It would appear that there was a struggle and dad was trying to be protective of mom, Brad surmised. In the 12 months that followed, no reasons or explanations have emerged. Despite the non-stop efforts of local law enforcement, this cruel murder case has never been solved. Investigators said an elderly man was found beheaded in his home. Murder or self-defense? WebCome 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. He hopes their analysis can open the door to those responsible and finally solve these gruesome murders. 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. 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. Brad, who still talks to his golfing buddy nearly every day, has dreams about his dad as well. Sills has told The Telegraph that he and his deputies are not muddling along in the dark. She even emailed Sills hundreds of pages of notes supporting her claim, which Sills debunked. Investigators do not believe the two incidents are connected. 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. "If there was an enemy out there, (it) would have taken place a lot sooner than that.". (Provided), Brad Dermond looks at years' worth of memories with his parents, Shirley and Russell Dermond. Each of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the case. Confident as they are in their fathers innocence, Chad Haufler s namesake admitted to unknowns that are still present.. Marc Dimos will be laid to rest Thursday in Ohio. If you have a tip or story idea, email her at jnoll@11Alive.com or call, text at (404) 664-3634. The husband who found Russ slain can be heard on the recorded line in the background searching the house in vain -- apparently for Shirley. Crews searched for several days with no luck. Sills narrowed the timeframe of Russells murder to somewhere between 4:30 p.m., on May 1when the mail was deliveredto 6 p.m., on May 4, when the couple failed to show up for the party. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. I got some data just last week, Sills said. Russell and Shirley Dermond were last seen alive on May 1, 2014, while running errands. She's digging for answers for the still-grieving families who long for them, and for the victims who have never found their justice. The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. (FOX 5). Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Its impossible.. They were just really down-to-earth.. 2023 Cox Media Group. We looked back over some of the crime scene photographs and talked about a lot of things during our meeting, Sills said. He could have been shot, beaten or suffered some as-yet-unknown end. Another neighborhood woman described the circumstances of the case as horrible., Were sad, said the woman, 74. 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. 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. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Georgia Couple, Somebody knows. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. 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. 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.. Russell, 88, was found decapitated inside of his garage on May 6, 2014. WebBy Joe Kovac Jr. 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. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Brad Dermond cherishes photos, like above, with his mom, Shirley Dermond. She liked to read, play bridge, go to church. WebPUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. When you start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared. It was 10 days before her fate was known. Follow her on Twitter @JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep up with her latest work. Shirleys phone and purse were still in the house. That data was downloaded into a program the FBI has and they are assisting us in analyzing the data now. A look at the Dermond's home on Lake Oconee in May 2014. The FBI was called in. Haufler had bruises on his back and elbows, according to his attorney. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Im not exaggerating, Sills said. Its just my opinion that it would just be impossible for one person. They dont even know how he was murdered, because we dont have his head, a frustrated Brad said about his fathers brutal death. 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. Heres why, Study shows colorectal cancer showing up more in younger people, Atlanta neighbors want to reclaim and revitalize the Joyland neighborhood, Kemp administration deals blow to Buckhead cityhood push, Georgia Power proposes steep rate increase for customers - How it affects what you pay. Cloudy. And they aint give up yet.. Unless somebody comes forward and gives them a clue, what else do they have to go on? I know damn well that Im the man responsible for this. Each also voluntarily took polygraph tests and passed. 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. Despite what the listing describes as large windows found in every room, the house sits in a tree-shrouded lot. Indeed, the highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all nine of them. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is combing over new cell phone data connected to an 8-year-old murder mystery. The headless body of 88-year-old Russell Dermond was on the floor surrounded by towels. 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. 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, 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. Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. Russell Dermond, once an avid golfer, had retired from corporate life in the Northeast in the late 1980s and moved to Georgia to run a chain of Atlanta-area fast-food restaurants. I try to keep an open mind. Now part of the challenge is that we live with unanswered questions.. (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/. "The technology we are using was not in existence back in 2014," Sills said in a statement. For more of Georgia's cold cases, visit 11Alive's Cold Case page. 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. In May 2014, Shirley and Russell Dermond were killed. Both were active members of the Oconee Community Church. 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. 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. 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. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Cloudy. 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. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Subscribers and Viewers! It is possible that whatever the killer sought, if anything, was something the Dermonds didnt have. Murdered, beheaded and dumped into a lake: Who wanted the Dermonds dead? The infamous, unsolved case still haunts Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. (FOX 5). WebLake Oconee double murder probe turns to NY for clues; Person of interest identified in murder, beheading of elderly couple; Mystery man emerges in year-old Ga. beheading Hes always taken care of people.. 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. Sheriff Sills said his office received new data, some of it cell phone data. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. 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. As the year progressed, the trail leading to those responsible grew cold. "I don't want to create the impression that I have acquired some silver bullet, but this is yet another tool we are using to find out who perpetrated these heinous crimes.". Web703K views, 717 likes, 10 loves, 118 comments, 309 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from HLN: Whoever killed Russell & Shirley Dermond is still out there. On May 6, one neighbor went to the Dermonds' house to check on them. Its still just as tough as day one. Sills has chased down leads across the country, but still nothing to solve the case. 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. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. Once I knew the backgrounds of Russell and Shirley Dermond, I have always thought that this was some sort of extortion, Sills told the newspaper. 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. Please rate, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our work. In fact, the grandchildren would go to Lake Oconee for summer camp and spend time with Shirley and Russell every year. A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. The case of Russell and Shirley Dermond remains unsolved. A local sheriff says data provided to the FBI might help them solve the grisly double homicide of an elderly pair eight years ago. Their killers have never been found. Others figure the Dermonds fell prey to a cult. Its the horror that they must have gone through, from the beginning until it was finished thats whats difficult to overcome.. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. 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. They have merited days, weeks of inquiry. An autopsy revealed she died from blunt-force trauma having been hit two or three times. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. 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. Investigators said a professional would know that would not Before joining Sills staff in 2012, he helped train police investigators in Iraq. Police discovered Russells headless body in the garage in between the couples two cars. Dermond might have been taken and held against her will until some sort of demand was made. But he wakes up before it leads anywhere. WebLake Oconee Stock Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime 63 Lake Oconee Stock Photos, Images & Pictures Most relevant Best selling Latest uploads Within Results People Pricing License Media Properties More Safe Search lake allatoona lake lake sinclair virginia landscape ohio manufacturer oconee lake odell athens georgia It had been weighed down with concrete blocks but surfaced in about 90 feet of water, tangled in treetops just below the surface. They have led investigators to other parts of Georgia and out of state. Psychopath: 5 years after grisly Lake Oconee murders, who killed the Dermonds and why? Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. Clearly, there was more than a person involved, Sills said. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Key recalls the Dermonds being in church the weekend before they died, and how so much time has passed since. That, and unanswered questions. "The technology we are using was not in existence back in 2014. 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. It was found by fishermen. 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. Meanwhile, his 87-year-old wife, Shirley Dermond, was nowhere to be found. The FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit has provided Sills with a broad description of the culprit. The cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the head. The youngest of four, 55-year-old Dermond, says his parents were very private people and that they would hate that he is talking about them at all. Sills said he believes he knows the answer. Hauflers attorney, Manny Arora, has been equally circumspect, floating possible explanations for the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Marc Dimos but not yet settling on a fixed defense. Russell Dermonds head has never been found. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Though Sills declined to elaborate, he mentioned the sighting of a potential suspect outside the Dermond house at 147 Carolyn Drive. But what led the two men to fight in the first place? I try to keep the blinders off, because I dont want to get tunnel vision on any one person or any one theory. Anyone with information about this unsolved double-murder is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office at 706-485-8557. There is none. They spent their days playing golf, writing, going on walks, and spending time with their friends and family. In May 2014 highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all of... 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