Found Deceased GA - Bud, 69, & June Runion, 66, McRae, 22 Jan 2015 #1 *Arrest*

[margarita25]

It has a prepaid balance rather than a contract. Sort of like old school prepaid calling cards.

Not all burner phones are nefarious. I have one for when I travel out of the country. Pop into a local bodega, buy a prepaid chip, put it on the phone and I have calling in the country for $20 or so as opposed to extremely expensive overseas calling. They're also good for people with lousy credit or people who only intend to use the phone in an emergency.

I also know people who have affairs use them a lot.

 

[Cinnamon]

Please could someone explain what a 'burner' phone is?

Disposable cell phones that you can purchase from just about any convenience store, gas station, etc. It includes pre-paid minutes, so you simply charge it up, load the minutes, and it's ready to use, without requiring any personal information. I think the term "burner" refers to the fact that when used to commit crimes, the phone is immediately thrown away. HTH.

As necco mentioned, not all disposable cell phones are used as burners. Many people use them in lieu of cell phones that require contracts.

 

[steelman]

I think the seller offered an unbelievable deal on "his car".............a deal too good to be true. (A $12,000 mustang for about $6000, and only 20K miles, for example)

The seller also probably had "a couple of other people looking at it, so you better hurry". Said seller would also only take cash, or maybe a cash deposit.

All seller has to do now is sit back and wait for them to drive right to where he is sitting, with a fist full of cash, probably thanks to a GPS in the Runion's SUV.

There are a lot of rural roads around there, someone unfamiliar with them might make a mistake and end up in a ditch, or worse.

Guess we'll just have to see how this plays out.

 

[margarita25]

Actually there is a Macon Craigslist site also and just before 19th there are people looking to buy autos for $2,500 to $2,800. The "seller" probably started with the Macon listings, and when they didn't pan out or the dollar amount was too small they then moved to the Atlanta listings.....

Interesting...


Again, jumping off your post, upstream I posted 1966 Mustangs for Sale on Atlanta Craigslist (post #19)...
Maybe the seller used a photo from another ad?

 

[Cinnamon]

I also know people who have affairs use them a lot.

Yep, ITA margarita25. That's another big market for the use of burners!

 

[killarney rose]

DH and I have had "burner" cell phones for years. We could have a contract if we wanted, but don't currently want one. We don't use our cells often as we have a landline. These burners end up costing us about $10 per month. Much cheaper than a contract. That's why we choose to use them.

 

[alsleuther]

Does a burner phone have the ability to send a picture of the Mustang via text to someone or are they really basic with only the ability to text and call people? Would the seller had to have emailed Bud a photo of the car?

 

[necco]

Does a burner phone have the ability to send a picture of the Mustang via text to someone or are they really basic with only the ability to text and call people? Would the seller had to have emailed Bud a photo of the car?

It depends on the phone. If it's just the chip that's prepaid, the phone can do anything the particular model can do. If it's a cheap flip phone without a camera, obviously it can't send pics. I think most have data rates as well these days.

 

[margarita25]

Does a burner phone have the ability to send a picture of the Mustang via text to someone or are they really basic with only the ability to text and call people? Would the seller had to have emailed Bud a photo of the car?

Both. You can buy both basic and not so basic burner phones. Even a basic one could have web access, and image texting/emailing capability. I know all 3 of my burners (spare phones for when one breaks, gets lost, etc) can access the web and text/email images. I believe data would have to be included with the minutes purchase (sim card, etc...)

 

[Cinnamon]

FWIW, I think disposable/pre-paid phones are only considered "burners" when they're used for illegal or shady stuff. Also, burners tend to be replaced often, especially when used in criminal activities. They use it a few days, a week, etc., then they get rid of them and go buy a new one. Makes it very difficult to trace them. MOO.

 

[Annie1004]

"Elderly" is generally just anyone over 60. The word carries a different connotation, which, based on what little information is available about the couple at this time, doesn't seem to apply to them. But they are over 60.

I would put elderly at 75 or older nowadays. Calling this couple elderly brings up all sorts of stereotypical images. Several of the news reports just wrote "couple." That seems more appropriate.

Many of us 60-plus folks are just as active as a lot of 35-year-olds. Our brains are fine and our hinky meters are sharp.

 

[margarita25]

Now, this is what is wierd. Each phone has a certain serial number/tracking number/some kind of number....I know this bc one day I called my provider from my burner phone to report that my other smart phone was not working and the agent could tell exactly which model burner phone I was calling from...it was a cheapo prepaid at the convenience store and he knew all of its specs. This came up bc he referred to repairing that model when in fact I was calling about another phone. It was like caller ID...I guess not only my number came up, but also the type of phone I was calling from!

So, I've been thinking about this. They might have been at least able to find out what phone, where it was purchased, and when via its serial/tracking number..now, whether or not the outlet would still have any information/surveillance footage of the buyer is another story...
or if we are dealing with street thugs, it could have been bought/obtained on the street, literally...

Here's another angle on this. If they were able to determine that it was a burner phone, which they have, they have likely gotten warrants for all the activity on that number...so if the "seller" contacted anyone else with this same phone, that would be evident in the call logs of that particular number. So, maybe LE is talking with other people who might have been potentially contacted by this "seller(s)". ETA: It would also be a lucky break if the "seller" used this same phone to call someone who could be connected to him/her, say an accomplice, friend, family member, work, etc.

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

It has a prepaid balance rather than a contract. Sort of like old school prepaid calling cards.

Not all burner phones are nefarious. I have one for when I travel out of the country. Pop into a local bodega, buy a prepaid chip, put it on the phone and I have calling in the country for $20 or so as opposed to extremely expensive overseas calling. They're also good for people with lousy credit or people who only intend to use the phone in an emergency.

also called drop phones? where people just use them for criminal activity???

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

age makes no difference in this case IMO unless they had alzheimers or were 90 or over, and scammers/criminals feed on anyone of any age if they think they can lure or get away with it, friend of ours is 78 a pilot, another is 92 still lifts weights and jogs, this case doesn't appear to be going to have a good outcome, I know some of those surrounding areas are really mean areas, lots of good folks there too but one or several bad apples you know.........spoil the whole bunch, I grew up hanging out with a friend of mine down near Milan, some I've heard say they want to get out of Eastman or McRae "before nightfall", just seems they would have contacted someone if they are ok, Prayers to them and the family!

 

[necco]

also called drop phones? where people just use them for criminal activity???

Yes.
But keep in mind, it could be the phone that is disposable OR just the sim card. If you know where to go, you can buy a sim card and pop it into an unlocked phone. I've never looked in the US, but I know in London, you can just walk into a bodega* and pick one up.

*I have no idea what the English word for bodega is. Corner store? Convenience store? Mini-mart? You know, a little store that has some groceries, candy and cigarettes and random stuff.

 

[JDB]

I would put elderly at 75 or older nowadays. Calling this couple elderly brings up all sorts of stereotypical images. Several of the news reports just wrote "couple." That seems more appropriate.

Many of us 60-plus folks are just as active as a lot of 35-year-olds. Our brains are fine and our hinky meters are sharp.

Annie ii'm the guilty part calling the elderly lol. And I should have known better as I just hit the big 61 myself .


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[carbuff]

While that may be true, you would think, then, that the person who had responded to the Craig's List ad would come forward. This case is all over the news.

I did not mean to imply that they didn't run into trouble. I was only addressing the point about driving back late, and saying i find nothing suspicious in the timing. Meeting after work would make sense, and the drive back isn't that long if they're used to driving.

Since we're so aware of the news here, we tend to overestimate the amount of attention people pay to incidents like this. The seller might not even have heard about the Runions. If they ran into trouble on the way to meet the seller, he might never have seen them. If all his interaction was with Bud, the seller might not connect him with a missing "elderly couple." Even if he (I think he is more likely than she, and it makes a tidier sentence) met them, he might not think the news is talking about a couple in their sixties. "Elderly couple" says eighties to me.

He might have been selling the car because he was leaving the area, and be a hundred or a thousand miles away, never hearing of the search. Or even just leaving for a vacation or a business trip or something along those lines.

And it's possible he has contacted LE but they have chosen not to release that information. Or he contacted LE in his area and they haven't managed to make connections with the LE handling the search.

 

[JDB]

I found this on another FB page . All I can say is finally


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[margarita25]

License Plate BWU7349

 

[margarita25]

Bless their Hearts!

C'mon LE and SAR...find these people! Thanks to everyone out there searching. May luck be on your side today!