We feel that theres a very strong likelihood that it was done by more than one person. A look at the Dermond's home on Lake Oconee in May 2014. Sills said he believes he knows the answer. A real estate listing touts the homes expansive views and mentions fresh paint, new carpet.. On Sunday, the likely anniversary of the couples death, Key planned to lead an afternoon memorial service at the church. I think about this (case) every day no matter where I am. When you can get it, TikToker slathers parents kitchen in peanut butter months after doing the bathroom, Macon man enters plea in fatal shooting that happened during domestic dispute in 2020, Young man killed in shooting last week faced murder charges in 2020 slaying of Macon teen, Macon man, 20, found fatally wounded Saturday evening by Bibb County deputies, Two charged with aggravated assault after shooting that fatally wounded Macon teen, A 14-year-old Macon boy is among 8 people indicted on murder charges in fatal Bibb shootings, Georgia man in bank lobby blasts explicit music from phone and shouts I am God. An autopsy found that she had died from either two or three deep wounds to the head from a blunt object. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. You have permission to edit this article. The body of Shirley Dermond was found weighed down in Lake Oconee on May 16, 2014. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. 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. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. On Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a Navy veteran, tied the knot. Low 66F. Besides the headless body sprawled in the garage between the Dermonds Lexus SUV and their Lincoln Town Car, little in the home was amiss. Arora suggested the two men tussled before the violence escalated. Haufler and Dimos were, by all accounts, close friends, even though they just met last fall, on a hunting trip. The FBI, who has assisted the Putnam County Sheriffs Office in the investigation, launched an intensified search, placing Shirley Dermonds photo on digital billboards throughout the area, but received no information. WebChad Haufler, 45, is charged with murder after a shooting inside a home on Lake Oconee. Others figure the Dermonds fell prey to a cult. Movies. Investigators believe that there is no connection between this crime and the murder of Mark's parents. In fact, the grandchildren would go to Lake Oconee for summer camp and spend time with Shirley and Russell every year. The last time Russell was seen alive was on Thursday, May 1, 2014 when he ran some errands in town. Their killers have never been found. How their killer or killers arrived is anyones guess. Naturally, the shifting narratives aroused suspicions. Please rate, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our work. Forensic investigators said they found evidence as gunshot residue on his collar leading them to believe the head was taken to conceal ballistic evidence. But the thing is, a lot of the times serial killers are very hard to catch. It originally had been thought by authorities that Shirley had possibly been abducted and taken from her home for ransom. They spent their days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family. 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. Investigators said a professional would know that would not Russell's decapitated body was found on the floor of his two-car garage, lying in a small pool of blood. Key recalls the Dermonds being in church the weekend before they died, and how so much time has passed since. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery," he said Friday. Russell Dermond, 88, was found beheaded in the garage at his home on Lake Oconee on May 6, 2014. 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. This story was originally published May 5, 2021, 5:00 AM. Haufler will return to court in two weeks for a preliminary hearing. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. Earlier this summer, Haufler invited Dimos to his home in Ocala, Florida. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The couple were married for 68 years and had four children and nine grandchildren. 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. On May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. There have been no arrests and until now few if any useful leads since the investigation into the Dermond slayings began the morning of May 6, 2014, when Russell Dermonds decapitated body was found lying in a puddle of blood inside his closed carport. There's no way one person did this," he said. Marc Dimos will be laid to rest Thursday in Ohio. Sills believes that Dermond was decapitated after he was murdered in an attempt to hide evidence, such as a gunshot wound and bullet. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is combing over new cell phone data connected to an 8-year-old murder mystery. 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. The guard shack lies a shade under two miles from the Dermond house. Thursday marked eight years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. (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/. He fit right in with Hauflers large circle of friends, joining them on a deep-sea fishing excursion 120 miles off the Atlantic coast. Yet they have all, not unlike the villain whose misdeeds provoked them, faded into oblivion for the time being. 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. 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. They dont even know how he was murdered, because we dont have his head, a frustrated Brad said about his fathers brutal death. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. Its impossible.. Ten days later, a pair of fishermen found Shirley, 87, dead near a Lake Oconee dam about five miles from their Eatonton lakefront home. His body was discovered by neighbors in the garage of the couples home. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The headless body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was on the floor surrounded by towels. 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. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couples home left little clues as to what happened. The Rev. Almost eight years after Russell Dermond was found dead, the Putnam County sheriff said there's new evidence to consider. He was shot in the neck and torso 15 years ago while buying crack cocaine in downtown Atlanta the night of his 47th birthday. Oldest son Chad is now a sheriffs deputy in Florida. Now part of the challenge is that we live with unanswered questions.. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? Mrs. REAL LIFE Investigators do not believe the two incidents are connected. Nothing was out of placejewelry and medications were seemingly as the Dermonds had left them. 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. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. The sheriff said he believes Russell Dermonds head was severed by some very sharp instrument. "Im going to defend myself.. If you have any information that could help, you are asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office. They have led investigators to other parts of Georgia and out of state. Later that evening, before dinner, Brad spoke to his parents on the phone. 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 He suggests inebriation mightve played a role, noting the two men had purchased $130 worth of adult beverages the day before Haufler called 911, 30 minutes before sunrise on August 28. No one has more questions than Dimos family. But what led the two men to fight in the first place? 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. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. He could have been shot, beaten or suffered some as-yet-unknown end. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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. But the memories are bittersweet, because that is all that remains. He told Wilfon that hes cautiously optimistic about new evidence in the case cellphone data provided by the FBI. Anyone with information about this unsolved double-murder is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office at 706-485-8557. 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. WebIn 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. If you want to support the channel and participate in future LIVE shows and other perks, click on the link and join Patreon! "Im not going to say its absolutely physically impossible, but its highly unlikely.". Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. I think the head was taken and discarded to prevent evidence from being obtained from it.. The neighbor quickly called 911. Before joining Sills staff in 2012, he helped train police investigators in Iraq. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. As of 2022, the murders remain unsolved and Russell's head has not been found. I always thought that, you know, maybe it was some kind of a serial killer kind of thing just because of the weird things that (the killer) did. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. 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. They also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate or found their way to the home by boat. Sills said Shirley Dermond was struck more than once and was dead when she was dropped in the lake. For every theory about the shooting death of an Ohio man by his friend inside the exclusive Reynolds Lake Oconee community, significant holes remain. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. Investigators said an elderly man was found beheaded in his home. Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. We looked back over some of the crime scene photographs and talked about a lot of things during our meeting, Sills said. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. [5], Initially, investigators were pursuing multiple potential leads to find the perpetrator(s) and their motive for killing the Dermonds. 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. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. OConnell told the judge hed be willing to put up his home to cover Hauflers bond. And since that demand could not be satisfied, both she and her husband were killed. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. Despite that, Im confident in our case, he said. Russell Dermonds head has never been found. Thats why he hopes new evidence can breathe new life into the investigation. Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. The neighbors, the woman and her 75-year-old husband, were no doubt the first people in the Dermond home after a crime that has puzzled and frustrated investigators from the outset. That said, it points out a daunting truth. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been weighted down with cinder blocks. Babys dad is charged with murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia? Ten days later, Shirley Dermonds body surfaced near where two men were fishing in a boat on the lake, just inside Greene County. But upon checking the house again days later, neighbors found one of them brutally slain in the garage, and the 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. Submitted photo In 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. Out at the Great Waters entrance, there is now a security gate, one of those arms that goes up and down when youre let in. 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. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. 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 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.. Brad was at his sons baseball game when he got the worst call of his life. He was determined not to let his money ruin him or his two sons, each of whom joined the Marines after high school. Potential evidence was gathered. Ill just say that there was valuable evidence that we have yet to match up to anything.. He said, Russell comes to him in his dreams, offering him clues about his death. At what point would you just have that sinking feeling, this is it? he said.
In 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. 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 An investigators has said the Dermond home was kept so neat and clean that youd eat off the floors.. [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. On a recent afternoon, Putnam sheriffs Detective Dave Henry was in Sills office. Monica Haufler testified Dimos suffered from Lewy Body Dementia, a diagnosis that, ironically, may figure into Hauflers defense. These days, he relies on the FBI, Sills and the public to come forward and shed light on who did this to his family. He has passed up vacations, worked weekends and spent countless hours late at night trying to unearth a thread that leads to a suspect. The judge cited the 45-year-old ex-firefighters lack of ties to the community. But Brad is confident in Sills ability to solve the only two homicides of his career that have gone cold. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. The Dermonds had said theyd attend but never showed. 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. [2] He married Shirley Wilcox on December 15, 1950. 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. It is not certain how Russ Dermond was killed, just that whatever caused his death was a traumatic head injury. If theres somebody whos going to get this thing solved, its going to be him.. Sheriff Sills said his office received new data, some of it cell phone data. Example video title will go here for this video. It was wooded and very private. The professor claimed that a psycho love interest she had met online was responsible for killing the Dermonds. Sills, who has helped solve dozens of murder cases during his career, said he believes it was the intent of the killers that the body of 87-year-old Shirley Dermond would never resurface. But prosecutor Allison Mauldin said Tuesday that the physical evidence was also damning. WebThe Lake Oconee Murders (Podcast Episode 2020) photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. That bag was tied to her feet.. I cant imagine this happening.. WebMay 7On Friday, eight years to the day that investigators began probing the grisly deaths of Shirley and Russell Dermond, the county sheriff hunting their still-at-large killer or 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. Over a week later, Shirley's body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee, her body having been weighted down with concrete blocks. On May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam. Police discovered Russells headless body in the garage in between the couples two cars. They were lovely people from all I know. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. 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. Shed gone to her duplicate bridge club meeting in Eatonton the Thursday before her death.
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