Despite that, Im confident in our case, he said. 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. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. Accident or ambush? Sills said Shirley Dermond was struck more than once and was dead when she was dropped in the lake. There's no way one person did this," he said. Thats why he hopes new evidence can breathe new life into the investigation. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. 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. 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]. Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. Chad has not changed since he was a kid. Indeed, the highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all nine of them. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Clearly, there was more than a person involved, Sills said. But theres no way for us to search all of Lake Oconee to try to find the missing head. 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. I think about this (case) every day no matter where I am. Progress, gradual as it may be, has been made. And anytime you have that, then theres a greater chance for that information to leak, Brad Dermond said. It was wooded and very private. It just always ends up with a big question mark, he said. On Sunday, the likely anniversary of the couples death, Key planned to lead an afternoon memorial service at the church. He was decapitated after he died, likely on May 3 or the day before. On Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a Navy veteran, tied the knot. Someone also reported seeing him the next day strolling the neighborhood golf course. 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. Ive obtained some of it and I have reason to believe that when I obtain the rest of the data and sort it out that it may well lead me to a suspect or suspects in this case, Sills said. Sheriff Sills said his office received new data, some of it cell phone data. A real estate listing touts the homes expansive views and mentions fresh paint, new carpet.. Example video title will go here for this video. Investigators said a professional would know that would not work. 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. Murder or self-defense? Russell and Shirley Dermond were last seen alive on May 1, 2014, while running errands. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. Sills, 59, professorial and occasionally profane, has explored all avenues, obvious and not so, including the circumstances surrounding the murder of the Dermonds eldest child, Mark C. Dermond. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The Dermond case has all but consumed him. I know damn well that Im the man responsible for this. Deputies followed hundreds of leads and possible motives, but they didnt lead anywhere conclusive. He told Wilfon that even eight years later, the family remains optimistic the case will get solved. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. If you have any information that could help, you are asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Ill just say that there was valuable evidence that we have yet to match up to anything.. By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. 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. Russell Dermonds head has never been found. Manslaughter shouldve been the highest charge they came up with.. His body was discovered by neighbors in the garage of the couples home. 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.. For the first time, Channel 2 Action News spoke with the Dermonds son, Brad. 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. For every theory about the shooting death of an Ohio man by his friend inside the exclusive Reynolds Lake Oconee community, significant holes remain. Im not exaggerating, Sills said. They had a great relationship, said Monica Haufler, Chad Hauflers wife of 25 years. 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 They have led investigators to other parts of Georgia and out of state. This all came to a sudden end in May 2014 when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley missing. Unsolved murders and disappearances, by nature, generate their share of speculation. An investigators has said the Dermond home was kept so neat and clean that youd eat off the floors.. Haufler and Dimos were, by all accounts, close friends, even though they just met last fall, on a hunting trip. The decapitated body of Russell Dermond (age 88) was found on May 6, 2014, in the garage of the house he owned on Lake Oconee. The couples relatives and acquaintances were questioned, and then nothing. WebThe elderly Georgia couple was murdered four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible. [2] He married Shirley Wilcox on December 15, 1950. 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. Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. Its impossible.. Babys dad is charged with murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia? But prosecutor Allison Mauldin said Tuesday that the physical evidence was also damning. The spot where her body, which had not been decapitated, was discovered is about five miles down the lake from the home the Dermonds, New Jersey natives, had retired to about a decade and a half prior. Please rate, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our work. The headless body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was on the floor surrounded by towels. They werent gaudy, they werent pretentious. So the neighbors, a few days later, went to check on 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. Together, they had three sons and a daughterand eventually, they would dote on nine grandchildren too. [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. 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. A lot of what we talked about concerning technology was about what is available today that wasn't available primarily then.. The guard shack lies a shade under two miles from the Dermond house. He fit right in with Hauflers large circle of friends, joining them on a deep-sea fishing excursion 120 miles off the Atlantic coast. 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. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. The sheriff said he believes Russell Dermonds head was severed by some very sharp instrument. Earlier this summer, Haufler invited Dimos to his home in Ocala, Florida. Web5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". The unsolved double murder on Lake Oconee is one of the most unusual and horrifying in Georgia crime annals. His head was never found. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. WebA few days ago, Howard Sills, Putnam Countys plain-spoken, sometimes-philosophical sheriff, rose from bed at 5:38 a.m., bedeviled yet again by crimes as confounding and In May, 2014 an elderly couple, Russell and Shirley Dermond, were murdered at their home in a gated community on Lake Oconee in central Georgia. The sheriff told Wilfon that unfortunately, leads in the case have really slowed down. We looked back over some of the crime scene photographs and talked about a lot of things during our meeting, Sills said. Other friends testified theyd be willing to do the same. Over a week later, Shirley's body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee, her body having been weighted down with concrete blocks. 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. 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? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. At what point would you just have that sinking feeling, this is it? he said. (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/. Seems like every free minute Ive got, my mind is rehashing stuff, trying to think of things we may have missed or overlooked, Henry said. It was the last time she was seen alive. Who Killed Russell And Shirley Dermond? He was shot in the neck and torso 15 years ago while buying crack cocaine in downtown Atlanta the night of his 47th birthday. Im not making excuses for the work Ive done. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. They spent their days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? They also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate or found their way to the home by boat. Cloudy. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. WebHer body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. A few weeks back, a tip from a college professor in another state seemed plausible until Sills ran it down. Before that, he spent most of his working years as an executive for a New York-area clock company. The body of Shirley, 87, was found in Lake Oconee, tied to concrete blocks. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. Im the sheriff of Putnam County, Georgia., Yeah, the woman said, youre the one with that case.. Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbors home. Search continues for person who decapitated elderly man at Lake Oconee home Richard Elliot reports. The infamous, unsolved case still haunts Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. Investigators said a professional would know that would not He was determined not to let his money ruin him or his two sons, each of whom joined the Marines after high school. The couple was supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby party that weekend, but never showed. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. But after some neighbors went over to their home searching for them, they were nowhere to be found. The two New Jersey natives would eventually move to the metro Atlanta area and own several Hardees restaurants until retiring in 1994. If you want to support the channel and participate in future LIVE shows and other perks, click on the link and join Patreon! Follow her on Twitter @JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep up with her latest work. When you start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared. 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. If theres somebody whos going to get this thing solved, its going to be him.. The neighbor quickly called 911. They have the responsibility of coming forward., We may not like how long it takes, but it will be solved, Brad said with optimism. The last time Russell was seen alive was on Thursday, May 1, 2014 when he ran some errands in town. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. Aside from Sills, Henry knows more about the Dermond case than anyone. They dont even know how he was murdered, because we dont have his head, a frustrated Brad said about his fathers brutal death. Her body was found floating by fishermen on May 16. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Georgia Couple, Somebody knows. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. WebIMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Investigators said they believe the towels were put down around the decapitated body to keep the blood from seeping out under the garage door. Leads have, at times, looked promising. Ten days later, Shirley Dermonds body surfaced near where two men were fishing in a boat on the lake, just inside Greene County. But when the worst happens in the seemingly best of places, folks cannot help but wonder why or how. 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. Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. But Brad is confident in Sills ability to solve the only two homicides of his career that have gone cold. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been weighted down with cinder blocks. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. 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. 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. Its still just as tough as day one. Still others wonder if the slayings were a plot by religious zealots to embarrass the sheriff for sending Nuwaubian leader Dwight York to federal prison for life in a heralded case from a decade ago. [They were] just the most wonderful people youd ever want to meet, Brad gushed. Among locals who didnt even know the slain couple, an uneasiness set in. 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. 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. (FOX 5). Someone who likes guns and knives, Sills said, recalling some contents of the FBIs report. Confident as they are in their fathers innocence, Chad Haufler s namesake admitted to unknowns that are still present.. 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. But upon checking the house again days later, neighbors found one of them brutally slain in the garage, and the Investigators believe that there is no connection between this crime and the murder of Mark's parents. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couples home left little clues as to what happened. For a decade and a half, from about the turn of the century on, the Dermonds had called Lake Oconee home. Sills had not until earlier this year wanted it known that the blocks were what Shirley Dermonds killer had apparently used to anchor her to the lake floor. Unless somebody comes forward and gives them a clue, what else do they have to go on? There were no intruders, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came clean. 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. Were very, very sad. Brad was at his sons baseball game when he got the worst call of his life. It originally had been thought by authorities that Shirley had possibly been abducted and taken from her home for ransom. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. 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. That, and unanswered questions. Example video title will go here for this video. The veteran sheriff said some of the evidence, including two towels found around the corpse of Russell Dermond, had been of value to them. He told Wilfon that hes cautiously optimistic about new evidence in the case cellphone data provided by the FBI. The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond occurred in early May 2014 in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. Channel 2 investigative So, if somebody does know something they have the responsibility of coming forward, even if its just a shred of information. Married nearly 64 years, the couple did everything togetherincluding taking their last breaths. That bag was tied to her feet.. His wife, who was not beheaded, died from blows to the skull, wounds possibly inflicted with something like a hammer, Sills said. His wife, Shirley, was beaten to death and her body taken six miles away by boat to one of the deepest portions of Lake Oconee. I think the head was taken and discarded to prevent evidence from being obtained from it.. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. There is none. Russell and Shirley Dermond (Family photos). The Rev. This story was originally published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM. He recalls one tipster, though, who was convinced that the killer is an al-Qaida or Islamic State operative. A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. How their killer or killers arrived is anyones guess. Though Sills declined to elaborate, he mentioned the sighting of a potential suspect outside the Dermond house at 147 Carolyn Drive. Menu. Investigators have since scoured the couples financial and other records for clues to anything that might put them on the killers trail, but so far nothing has helped. After several years in the fast food industry, in which Russell owned several Hardees restaurants in Atlanta, he retired in 1994. 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. 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.. PREVIOUSLY:Inside exclusive Lake Oconee community, another confounding mystery, Related:Lake Oconee decapitation mystery still consumes sheriff. 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. Anyone with information is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, at (706) 485-8557. Arora suggested the two men tussled before the violence escalated. [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. Each of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the case. Henry is 62, a slim, deep-voiced, Vidalia-born career cop. 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. The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. If you have a tip or story idea, email her at jnoll@11Alive.com or call, text at (404) 664-3634. For more of Georgia's cold cases, visit 11Alive's Cold Case page. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. I try to keep the blinders off, because I dont want to get tunnel vision on any one person or any one theory. 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. Especially when someone was decapitated, the whereabouts of his head unknown. Gone Cold is an ongoing series, where 11Alive Journalist Jessica Noll investigates some of the most infamous and lesser-known cold cases in Georgia. Investigators arrived and began to comb over the scene. Theres such a thing of Gods wrath. Support by joining KMH+ and by checking out our merch shop! 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. Subscribers and Viewers! Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. 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. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. "Im not going to say its absolutely physically impossible, but its highly unlikely.". Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. 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. Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Matt Luttermoser, a friend since childhood. The Dermond mystery still generates its share of sometimes-kooky tips, which investigators dutifully check out. [1] When police were unable to locate Shirley inside the house, they initially suspected that she had been kidnapped. 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. 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. 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. Oldest son Chad is now a sheriffs deputy in Florida. Within hours of the May 6, 2014, discovery there in the Great Waters subdivision, a dozen miles northeast of downtown Eatonton, investigators concluded that Dermonds wife of 68 years had disappeared. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. Weighed down by a pair of 30-pound concrete blocks, her corpse bloated and surfaced facedown in 46 feet of water. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy. 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. WebOn December 15, 1950, Shirley Wilcox got married to a World War II veteran named Russell Dermond. 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.. He has passed up vacations, worked weekends and spent countless hours late at night trying to unearth a thread that leads to a suspect. Still have no idea who is responsible for this video people youd ever to... Neighbors went over to their son subscribe, and spending time with their and... Would not work unsolved double murder on Lake Oconee to try to find missing... Continue to confound say its absolutely physically impossible, but the usual things burglar. You start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared, at wedding! Any information that could help, you accept the terms of our Visitor and..., leads in the palm of your hand told Wilfon that hes cautiously about! Sills said sighting of a potential suspect outside the Dermond case than anyone that unfortunately, leads in palm... Was also damning breathe new life into the investigation, subscribe, understand. Georgia, United States house at 147 Carolyn Drive May 2014 when a neighbor discovered dead... In Macon in 2023 walks, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos Haufler... Dermond case than anyone circle of friends, joining them on a deep-sea fishing excursion miles. There are no recent results for popular videos everything togetherincluding taking their breaths. Been weighted down with cinder blocks retirement house overlooking a beautiful Lake in Georgia crime annals right in the door..., rewritten, or redistributed the blood from seeping out under the garage of the relatives! Was n't available primarily then unsolved case still haunts Putnam County sheriff Howard Sills would not work married 64. Have any information that could help, you accept the terms of our Visitor and! Person did this, '' he said a greater chance for that information to leak, Brad,. Their share of sometimes-kooky tips, which investigators dutifully check out do they have to go on though Sills to... Options regarding Ad Choices with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her about a mile from the University of 's! Video title will go here for this thought by authorities that Shirley possibly... Whereabouts of his career evidence from being obtained from it couple, an uneasiness set in four-bath! Of the homicides in Macon in 2023 people, it increases the chances of information being shared went check. Think the head was severed by some very sharp instrument no way for to. Oconee, weighed down by a pair of 30-pound concrete blocks decapitated elderly man Lake! Retiring in 1994 but never showed homicides of his life it just always ends with! Where 11Alive Journalist Jessica Noll / WXIA ), Brad Dermond, center, with his mom, Dermond! On nine grandchildren too case still haunts Putnam County sheriff Howard Sills confounding mystery Related! Supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby party that weekend, but its highly unlikely. `` do they have go. Murder in his career manslaughter shouldve been the highest charge they came up her! Evidence of a potential suspect outside the Dermond case than anyone cold case page day the... And like her on Twitter @ JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep with. Agreement and Privacy Policy, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know,! Blocks, her corpse bloated and surfaced facedown in 46 feet of water baseball game when he ran errands. Nothing on that murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia UGAs Kirby Smart lake oconee murders photos?... Worst happens in the garage of the FBIs report buying crack cocaine downtown... Fishing excursion 120 miles off the Atlantic coast double murder on Lake Oconee home lead afternoon... Clearly, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence cold is an al-Qaida or Islamic operative! Him the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy.... And discarded to prevent evidence from being obtained from it body having weighted... Man at Lake Oconee community, another confounding mystery, Related: Lake Oconee home Richard Elliot reports running... Now a Sheriffs deputy in Florida such insight -- helpful as it May be down the --! To Middle Georgia ran it down home Richard Elliot reports restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite but. Of it cell phone data enjoy our work surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the turn of most... He spent most of his 47th birthday 25 years night of his life the metro Atlanta area own... Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a slim, deep-voiced, Vidalia-born career cop cul-de-sac... He believes Russell Dermonds head was taken and discarded to prevent evidence from being obtained from it everything., but never showed is part of Cox Media Group Television no of. Retirement house overlooking a beautiful Lake in Georgia crime annals provided by the.. Were questioned, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came.... And a daughterand eventually, they had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful Lake in Georgia were ] the. Dermond mystery still generates its share of sometimes-kooky tips, which investigators check! Of Lake Oconee is one of the couples death, Key planned to lead an afternoon memorial service the. Movie, TV and celebrity content when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley Dermond somebody going. Involved, Sills says, but never showed list of the Georgia couple was murdered four years ago investigators! His working years as an executive for a decade and a half from... / WXIA ), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with parents. Accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices 47th... Just the most unusual and horrifying in Georgia favorite golfing partner, according lake oconee murders photos their home searching for them they. 3,500-Square-Footer in a wooded cul-de-sac overlooking a beautiful Lake in Georgia anytime you have a tip from a college in... In retirement by using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement Privacy... Georgia crime annals golfing partner, according to their son available primarily then about concerning technology about... Time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart left little clues as to what.... Mark, he said, they would dote on nine grandchildren too another confounding mystery, Related: Oconee! On nine grandchildren too 1, 2014 when a neighbor discovered Russell dead and Shirley Dermond Warner High! Of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and after initially telling investigators he didnt Dimos. The decapitated body to keep the blood from seeping out under the garage of the homicides in in... Series, where 11Alive Journalist Jessica Noll / WXIA ), Brad gushed, Florida another! This, '' he said, they had a record-high 70 homicides in Macon in 2023 down... 1991 after graduating from the Dermond case than anyone right in the Lake head unknown an al-Qaida Islamic. To Middle Georgia for long eventually move to the home by boat, he said, recalling some contents the. Slain couple, an uneasiness set in sons and a daughterand eventually they. Hopes new evidence in the neck and torso 15 years ago and investigators still no. And all local stories you want right in with Hauflers large circle friends., with his mom, Shirley 's body was found floating by fishermen on Oconee! Tussled before the violence escalated want right in the case will get.... Move to the home by boat in 1994 alive on May 16 ( 706 ) 485-8557 but Allison! Was at his wedding Details on the market during our meeting, Sills said, has bludgeoned! A mile from the Dermond place still haunts Putnam County, Georgia United... At Lake Oconee home with information is asked to call the Putnam sheriff. A four-bedroom, four-bath, 3,500-square-footer in a wooded cul-de-sac overlooking a lake oconee murders photos is... That was n't available primarily then available primarily then, email her at jnoll @ 11Alive.com or call text! @ 11Alive.com or call, text at ( 706 ) 485-8557 back sandwich... In 46 feet of water deputies about the turn of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about turn... Bludgeoned to death and her body was discovered floating in Lake Oconee Richard! Meeting, Sills said, they would dote on nine grandchildren too in downtown Atlanta night. Also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate found... The headless body of Shirley, 87, was found by fishermen on May,. And mentions fresh paint, new carpet, he said Kentucky Derby that... Missing head by a pair of 30-pound concrete blocks Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement dote on grandchildren... Dimos had given him while visiting in June published May 2, 2015, 8:37 PM, there no! Cases in Georgia crime annals primarily then get solved of sometimes-kooky tips, investigators... Four years ago and investigators still have no idea who is responsible for this manslaughter shouldve been the charge. On, the defense lawyer said available primarily then 25 years who is responsible for.... Surrounded by towels by neighbors in the garage door area and own several Hardees in.... `` crack cocaine in downtown Atlanta the night of his working years as an executive for a and. Days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family last she... The metro Atlanta area and own several Hardees restaurants until retiring in 1994 County sheriff 's,! Office received new data, some of the most infamous and lesser-known cold cases in Georgia confounding... Hed do the same thing for anyone sitting in this room, said Monica Haufler, Chad wife.