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. Henry is 62, a slim, deep-voiced, Vidalia-born career cop. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been weighted down with cinder blocks. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. In the sheriff's last update on the case, he said there were no fingerprints, foreign DNA or eye-witnesses. Its very raw, Brad Dermond said. That data was downloaded into a program the FBI has and they are assisting us in analyzing the data now. The case remains as much a mystery today and is it did when the crimes first happened. 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. Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. It is not certain how Russ Dermond was killed, just that whatever caused his death was a traumatic head injury. 5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound On May 6, 2014, the body of Russell Dermond, 88, was found inside the garage of the couple? Submitted photo In 2014, Russell and Shirley Dermond were the victims of a brutal Lake Oconee murder that shocked the country. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. Deputies followed hundreds of leads and possible motives, but they didnt lead anywhere conclusive. Hes always taken care of people.. They have the responsibility of coming forward., We may not like how long it takes, but it will be solved, Brad said with optimism. Despite what the listing describes as large windows found in every room, the house sits in a tree-shrouded lot. Investigators said a professional would know that would not work. By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. Ten days later, a pair of fishermen found Shirley, 87, dead near a Lake Oconee dam about five miles from their Eatonton lakefront home. He has reached out to the FBI to help comb through that evidence. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. (Provided), The Dermonds adored their nine grandchildren. 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. Henry also had a hand in the 1997 murder-for-hire probe that sent Kelly Gissendaner to death row for arranging the stabbing death of her husband. "It's been eight years, I'm sorry," he said. 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. WebCheck out this great listen on Audible.com. Each of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the case. Show Going West: True Crime, Ep The Lake Oconee Murders // 121 - 18 May 2021. But the memories are bittersweet, because that is all that remains.

In 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. I cant imagine this happening.. Especially when someone was decapitated, the whereabouts of his head unknown. 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. But what led the two men to fight in the first place? WebThe elderly Georgia couple was murdered four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible. Russell Joseph Russ Dermond, 88, had last been seen on May 2, the day before that years Kentucky Derby. 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 were no intruders, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came clean. 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 "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. Menu. Dimos also confided in his new friend about his poor health. The Dermond mystery still generates its share of sometimes-kooky tips, which investigators dutifully check out. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It was a synthetic-type bag, Sills said. SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. Brad Dermond flips through albums and shuffles through a handful of photographsremembering family road trips, golfing and how much his parents loved him and his siblings and adored their grandchildren. 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.. 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. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are assisting by analyzing the new evidence, the sheriff said. It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. Aside from Sills, Henry knows more about the Dermond case than anyone. WebHer body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. They spent their days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family. After growing concerned, a neighbor checked in on the Dermonds on Tuesday, May 6. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. Gone Cold is an ongoing series, where 11Alive Journalist Jessica Noll investigates some of the most infamous and lesser-known cold cases in Georgia. They never showed up. EATONTON, Ga. Nearly every day for the past six years, Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Sills has done some sort of investigative work concerning the unsolved double-murder case of Russell and Shirley Dermond. His wife, who was not beheaded, died from blows to the skull, wounds possibly inflicted with something like a hammer, Sills said. 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. And theres more than one person involved in this, Lake 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 case, 5 years later, sheriff still agonizes over brutal cold case murders, Timeline of 2 Murders: How the Killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond Unfolded, The Murders of Elderly Georgia Couple Russell and Shirley Dermond: A Beheading and No Leads. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. Russ, once an avid golfer when he and Shirley lived near Roswell, had called it a career after more than 10 years in the restaurant business. Movies. WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. 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. The FBI is investigating the new data. 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. Arora suggested the two men tussled before the violence escalated. Might the slayings be the work of burglars the Dermonds walked in on? Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. New technology to be used in unsolved murder case. The guard shack lies a shade under two miles from the Dermond house. The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. (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. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. Psychopath: 5 years after grisly Lake Oconee murders, who killed the Dermonds and why? On May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. Before that, he spent most of his working years as an executive for a New York-area clock company. [3] The neighbor found the door unlocked and entered the house. But upon checking the house again days later, neighbors found one of them brutally slain in the garage, and the Earlier this summer, Haufler invited Dimos to his home in Ocala, Florida. When Russells body was found in the couples garage, his finger had a severe wound, Sills said. Besides the headless body sprawled in the garage between the Dermonds Lexus SUV and their Lincoln Town Car, little in the home was amiss. Potential evidence was gathered. Progress, gradual as it may be, has been made. In recent months, the eldest of the Dermonds surviving three children, Keith Dermond, who lives in Florida, recalled how his parents moved to the lake in the late 1990s to get away from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta., They made some great friends and loved when family visited, Keith Dermond, 56, said in February, adding that he hadnt heard from the sheriff or anyone in months.. 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 Henry spent most of his years as a homicide detective at agencies in Gwinnett County. "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.". Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. Each also voluntarily took polygraph tests and passed. REAL LIFE This was technology that was not available eight years ago.. Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Matt Luttermoser, a friend since childhood. 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 Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. It was the last time she was seen alive. According to their obituaries, Russell loved golf, reading, walking, and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends while Shirley loved crossword puzzles, gardening and playing bridge. WebThe fisherman who had the misfortune of finding Shirley Dermonds body in Lake Oconee Source: Scoopnest.com. It was also believed the head was not taken as a trophy. Ten days later, Shirley Dermonds body surfaced near where two men were fishing in a boat on the lake, just inside Greene County. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. Unless somebody comes forward and gives them a clue, what else do they have to go on? 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. "If there was an enemy out there, (it) would have taken place a lot sooner than that.". But four years after their brutal murders, Russell and Shirley Dermond's son believes its time to talk and hopefully break someone elses silence, uncovering a clue into who killed his parents in rural Putnam County, Ga. READ MORE: Putnam County murder mystery: Why the sheriff won't ask the GBI for help. It was found by fishermen. Two dozen of Hauflers friends, most of them firefighters, made the drive up from central Florida to testify on his behalf Tuesday. Investigators believe that there is no connection between this crime and the murder of Mark's parents. Because gunshot residue was found on Russell's collar,[5] Sills believes he was decapitated after having been shot in the head in an attempt to prevent police from finding the bullet,[6] and that the perpetrator(s) went to the Dermonds' home intending to obtain money, despite the fact that nothing in the home was stolen.[5]. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. They were lovely people from all I know. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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 murders would be Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sill's only cold case in his 48-year law enforcement career. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. For every theory about the shooting death of an Ohio man by his friend inside the exclusive Reynolds Lake Oconee community, significant holes remain. On May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam. Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. WebThe 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 Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbors home. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. 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. I know damn well that Im the man responsible for this. Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. He hopes their analysis can open the door to those responsible and finally solve these gruesome murders. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. In May 2014, Shirley and Russell Dermond were killed. If you have a tip or story idea, email her at jnoll@11Alive.com or call, text at (404) 664-3634. 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. 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.. Join our "Gone Cold" Facebook group and join our discussions about cases like these, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonecold/ and follow us on Twitter: @11AliveGoneCold. 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. Sills issued a statement saying investigators are using new technology to analyze phones: "Just last week I received some data, primarily cell phone data, that we have been waiting on for some time. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. Russell and Shirley Dermond were last seen alive on May 1, 2014, while running errands. The couple were married for 68 years and had four children and nine grandchildren. Its security cameras had been knocked out by a storm in the weeks before the killings and were of no use to the authorities. 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. WebIMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Tangled within his blood, they found strands of Shirleys hair. Support by joining KMH+ and by checking out our merch shop! This all came to a sudden end in May 2014 when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley missing. Sills said they re-examined aspects of the case, as well as timelines to see whether some of the technology in place today might help going forward with the investigation. Murdered, beheaded and dumped into a lake: Who wanted the Dermonds dead? 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. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. Now part of the challenge is that we live with unanswered questions.. A few weeks back, a tip from a college professor in another state seemed plausible until Sills ran it down. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. 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. The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. 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..

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