There is none. Now part of the challenge is that we live with unanswered questions.. I still think they came by car, but there is no question whatsoever that Mrs. Dermonds body was, in my opinion, disposed of by boat, Sills said. She even emailed Sills hundreds of pages of notes supporting her claim, which Sills debunked. If you have any information that could help, you are asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office. Later that evening, before dinner, Brad spoke to his parents on the phone. The couple was supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby party that weekend, but never showed. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. The Dermonds had said theyd attend but never showed. Despite the non-stop efforts of local law enforcement, this cruel murder case has never been solved. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. But you think there would be other crimes, Keith Dermond said. But when the worst happens in the seemingly best of places, folks cannot help but wonder why or how. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. WebIn 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. (Provided), Brad Dermond looks at years' worth of memories with his parents, Shirley and Russell Dermond. They werent gaudy, they werent pretentious. Forensic investigators said they found evidence as gunshot residue on his collar leading them to believe the head was taken to conceal ballistic evidence. Investigators arrived and began to comb over the scene. This story was originally published May 5, 2021, 5:00 AM. Investigators believe they were searching for multiple suspects and the motive was robbery, but nothing appears to have been taken. [They were] just the most wonderful people youd ever want to meet, Brad gushed. 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. Its not clear but theres been a couple where I almost feel like hes got some answers and hes trying to get me to see something, read something, that hasnt happened.. Both were very religious, and Shirley was an avid writer, artist and crossword puzzle enthusiast. 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. The neighbor quickly called 911. Unless somebody comes forward and gives them a clue, what else do they have to go on? OConnell told the judge hed be willing to put up his home to cover Hauflers bond. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. WebLake Oconee murders revisited years later September 20, 2022, 12:40 AM It was May 2014 when the bodies of Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife Shirley, 87, were found There have, since early in the probe, been developments or findings not shared publicly that, in the event of an arrest, could prove useful in convicting the killer or killers. The decapitated body of Russell Dermond (age 88) was found on May 6, 2014, in the garage of the house he owned on Lake Oconee. Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. They went on to have four children and nine grandchildren. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. You have no clue as to what youre looking for. Somebodys out there and theyre living in Hell. FLASHBACK: Sheriff: Beheading is most frustrating homicide in his career, GONE COLD: More of Georgia's cold case mysteries, Justice for Love: A mothers relentless pursuit to find her daughters killer. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. The 88-year-old Russell Dermond, a World War II veteran, is believed to have been shot in the head and was beheaded afterward. Russ, who would have turned 89 last June, was seen at the Publix grocery store near his house the Thursday of Shirleys bridge outing. A real estate listing touts the homes expansive views and mentions fresh paint, new carpet.. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Georgia Couple, Somebody knows. A lot of what we talked about concerning technology was about what is available today that wasn't available primarily then.. 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. FBI evidence giving investigators new hope in Lake Oconee murder case of elderly couple. We talked about some technological stuff that were working on right now.. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. But a possible lead unearthed in recent months by Putnam County sheriffs investigators working in conjunction with the FBI has detectives somewhat optimistic about a chance to finally zero in on a suspect. His wife, who was not beheaded, died from blows to the skull, wounds possibly inflicted with something like a hammer, Sills said. It is not certain how Russ Dermond was killed, just that whatever caused his death was a traumatic head injury. Neither his head nor his wife, Shirley (age 87), could be located in the house. "It's been eight years, I'm sorry," he said. It originally had been thought by authorities that Shirley had possibly been abducted and taken from her home for ransom. On Friday, Sills said he recently received long-awaited cell phone data. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. He said, Russell comes to him in his dreams, offering him clues about his death. Other friends testified theyd be willing to do the same. By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. Sills has told The Telegraph that he and his deputies are not muddling along in the dark. But, I cant find anyone who had an ax to grind with them and I cant find any connections to any kind of criminal enterprise or other activity, whatsoever.. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Investigators said a professional would know that would not work. 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. And when the crime scene, in all likelihood, was a $769,000 lake house. It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. Thursday marked eight years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. Autopsies revealed that the Dermonds, whod been married for 68 years, died of head wounds, but exactly how or what they were killed with is unknown. Example video title will go here for this video. There were no intruders, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came clean. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy. Aside from Sills, Henry knows more about the Dermond case than anyone. They hope deputies are able to find their parents' killers. Im not exaggerating, Sills said. Investigators said an elderly man was found beheaded in his home. But the thing is, a lot of the times serial killers are very hard to catch. The new details came as the alleged killer, Chad Haufler was denied bond in Greene County, where hes been incarcerated since last Tuesday. WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. And they aint give up yet.. Heres why, Study shows colorectal cancer showing up more in younger people, Atlanta neighbors want to reclaim and revitalize the Joyland neighborhood, Kemp administration deals blow to Buckhead cityhood push, Georgia Power proposes steep rate increase for customers - How it affects what you pay. Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. 2023 Cox Media Group. The body of Shirley Dermond was found weighed down in Lake Oconee on May 16, 2014. Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. It's been eight years since homicide detectives were called to investigate the murder of Russell and Shirley Dermond. I am currently trying to obtain data of a highly technical nature that I believe will be fruitful. WebThe murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond are believed to have occurred four days before authorities ever knew that the unthinkable had happened. The Oconee County Sheriff's Office says 41-year-old Adam Robert Cabe, of Candler, turned himself in on Monday, Feb. 28, 2023, on a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. The 3,200-square-foot, $1 million home in Great Waters subdivision, lies just under 10 miles due south of Interstate 20 and a dozen or so miles northeast of downtown Eatonton. [1], Russell Joseph Dermond, a native of Hackensack, New Jersey, served in the United States Navy during World War II. 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. Nothing was out of placejewelry and medications were seemingly as the Dermonds had left them. Russell, 88, was found beheaded in the couples garage. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is combing over new cell phone data connected to an 8-year-old murder mystery. Marc Dimos will be laid to rest Thursday in Ohio. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. Hauflers attorney, Manny Arora, has been equally circumspect, floating possible explanations for the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Marc Dimos but not yet settling on a fixed defense. He said, 'Grandpa had been murdered; grandma was missing.'. That, and unanswered questions. Thats why he hopes new evidence can breathe new life into the investigation. And despite some new revelations Tuesday at a bond hearing for suspect Chad Haufler, the prosecution is keeping tight-lipped about why they believe the retired firefighter intended to kill a man in the basement of the $1.9 million home purchased just one month earlier. The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. Russell, 88, was found decapitated inside his garage on May 6, 2014, and two fishermen discovered 87-year-old Shirleys body 10 days later in Lake Oconee, about five miles from their lakefront home. His body was discovered by neighbors in the garage of the couples home. Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Matt Luttermoser, a friend since childhood. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. WebChad Haufler, 45, is charged with murder after a shooting inside a home on Lake Oconee. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, Man, 88, Beheaded, His Wife Missing From Home in Gated Georgia Community, Body confirmed to be Shirley Dermond; officials searching lake for husbands head, Phone records released in Dermond slayings on Lake Oconee, Son of slain couple in grisly Putnam case: Mystery just eats at you, New details as mystery reigns in year-old Dermond lake murders, Relentless: Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills chases a killer, Son of slain Dermond couple says Lake Oconee mystery haunts us, Vicious enemy may have killed Dermonds; Lake Oconee murders now 3 years cold. The victims younger brother, Jeff Dimos, watched the proceedings Tuesday in silence, declining an interview request but offering a brief statement to the media mourning the passing of the father of six. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. WebThe Lake Oconee Murders (Podcast Episode 2020) photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. In May 2014, Shirley and Russell Dermond were killed. Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. I dont want to create an impression that I have acquired some silver bullet, but this is yet another tool we are using trying to find out who perpetrated these heinous crimes. 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. This story was originally published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. When asked if some of the technology was the way to go at this time, since other ideas have been exhausted, Sills quickly replied. 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. Key recalls the Dermonds being in church the weekend before they died, and how so much time has passed since. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said its a case he still thinks about every day, now eight years later. (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. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. The couple moved to Eatonton, Ga., and built their million-dollar Reynolds Plantation's Great Waters home in a cul-de-sac, overlooking Lake Oconee. But Brad is confident in Sills ability to solve the only two homicides of his career that have gone cold. An autopsy found that she had died from either two or three deep wounds to the head from a blunt object. As of 2022, the murders remain unsolved and Russell's head has not been found. As the year progressed, the trail leading to those responsible grew cold. The Dermonds went on to move into Great Waters Reynolds at Lake Oconee, a gated community located about twelve miles northeast of Eatonton. [1] When police were unable to locate Shirley inside the house, they initially suspected that she had been kidnapped. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On May 6, 2014, neighbors of Russell and Shirley Dermond, an elderly couple who lived for 15 years inside the Reynolds Great Waters gated community, home to some of the countys wealthiest citizens, called 911 to report a gruesome discovery. Once I knew the backgrounds of Russell and Shirley Dermond, I have always thought that this was some sort of extortion, Sills told the newspaper. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. 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. But upon checking the house again days later, neighbors found one of them brutally slain in the garage, and the Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. 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. He was determined not to let his money ruin him or his two sons, each of whom joined the Marines after high school. It was wooded and very private. Not long ago, Sills was at a restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when a woman walked up and asked, Are you a police officer?, Yes, maam, he replied before emphasizing where. 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. For a decade and a half, from about the turn of the century on, the Dermonds had called Lake Oconee home. Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. (Provided), The Dermonds adored their nine grandchildren. WebView history The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond occurred in early May 2014 in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. 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.. At what point would you just have that sinking feeling, this is it? he said. The Dermonds eldest son, Mark, was killed while attempting to purchase crack cocaine in Atlanta. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. A neighbor had invited the Dermonds to a Derby party, but they never showed up. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. Progress, gradual as it may be, has been made. 2023 FOX Television Stations. WebCheck out this great listen on Audible.com. A $45,000 reward was offered. 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. Russ Dermond. 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. WebRussell, 88, was found decapitated inside his garage on May 6, 2014, and two fishermen discovered 87-year-old Shirleys body 10 days later in Lake Oconee, about five miles They could have come by boat., As for the number of assailants involved, Sills said, If one person did this, he spent the weekend. 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 His killer remains in prison, and people on the slayings periphery -- relatives, friends and others -- appear to have played no role in his parents deaths.

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