-firefighters lack of ties to the community. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. Sills said he has discovered no evidence indicating that the killings were carried out randomly by anyone driving through the gated area or coming up by boat to the couples million-dollar home. They had a great relationship, said Monica Haufler, Chad Hauflers wife of 25 years. Almost eight years after Russell Dermond was found dead, the Putnam County sheriff said there's new evidence to consider. Follow us on -Instagram @kmh.podcastTwitter @kmhpodcastFacebook click hereTikTok @kmhpodcastThank you for listening! WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. Sills said he could not elaborate on what was discussed with FBI agents from the Macon field office, however. (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/. WebThe murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond are believed to have occurred four days before authorities ever knew that the unthinkable had happened. Shirley, a housewife, was, like her husband, a New Jersey native. 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. New technology to be used in unsolved murder case. Cloudy. It's been eight years since homicide detectives were called to investigate the murder of Russell and Shirley Dermond. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. It is possible that whatever the killer sought, if anything, was something the Dermonds didnt have. Were searching through that to see if we may be able to find some clue as to who was in the area at the time. [2] He married Shirley Wilcox on December 15, 1950. Get personalized Meanwhile, his 87-year-old wife, Shirley Dermond, was nowhere to be found. He hopes their analysis can open the door to those responsible and finally solve these gruesome murders. Leads have, at times, looked promising. On Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a Navy veteran, tied the knot. I know damn well that Im the man responsible for this. Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. It was the last time she was seen alive. Before joining Sills staff in 2012, he helped train police investigators in Iraq. Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbors home. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". FBI evidence giving investigators new hope in Lake Oconee murder case of elderly couple Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. That, and unanswered questions. Murder or self-defense? Russ, who would have turned 89 last June, was seen at the Publix grocery store near his house the Thursday of Shirleys bridge outing. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. Ten days later, Shirley Dermonds body surfaced near where two men were fishing in a boat on the lake, just inside Greene County. There were no intruders, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came clean. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. Their murders would be Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sill's only cold case in his 48-year law enforcement career. The last time Russell was seen alive was on Thursday, May 1, 2014 when he ran some errands in town. [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. I think the head was taken and discarded to prevent evidence from being obtained from it.. The FBI is investigating the new data. WebPUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been weighted down with cinder blocks. Investigators do not believe the two incidents are connected. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Their front door was unlocked. Confident as they are in their fathers innocence, Chad Haufler s namesake admitted to unknowns that are still present.. He ran a chain of metro-Atlanta Hardees eateries. Investigators arrived and began to comb over the scene. I try to keep an open mind. "I don't want to create the impression that I have acquired some silver bullet, but this is yet another tool we are using to find out who perpetrated these heinous crimes.". If you want to support the channel and participate in future LIVE shows and other perks, click on the link and join Patreon! The couple was supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby party that weekend, but never showed. If Russell Dermond was shot in the head like we believe was the case, there is likely a bullet inside and if that weapon that was used to kill him was used to commit another crime and that case got solved, then the bullet from that weapon could be used to match it back to the killing of Russell Dermond, Sills said. Others figure the Dermonds fell prey to a cult. OConnell told the judge hed be willing to put up his home to cover Hauflers bond. 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. And, hes left at a loss all over againperplexed, because his parents, he said, had no dark side or secrets that would have resulted in their murders. "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. "Im going to defend myself.. The biggest roadblock is motive. He was the lead investigator in the 1999 shooting deaths of a woman and her 2-year-old daughter whose bodies were found in the trunk of a burned-out car. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards. Brad was at his sons baseball game when he got the worst call of his life. David W. Key Sr. of Lake Oconee Community Church, where the Dermonds were members, says shock and despair linger. Investigators said a professional would know that would not The Dermonds would move to the Great Waters Reynolds subdivision, a gated community located about twelve miles northeast of Eatonton and some 70 miles southwest of Atlanta. 2023 Cox Media Group. WebChad Haufler, 45, is charged with murder after a shooting inside a home on Lake Oconee. According to the National Institutes of Health, 80 percent of people stricken with the disease suffer from visual hallucinations that are typically realistic and detailed. Sometimes, they can be frightening or dangerous, states the NIH, citing, as an example, a person attempting to fight a perceived intruder. Another neighborhood woman described the circumstances of the case as horrible., Were sad, said the woman, 74. This was technology that was not available eight years ago.. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. A year ago, he said, I would have expected (the authorities) to have found something by now., These days there are few places the sheriff can go without someone recognizing him and asking about that case.. 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. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery," he said Friday. He has reached out to the FBI to help comb through that evidence. Anyone with information should call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at The two were both New Jersey natives, who relocated to Georgia in the 1980s so that Russell could manage a chain of Hardee restaurants in the Atlanta metropolitan area. After growing concerned, a neighbor checked in on the Dermonds on Tuesday, May 6. 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. It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. So the neighbors, a few days later, went to check on them. Its just my opinion that it would just be impossible for one person. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couples home left little clues as to what happened. The sheriff has previously called Russell's beheading the most frustrating homicide in his career, and nearly a decade later, he has not given up on the murder investigation that has shaken the neighborhood that surrounds Lake Oconee. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. Over a week later, Shirley's body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee, her body having been weighted down with concrete blocks. Their killer, a stranger whod abducted them at a park south of Atlanta, was sentenced to life without parole. Support by joining KMH+ and by checking out our merch shop! [5], Initially, investigators were pursuing multiple potential leads to find the perpetrator(s) and their motive for killing the Dermonds. Four years after his elderly parents' brutal murders, their son believes it's time to talk and hopefully break someone else's silence, uncovering a clue into who killed Russell and Shirley Dermond. Deputies followed hundreds of leads and possible motives, but they didnt lead anywhere conclusive. Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. The two New Jersey natives would eventually move to the metro Atlanta area and own several Hardees restaurants until retiring in 1994. It was a synthetic-type bag, Sills said. It was 10 days before her fate was known. The Dermonds leave behind a daughter, two sons and nine grandchildren. When asked how residents were coping in the year since the killings, a 77-year-old woman who lives a few doors down from the Dermond house told a reporter that she didnt want to discuss the matter. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. Unsolved murders and disappearances, by nature, generate their share of speculation. 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. Aside from Sills, Henry knows more about the Dermond case than anyone. Nor any suspects. The couple were married for 68 years and had four children and nine grandchildren. Someone who likes guns and knives, Sills said, recalling some contents of the FBIs report. But the memories are bittersweet, because that is all that remains. Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. Unsolved murders in Putnam County, Georgia, "Decapitation mystery: Russell Dermond was World War II vet, golfer", "The murders at Lake Oconee: 4 years later, elderly couple's son opens up", "5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Russell_and_Shirley_Dermond&oldid=1140583082, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 19:22. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. I try to keep the blinders off, because I dont want to get tunnel vision on any one person or any one theory. The notion of such an atrocity in an exclusive, golf course-ringed neighborhood struck at peoples deepest fears: If it happened there, is anywhere safe? 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