Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. At this point, maybes are about all the sheriff and his investigators have when it comes to potential culprits. Besides the headless body sprawled in the garage between the Dermonds Lexus SUV and their Lincoln Town Car, little in the home was amiss. To contact writer Joe Kovac Jr., call 744-4397. Joe Kovac Jr. covers crime and courts for The Telegraph with an eye for human-interest stories. The sheriff told Wilfon that unfortunately, leads in the case have really slowed down. Someone also reported seeing him the next day strolling the neighborhood golf course. Example video title will go here for this video. Shirley, a housewife, was, like her husband, a New Jersey native. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. Investigators believe that there is no connection between this crime and the murder of Mark's parents. As of 2022, the murders remain unsolved and Russell's head has not been found. Confident as they are in their fathers innocence, Chad Haufler s namesake admitted to unknowns that are still present.. A lot of what we talked about concerning technology was about what is available today that wasn't available primarily then.. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couples home left little clues as to what happened. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. 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. "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. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), The Dermonds owned a house, above, on Lake Oconee. Hes always taken care of people.. 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 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. On Friday, Sills said he recently received long-awaited cell phone data. Married nearly 64 years, the couple did everything togetherincluding taking their last breaths. Web5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound. But what led the two men to fight in the first place? Menu. 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. Together, they had three sons and a daughterand eventually, they would dote on nine grandchildren too. Progress, gradual as it may be, has been made. I try to keep the blinders off, because I dont want to get tunnel vision on any one person or any one theory. 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. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Russell Joseph Russ Dermond, 88, had last been seen on May 2, the day before that years Kentucky Derby. [2] He married Shirley Wilcox on December 15, 1950. But guesses abound about what befell the Dermonds: Why Russ was left lying in his homes two-car garage with his head cut off; why his wife, Shirley, 87, was beaten to death, her corpse sunk in Lake Oconee, only to surface a week and a half later. Along with Shirley, he spoke with his son Brad over the phone later that day. When you start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared. 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. Despite that, Im confident in our case, he 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. This story was originally published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM. On May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. I think about this (case) every day no matter where I am. WebIn 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Matt Luttermoser, a friend since childhood. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Nor any suspects. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. Channel 2 investigative He has reached out to the FBI to help comb through that evidence. 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. Naturally, the shifting narratives aroused suspicions. New technology to be used in unsolved murder case. Key recalls the Dermonds being in church the weekend before they died, and how so much time has passed since. 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 Russell and Shirley Dermond were last seen alive on May 1, 2014, while running errands. Search continues for person who decapitated elderly man at Lake Oconee home, WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta facebook feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta twitter feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta instagram feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta youtube feed(Opens a new window), UGA star charged in connection to crash that killed teammate, staffer, UGA football staffer had blood alcohol level twice the legal limit before crash that killed 2, 9 elementary school students sickened by unknown substance at metro Atlanta school, 16-year-old reported missing found dead at Gwinnett home, police say, TIMELINE: Investigation into crash that killed UGA football player, recruiting staff member. 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. Mauldin, the prosecutor, said the states case against him will be much clearer then. Im not exaggerating, Sills said. They had a great relationship, said Monica Haufler, Chad Hauflers wife of 25 years. Marc Dimos will be laid to rest Thursday in Ohio. [4] Ten days later, Shirley's body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee. Their murders would be Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sill's only cold case in his 48-year law enforcement career. Ill just say that there was valuable evidence that we have yet to match up to anything.. Credit: Photo provided by Ceciley Pangburn, Inside exclusive Lake Oconee community, another confounding mystery, Lake Oconee decapitation mystery still consumes sheriff. WebThe elderly Georgia couple was murdered four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible. In the sheriff's last update on the case, he said there were no fingerprints, foreign DNA or eye-witnesses. Greene County deputies spotted Haufler, gun in hand, walking away from his home on Jones Bluff Court when they responded to the emergency call. Potential evidence was gathered. 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. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. Babys dad is charged with murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia? An autopsy found that she had died from either two or three deep wounds to the head from a blunt object. But the memories are bittersweet, because that is all that remains. You have permission to edit this article. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. From the street or the water, even in early spring, seeing anything distressing happening inside would have been all but impossible. 2023 Cox Media Group. Its just my opinion that it would just be impossible for one person. 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. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. Follow her on Twitter @JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep up with her latest work. Indeed, the highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all nine of them. I mean, just dead end after dead end.. It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. Three days passed with no excuse, no apology, and no signs of activity at the Dermond home. We got the call from my brother-in law, and he was a total mess. He told Wilfon that even eight years later, the family remains optimistic the case will get solved. Russell, 88, was found beheaded in the couples garage. Submitted photo In 2014, Russell and Shirley Dermond were the victims of a brutal Lake Oconee murder that shocked the country. We looked back over some of the crime scene photographs and talked about a lot of things during our meeting, Sills said. They were just really down-to-earth.. For the first time, Channel 2 Action News spoke with the Dermonds son, Brad. They dont even know how he was murdered, because we dont have his head, a frustrated Brad said about his fathers brutal death. Oldest son Chad is now a sheriffs deputy in Florida. The neighbor quickly called 911. It was 10 days before her fate was known. 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. Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. Oh, my God. According to store and bank surveillance videos, obtained only by 11Alive, Russell transferred money from the drive-thru lane at the Lake Oconee branch of the Peoples Bank at 2:15 p.m. Everybodys got their own theory on what happened -- and a lot of them are possible., Anything that is halfway sane is a very plausible theory, Henry said, at this point.. David W. Key Sr. of Lake Oconee Community Church, where the Dermonds were members, says shock and despair linger. WebOn May 16, two fishermen on Lake Oconee found her body near a dam, nearly five miles away from the house. 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. "Im not going to say its absolutely physically impossible, but its highly unlikely.". The unsolved double murder on Lake Oconee is one of the most unusual and horrifying in Georgia crime annals. 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 Among locals who didnt even know the slain couple, an uneasiness set in. It is not certain how Russ Dermond was killed, just that whatever caused his death was a traumatic head injury. Shirleys phone and purse were still in the house. Its very hard to catch somebody when you dont even know their motive. The couple were married for 68 years and had four children and nine grandchildren. Gone Cold is an ongoing series, where 11Alive Journalist Jessica Noll investigates some of the most infamous and lesser-known cold cases in Georgia. For seven years, the killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at Lake Oconee have gone unsolved, the motive unknown and the culprit or culprits uncaught in a bizarre double slaying that has remained as baffling as it was heinous. 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. Anyone with information should call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at The body of Shirley, 87, was found in Lake Oconee, tied to concrete blocks. 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. No one has more questions than Dimos family. The sheriff said he believes Russell Dermonds head was severed by some very sharp instrument. Get personalized Its very raw, Brad Dermond said. "Theres about three persons in my house trying to kill me," he told the dispatcher. So the neighbors, a few days later, went to check on them. 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. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said its a case he still thinks about every day, now eight years later. 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. Might the slayings be the work of burglars the Dermonds walked in on? But he wakes up before it leads anywhere. Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. The concern of it may have diminished in the public, because time, of course, erodes all things., I travel all over the United States of America and the first thing (people) ask me no matter where I go is about the Dermond killings, he said. We feel that theres a very strong likelihood that it was done by more than one person. [1][3] In 2000, their oldest son Mark was murdered in Atlanta while attempting to purchase crack cocaine. His wife was found days later in a nearby lake having been weighed down. The notion of such an atrocity in an exclusive, golf course-ringed neighborhood struck at peoples deepest fears: If it happened there, is anywhere safe? 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. It was the last time she was seen alive. A neighbor had invited the Dermonds to a Derby party, but they never showed up. She described two bloodlettings Dimos was bludgeoned, sustaining multiple lacerations to his face, before Haufler, 45, allegedly shot his friend in the face. 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.. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. Her body was found floating by fishermen on May 16. Sills said he could not elaborate on what was discussed with FBI agents from the Macon field office, however. A $45,000 reward was offered. This all came to a sudden end in May 2014 when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley missing. Search continues for person who decapitated elderly man at Lake Oconee home Richard Elliot reports. The two were both New Jersey natives, who relocated to Georgia in the 1980s so that Russell could manage a chain of Hardee restaurants in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Thursday marked 8-years since someone killed Shirley and Russell Dermond at their Lake Oconee home. A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. 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