David W. Key Sr. of Lake Oconee Community Church, where the Dermonds were members, says shock and despair linger. Weighed down by a pair of 30-pound concrete blocks, her corpse bloated and surfaced facedown in 46 feet of water. Follow us on -Instagram @kmh.podcastTwitter @kmhpodcastFacebook click hereTikTok @kmhpodcastThank you for listening! Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The Dermonds went on to move into Great Waters Reynolds at Lake Oconee, a gated community located about twelve miles northeast of Eatonton. 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 May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. They were just really down-to-earth.. 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. They had a great relationship, said Monica Haufler, Chad Hauflers wife of 25 years. It was 10 days before her fate was known. (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/. A look at the Dermond's home on Lake Oconee in May 2014. 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. They spent their days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family. For every theory about the shooting death of an Ohio man by his friend inside the exclusive Reynolds Lake Oconee community, significant holes remain. Example video title will go here for this video. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. According to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, there were no signs of forced entry or indications of a struggle in the home. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), The Dermonds owned a house, above, on Lake Oconee. 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. Example video title will go here for this video. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. Confident as they are in their fathers innocence, Chad Haufler s namesake admitted to unknowns that are still present.. Almost eight years after Russell Dermond was found dead, the Putnam County sheriff said there's new evidence to consider. 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 Dermond might have been taken and held against her will until some sort of demand was made. 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. Hes always taken care of people.. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. They were lovely people from all I know. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. He has passed up vacations, worked weekends and spent countless hours late at night trying to unearth a thread that leads to a suspect. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. These days, he relies on the FBI, Sills and the public to come forward and shed light on who did this to his family. "The technology we are using was not in existence back in 2014," Sills said in a statement. Low 66F. Each also voluntarily took polygraph tests and passed. The Rev. Henry is 62, a slim, deep-voiced, Vidalia-born career cop.

In 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. 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 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. [1][3] In 2000, their oldest son Mark was murdered in Atlanta while attempting to purchase crack cocaine. When Russells body was found in the couples garage, his finger had a severe wound, Sills said. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. Haufler and Dimos were, by all accounts, close friends, even though they just met last fall, on a hunting trip. In the video, he can be seen wearing dark glasses, khaki shorts, a green polo shirt and dark gym shoesthe same clothes police found in his bedroom when they searched the Dermonds residence after his murder. [1] When police were unable to locate Shirley inside the house, they initially suspected that she had been kidnapped. 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? The neighbors had hosted a Kentucky Derby party the previous Saturday, May 3. However, this eventually led nowhere, and over time the leads gradually declined in frequency. 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 Menu. Crews searched for several days with no luck. Oh, my god.. They also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate or found their way to the home by boat. Youngest son Blake is set to follow in his dads footsteps as a firefighter in Marion County. Investigators said a professional would know that would not Its very hard to catch somebody when you dont even know their motive. Their killer, a stranger whod abducted them at a park south of Atlanta, was sentenced to life without parole. 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. His wife, who was not beheaded, died from blows to the skull, wounds possibly inflicted with something like a hammer, Sills said. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. Unsolved murders and disappearances, by nature, generate their share of speculation. Dimos also confided in his new friend about his poor health. 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 But he did receive one earlier this week that hes looking into. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. 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. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said its a case he still thinks about every day, now eight years later. Sills said Shirley Dermond was struck more than once and was dead when she was dropped in the lake. Arora does not know what compelled his client to lie. The two-story Dermond home, a four-bedroom, four-bath, 3,500-square-footer in a wooded cul-de-sac overlooking a cove, is now on the market. She described two bloodlettings Dimos was bludgeoned, sustaining multiple lacerations to his face, before Haufler, 45, allegedly shot his friend in the face. As the year progressed, the trail leading to those responsible grew cold. Over a week later, Shirley's body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee, her body having been weighted down with concrete blocks. Three days passed with no excuse, no apology, and no signs of activity at the Dermond home. "If there was an enemy out there, (it) would have taken place a lot sooner than that.". The Dermonds eldest son, Mark, was killed while attempting to purchase crack cocaine in Atlanta. An autopsy found that she had died from either two or three deep wounds to the head from a blunt object. Sheriff Sills said his office received new data, some of it cell phone data. Sills talked with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday about the case and how technology that wasnt yet developed six years ago might be useful to authorities in solving the case. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. 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. Shed gone to her duplicate bridge club meeting in Eatonton the Thursday before her death. I got some data just last week, Sills said. Because he lacks any ties to the area, Haufler was denied bond and returned to the Greene County jail. And anytime you have that, then theres a greater chance for that information to leak, Brad Dermond said. Russell Joseph Dermond, a WWII Navy veteran, married Shirley Wilcox on Dec. 15, 1950. 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. 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. 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. WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. This was technology that was not available eight years ago.. Russell, 88, was found beheaded in the couples garage. The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. The neighbor quickly called 911. Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. Sills has told The Telegraph that he and his deputies are not muddling along in the dark. Another neighborhood woman described the circumstances of the case as horrible., Were sad, said the woman, 74. The towels belonged to the Dermonds and, yes, there was other evidence found at the scene, but I cant go into any of that evidence, Sills said. Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. 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. WebThe elderly Georgia couple was murdered four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. [3] The neighbor found the door unlocked and entered the house. This story was originally published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM. 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. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". An autopsy revealed she died from blunt-force trauma having been hit two or three times. Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. And they aint give up yet.. The unsolved double murder on Lake Oconee is one of the most unusual and horrifying in Georgia crime annals. Oldest son Chad is now a sheriffs deputy in Florida. Along with Shirley, he spoke with his son Brad over the phone later that day. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. She's digging for answers for the still-grieving families who long for them, and for the victims who have never found their justice. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are assisting by analyzing the new evidence, the sheriff said. 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. How their killer or killers arrived is anyones guess. But, he is convinced more than one person was involved. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. I cant imagine this happening.. The Dermond mystery still generates its share of sometimes-kooky tips, which investigators dutifully check out. The case remains as much a mystery today and is it did when the crimes first happened. 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. "The technology we are using was not in existence back in 2014. 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. We talked about some technological stuff that were working on right now.. A local sheriff says data provided to the FBI might help them solve the grisly double homicide of an elderly pair eight years ago. Submitted photo In 2014, Russell and Shirley Dermond were the victims of a brutal Lake Oconee murder that shocked the country. A lot of what we talked about concerning technology was about what is available today that wasn't available primarily then.. Deputies followed hundreds of leads and possible motives, but they didnt lead anywhere conclusive. 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.

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