The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. Brad was at his sons baseball game when he got the worst call of his life. 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. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couples home left little clues as to what happened. 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. From the street or the water, even in early spring, seeing anything distressing happening inside would have been all but impossible. Follow her on Twitter @JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep up with her latest work. 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. (Provided), The Dermonds adored their nine grandchildren. Its just my opinion that it would just be impossible for one person. 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. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. The husband who found Russ slain can be heard on the recorded line in the background searching the house in vain -- apparently for Shirley. He ran a chain of metro-Atlanta Hardees eateries. Others figure the Dermonds fell prey to a cult. This all came to a sudden end in May 2014 when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley missing. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the first time, Channel 2 Action News spoke with the Dermonds son, Brad. Accident or ambush? It is not certain how Russ Dermond was killed, just that whatever caused his death was a traumatic head injury. These days, he relies on the FBI, Sills and the public to come forward and shed light on who did this to his family. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". Theres such a thing of Gods wrath. 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards. She's digging for answers for the still-grieving families who long for them, and for the victims who have never found their justice. Russell Dermond, 88, was found beheaded in the garage at his home on Lake Oconee on May 6, 2014. As the year progressed, the trail leading to those responsible grew cold. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. There's no way one person did this," he said. 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. When you start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared. He has reached out to the FBI to help comb through that evidence. This week on Killin Missin Hidden, we try to delve into what could have happened to Russell and Shirley Dermond.SHOW NOTEShttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Russell_and_Shirley_Dermond, https://www.williamsfuneralhome.net/obituaries/Russell-Dermond/#!/Obituary, https://www.williamsfuneralhome.net/obituaries/Shirley-Dermond/#!/Obituary, https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/gone-cold-the-murders-at-lake-oconee-4-years-later-elderly-couples-son-opens-up/67-549362307, https://www.unionrecorder.com/news/somebody-knows-and-there-s-more-than-one-person-involved/article_04992f3e-7198-11e9-acd7-d71d1b679da1.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Oconee, https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/years-later-murders-lake-oconee-couple-continue-confound/TozzJXuLvXXbu8f7zbWcPL/, https://medium.com/the-true-crime-times/the-macabre-murders-of-russell-and-shirley-dermond-322a46322706, https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/lake-oconee-double-murder-probe-turns-to-ny-for-clues/53946546, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/nyregion/lois-colley-murder-guilty.html, https://www.unionrecorder.com/news/new-technology-to-be-used-in-unsolved-murder-case/article_943dc312-971b-11ea-bcfa-875703a04928.html, https://www.lakeoconeenews.us/article/6-years-later. I mean, just dead end after dead end.. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. And when the crime scene, in all likelihood, was a $769,000 lake house. WebView history The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond occurred in early May 2014 in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. Among locals who didnt even know the slain couple, an uneasiness set in. Forensic investigators said they found evidence as gunshot residue on his collar leading them to believe the head was taken to conceal ballistic evidence. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. - New evidence might reinvigorate the investigation into a chilling murder mystery that still haunts a Lake Oconee community eight years later. Sills has chased down leads across the country, but still nothing to solve the case. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. Web5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound. They have merited days, weeks of inquiry. "Im not going to say its absolutely physically impossible, but its highly unlikely.". I know damn well that Im the man responsible for this. It would appear that there was a struggle and dad was trying to be protective of mom, Brad surmised. The case of Russell and Shirley Dermond remains unsolved. The WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. 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. WebEATONTON, Ga. A cold case is warming up as the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said there is new evidence in their search for who murdered an elderly couple, then dumped [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. He was determined not to let his money ruin him or his two sons, each of whom joined the Marines after high school. The new details came as the alleged killer, Chad Haufler was denied bond in Greene County, where hes been incarcerated since last Tuesday. 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. Along with Shirley, he spoke with his son Brad over the phone later that day. The sheriff told Wilfon that unfortunately, leads in the case have really slowed down. An autopsy revealed she died from blunt-force trauma having been hit two or three times. That, and unanswered questions. 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 unsolved double murder on Lake Oconee is one of the most unusual and horrifying in Georgia crime annals. Deputies believed she might have been abducted and were extremely concerned for her safety. Though Sills declined to elaborate, he mentioned the sighting of a potential suspect outside the Dermond house at 147 Carolyn Drive. Anyone with information is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, at (706) 485-8557. Psychopath: 5 years after grisly Lake Oconee murders, who killed the Dermonds and why? We talked about some technological stuff that were working on right now.. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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.. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. Leads have, at times, looked promising. A neighbor had invited the Dermonds to a Derby party, but they never showed up. 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. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been Indeed, the highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all nine of them. 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. Police discovered Russells headless body in the garage in between the couples two cars. Oh, my god.. Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. Hundreds of people were interviewed but investigators came up short. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. But prosecutor Allison Mauldin said Tuesday that the physical evidence was also damning. 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. It was on May 6, 2014, that the same neighbor walked up to the Dermonds front door, found it unlocked, walked in to investigate, and made a gruesome discovery inside the garage. WebHer body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. Follow us on -Instagram @kmh.podcastTwitter @kmhpodcastFacebook click hereTikTok @kmhpodcastThank you for listening! By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. It weighs heavy on me, Sills said. Murder or self-defense? Married nearly 64 years, the couple did everything togetherincluding taking their last breaths. Its two years later. In fact, the grandchildren would go to Lake Oconee for summer camp and spend time with Shirley and Russell every year. If theres somebody whos going to get this thing solved, its going to be him.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. 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 was shot in the neck and torso 15 years ago while buying crack cocaine in downtown Atlanta the night of his 47th birthday. Shed gone to her duplicate bridge club meeting in Eatonton the Thursday before her death. I cant imagine this happening.. Who Killed Russell And Shirley Dermond? The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. Shirleys phone and purse were still in the house. WebCheck out this great listen on Audible.com. 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 His wife was found days later in a nearby lake having been weighed down. Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Matt Luttermoser, a friend since childhood. 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. In the 12 months that followed, no reasons or explanations have emerged. David W. Key Sr. of Lake Oconee Community Church, where the Dermonds were members, says shock and despair linger. 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. 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