Found Deceased GA - Bud, 69, & June Runion, 66, McRae, 22 Jan 2015 #2 *Arrest*

[shefner]

A notary? I have bought a few cars in my life and never used a notary. Once I have the signed pink slip I just take it down and register it, I even bought online from a local police department and they just sent me the title in the mail and I had the car delivered (never went there, all done online/mail).

Maybe it depends on where you live then. In NC, you must have the title signed and notarized by both parties. My parents lived near Marietta GA for over 20 years and I thought it was the same...but maybe not. I'll have to ask.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

The incredible charity work of couple ruthlessly murdered after responding to Craigslist ad for their dream car

Elrey 'Bud' Runion and his wife, June, ran a charity called Bud's Bicycles

They helped others by providing not just bikes but also food, coats, blankets and even Thanksgiving turkeys

A child's bicycle that was left outside of the Runion's home as a tribute to the dead couple's charitable work on Tuesday

Ronnie 'Jay' Towns, 28, of McRae, has been charged with malice murder and armed robbery following the couple's deaths


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ng-Craigslist-ad-dream-car.html#ixzz3QDHltB3o

 

[Sonya610]

Maybe it depends on where you live then. In NC, you must have the title signed and notarized by both parties. My parents lived near Marietta GA for over 20 years and I thought it was the same...but maybe not. I'll have to ask.

Most states do not require a notary, that must be some weird NC thing (didn't NC also used to have a law banning dogs from motel rooms? Looks like that changed maybe because of service animals). I am 100% sure it is not required in Georgia.

 

[mommylicious]

I can see not getting the VIN of the car to check , but I'm getting hung up on the thought that they didn't have a name of the person they were meeting. Even if you're not doing background checks on the person, it's a societal norm to introduce yourself, "Hi, I'm X. I have the Mustang for sale.." or whatever. Even when I've conducted Craigslist sales via text or email, I've always had a name. That leads me to wonder if the interaction at the store didn't happen as remembered. Maybe he just asked for directions to the road (guessing GPS error.. we went down some interesting paths this past summer on our trip west thanks to GPS) and there wasn't actually discussion about who they were meeting. I just can't fathom they'd drive all that way without at least a name, especially given how cautious they were said to be.

 

[Sunshynn]

“They were lying separately, one on either side of that two-path road,” Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson said Wednesday.

This is just one of the saddest details.
But it kind of changes how I feel things went down..now it sounds like he shot them as they exited their vehicle. Bud, perhaps, getting out of the drivers side and June exiting on the passenger.
They had spoken on the burner phone to RT trying to find directions to this old dirt road; RT asks if they have the money and they assure him that they do; he lays in wait until the Runions pull in; he gets them to exit the vehicle for some made up reason and then kills them.
But it still doesn't make sense.
Why kill them? Why attempt to hide the vehicle but not attempt to hide the bodies?

 

[southernmimi]

Maybe it depends on where you live then. In NC, you must have the title signed and notarized by both parties. My parents lived near Marietta GA for over 20 years and I thought it was the same...but maybe not. I'll have to ask.

I've bought and sold cars for the last 45 years and never had any transaction notarized. An "antique" car doesn't have to be titled.

 

[southernmimi]

I have never heard that in my 50 years in the south

I've heard "hunky dory" all my life but never pinky dinky. Must be a regional thing.

 

[gracehatter]

A few years ago I bought a car off craigs list, I went to the sellers house and test drove, then gave him $100 in cash to hold until we met a couple of days later to finish the deal. I honestly don't recall discussing payment ahead of time, but if the guy had said "cash only" up front that would have made me wary (not only because of the robbery risk but also maybe the title isn't legit).

We've been using CL's for years now. I always say cash early on over the phone, email or text and have yet to find anyone balk nor have I thought it was a red flag. Every boat, car, motorcycle, snowmobile, antique and pieces of real property I have ever bought or sold off CL's have been cash and I think that most people do and it is the norm in my experience. Maybe some folks will change after this I won't, but I will be extra vigilant about meet places in the future tho.

 

[SweetPea60]

BBM: If RJT was out of work, taxes were owed on the property and Jay had no money to pay them, deeding the land back over to his dad would make sense. Depending on the situation, the elder Towns might have had a lower (or no) tax base for the land. Better than losing the land, if that were the case.

It occurred to me that we are all thinking that the Runions were lured down with the promise of a restored car. But what if they were offered a restorable car for a decent price, instead? I have worked on many old cars (50's era) and picked up several vehicles that had been sitting for years. They were a bit rusty and needed interior and/or engine work, but they looked great with a little paint and some re upholstery work. Some I had to swap out engines and that was common back in the day, so a Carfax type of things would be useless. Even if Bud did not want to fix it up himself, a solid body on '66 Mustang with all it's parts might have been a possibility for him. It would explain being willing to drive and look at it without checking the VIN. Anything that has been sitting around usually hasn't been registered in ages, but you can find some real gems that way. It's a thought.

Jumping off a drug dealer thing, and feeding my paranoia, could someone else have bought the phone in RJT's name, done all this and left it on RJT's doorstep? RJT went off to the woods because LE/GBI scared the crap out of him, and even if he didn't do it, was sure he was going down? I mean, how do we KNOW the Runions actually talked to RJT and not someone else on that phone? I'm still waiting for more information, like fingerprints, gun powder residue, and what evidence they found in RJT's home. Anything valid will tip me off my fence. (My fence being 3 sided-did he do it alone, with someone else, or was set up)

That's one theory I've got bouncing around in my head. Maybe he pissed someone off....... Maybe he owed someone money.......... I gotta see more evidence before I make up my mind.

 

[Sunshynn]

That's one theory I've got bouncing around in my head. Maybe he pissed someone off....... Maybe he owed someone money.......... I gotta see more evidence before I make up my mind.

Luring a couple by trolling Craigslist, buying a burner phone, killing the couple once they drove there, hiding their vehicle and then planting a burner phone seems like an awful lot of work for a drug dealer to do who was pissed at someone.
I would think if some drug dealers were pissed at RT for not paying for his drugs or whatever that they would just kill him not go through all the trouble of involving innocent people just to see RT rot in jail.
Drug dealers tend to want to stay off the radar and all the steps that led to the Runion's death would be way too risky for just a little revenge on RT.
RT is the guilty party in this one.
MOO.

 

[FragileSugar]

You may have already been answered but I think the sister simply had the day wrong. I believe she meant Sunday not Saturday. I can imagine with all they have gone through that it would be easy to mess up. As to Cobb county, it was reported that the flat out dropped the ball and didn't contact McRae county. Now that we know they were killed on Thursday, I guess it isn't that big of a deal but had they still been alive it sure would have been. A lot of time was lost because of that.

I don't know FOR SURE, but my opinion is that is exactly how the Envoy was found. It looks like it got hung up on those poles and the air bags deployed (you can see the air bags in the image) and that's where it stayed. Also, it appears as if there are sand bags or something similar placed in front of the rear wheels trying to prevent it further going into the water. So, I'm thinking IF the Envoy HAD BEEN in the water, it would still be attached to the tow truck that had pulled it out, instead of just using sand bags. JMO

And speaking of the Envoy ... so if they were killed on Thursday, and the helicopters were searching on Saturday and Sunday, why did it take until Monday to find the Envoy sticking out of the the water that was right near the Town's property?

http://waga.images.worldnow.com/images/6542421_G.jpg

Is there definite confirmation that they were killed Thursday? What if he kept them alive and hidden away, thinking he could run away with the money before anyone was on to him? Maybe he thought the cops wouldn't zero in on him as quickly as they did. Was the pond in a heavily wooded area and unable to be seen by helicopter?

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

read more at: http://www.macon.com/2015/01/28/3556514/slain-couple-in-craiglist-case.html



ETA: And I may have found the answer to my recent question, at the same link:

wow, a telling article
confused a bit, part of the article above reads:

He has a family of his own -- a wife and a young daughter -- in neighboring Wheeler County. Towns supported them by working construction jobs for a local home builder, said his uncle Buddy Towns.
don't know if it's his first or second marriage as someone inquired on here, but child is 2 sothey'd have been together atleast 3 years or more, sounds like first wife IDK, either way, can you imagine living and having relations with someone you didn't know cuold do this??? Poor girl is going to need therapy! As many will I'm guessing!

Through the woods, the pond is maybe 3,000 feet from where murder suspect Jay Towns, 28, lived in a trailer behind his parents’ house.

the pond is in telfair county, so did RT live in wheeler county or a mile from where the bodies were discovered which is telfair county ga??

article also reads:



Bud Runion spoke to Kinnett’s husband, James. He said he was looking for a dirt road near the tiny Jacksonville community, down toward the Ocmulgee River.

The spot, above Alligator Creek some 10 miles south of McRae-Helena, is about a quarter-mile north of the pond where the couple’s small SUV was submerged.


article also says RT had a truck, so he met them in jacksonville ga, led them to a place near the telfair county trailer

but where did he live? wheeler or telfair?

Also, there are tons of land owned by an R.E. Towns on qpublic, but no Ronnie Towns, wondering if this might be his father, R.E.also some property being sold back and forth between the same individuals


Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2015/01/28/3556514_slain-couple-in-craiglist-case.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

If "Jay" is the killer, this latest article kind of makes me wonder if he hadn't directed them to this dirt road, hid in the trees and then just stepped out and stopped them, either lured or forced them out of the car and then, pretty quickly... .

There may even have been no talk about the "car deal".

yes, seems as though he acted alone but we don't know what happened after they met and who may have been with him if anyone

I'm thinking the the same, acted quickly and coldly and got it over with, no talk, just sudden attack,

looks as if one ran being they were on both sides of the dirt path

this is so horrible to imagine how it played out!

HOW did he get them to go down there?

I've got to look at the map again, i remember seeing alligator creek, the property they were found on might be considered Scotland small unincorporated area?? Must be very close to the line of jacksonville ga? So the dirt road ran from jacksonville to his dads property? so if the name didnt' exist of the road, HOW did the Runions find it?

if the Runions found the dirt road, or followed someone, probably getting a little nervous at some point

why didnt' they call RT back instead of stopping and asking about the dirt road at the antique shop?

Could they not reach him? was phone already off?

sounds like they drove right in to an ambush

they arrived at closing time at the store, so those were the last pings ?

Somewhere i read they left at 2 oclock so 5 would be their arrival time then, this adds up

all the signs of a bad deal were there, I guess sometimes we just let our guard down, he was such a kindhearted man even tho he warned his daughters, becuase eh loved them, doesn't mean he didnt' actually see harm in others, once you get softhearted, do you let your guard down??

Oh this is another awful day, such a tragedy

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

Is there definite confirmation that they were killed Thursday? What if he kept them alive and hidden away, thinking he could run away with the money before anyone was on to him? Maybe he thought the cops wouldn't zero in on him as quickly as they did. Was the pond in a heavily wooded area and unable to be seen by helicopter?

was on the dirt road, secluded but could be seen overhead by copters

question is as backwoods stated, was the car submerged during the search adn was the picture of the car we saw in article of AFTER the car was pulled from the water? Wondered why RT tried to sink it on those pipes on the edge of the pond

and if it was submerged completely, how did searches know to look there, there arehundreds of ponds in the area, not so mnay on that road though IIRC

so maybe bodies were discovered first? SO angela the antique store owner lead the GBI or LE to the area the runions
was looking for

Yes if they had not stopped and asked for directions, they may still be looking for them

SO in that case, RT would still be walking free

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

I just read the article and went back and listened to the sheriff's last press conference and it/he definitely says "submerged".

That just doesn't make sense to me. I just keep thinking ... if it was submerged then a tow truck more than likely helped to get it out of the water. What kind of tow truck driver pulls a vehicle out of the water and gets it hung up on poles? Obvious poles that were sticking out of the water. The tow truck could have moved over to avoid getting hung up on them. So the tow truck driver gets the Envoy hung up on the poles and then unhooks his tow cable from the Envoy and they put sand bags there to keep the vehicle from going back into the water?

Just my late night thoughts. Trying to make sense of so many senseless things. RIP Bud and June. I sure wish I had known them.

I HEARD that someone who lived down there said there were 2 tow trucks in that area, copters and a roadblock that day, which seems to be true now

 

[coltc]

Hi folks I'm new and this is my first post so don't be to hard on me.
I work with a person who was raised in McRae Ga and they know the family very well. They said the Towns family are good humble, honest people. (Ronnie Sr.)
As for RT, he said he always answered yes sir, yes mam, very polite and quiet, but very gullible.
My co-worker also said that they wouldn't think RT would be very computer literate.
I wonder if someone put RT up to buying the phone and answering the ad??
Just trying to think outside of the box.
I only hope the LE brings closure to this case and get all, if there are any others involved for this beautiful couple.

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

Okay, I don't know if this is a coincidence or if the Mustang that Bud wanted was in reference to his time in Viet-Nam or in the Army:

http://jumpingmustangs.com/jmhistory.html

I don't know if Bud was a part of this group:

"FIRST SHIFT"

"The 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, Airborne Infantry, Air Assault, Airmobile was activated at Fort Benning, Georgia, 1 July, 1965 along
with the rest of the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Our Battalion sailed to Vietnam in August and September of that year as part of the 1st
Air Cavalry Division, Airmobile.

Later, the "Jumping Mustangs" along with the rest of the 1st Airborne Brigade ceased to exist as an Airborne unit, continuing in
action as an Airmobile unit with the remainder of the Division. All personnel on jump status within the brigade continued in that
status and drew jump pay throughout their tour. "

I THINK in the initial reports of them missing, it was stated somewhere that he used to own one? so maybe it was really in regards to this you post, whether he owned one or used one or something IDK

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

Lots of interesting posts from today.

As for the VIN number and running a background check on the vehicle, I don't believe my Dad has ever done that. I do know he has bought spare cars for parts, without a title, as many times the vehicle was seen sitting out in a cow pasture, or under a shed, and the owner had no clue where the title was. Sometimes he would get a new title issued at the DMV, but if he only wanted body parts off it, wasn't worth his time to get a title. He'd buy the car, bring it home, take whatever he needed off it, and the rest went to the scrap place that people take metal. I can still hear my Mom fussing about the 'extra' cars, making part of the property look like a 'junk yard'. She truly hated it. Now she has most of the property in flower gardens, each year adding more and more plants.

Anyway, back to the case.

I keep going back and forth on whether this was done by RAT (anyone else notice that was his initials?) alone or he had help. At this moment, I'm thinking alone, because the vehicle and the Runions were found within walking distance to the T's property. He literally lured them into his backyard it appears. What's really nuts about that, in so many cases the body or evidence of the crime IS found on the perps property!!! I just can't imagine. I would want it the furthest away but seems many perps want to stay in their comfort zone.

near his property, but yes I had posted that early on , that maybe he told them the car was in the shed out back, hadn't been run in a while possibly adn maybe told them it only needed a few minor things,

Thinking he went only to LOOK if this was the case, not to buy, dont' know if Bud had the money with him or not, no plans on getting it back home if it wasn't in A1 condition, so it makes sense they were only there to look

sadly ironic he didn't get killed in NAM during his mustang days, only for this, so odd, so odd, so SAD

a friend of ours buys car parts and sells car parts all the time to use for rebuilding a classic, we had no title on old truck we had once either

 

[Sunshynn]

I work with a person who was raised in McRae Ga and they know the family very well. They said the Towns family are good humble, honest people. (Ronnie Sr.)
As for RT, he said he always answered yes sir, yes mam, very polite and quiet, but very gullible.
My co-worker also said that they wouldn't think RT would be very computer literate.
I wonder if someone put RT up to buying the phone and answering the ad??

The sad thing is drug use/abuse can turn a normal person into a monster.
When they are not high, they can be kind, caring and a normal individual but when they are using they can turn into quite the opposite or someone whose only thoughts are on getting money to feed their addiction. They will do things that when not using they would never imagine themselves doing.
They can be like a functioning alcoholic, but on drugs.
I suppose that it's possible that someone may have put RT up to answering the ad, but for what gain?
I'm more under the thought that RT was so deep into drugs and in the need for money that maybe he had heard from someone about using Craigslist for robbing unsuspecting people (I'm going to guess that where he is from is a small town much like where I am from and everybody knows everybody..so it would be too risky to rob someone from your own town) or maybe heard about it on TV and it all kind of escalated and went wrong when the Runion's showed up.

 

[dancinunderthemoon]

I find it hard to believe anyone would jump in a vehicle, drive 3 hours to meet someone they don't know by name, and carry a large sum of cash on their person to give to this unknown individual. I think I would have to make it known up front that I would only be looking at the car and placing down a small amount of earnest money until we could, together, go to the bank with the title in hand. Besides, there is more to purchasing a car than the exchange of cash. You must have a notary.

apparently it wasn't a serious deal at the time of phone contact, I'm thinking, probably just a "go see" since they didnt' even know the guys name, probably didnt' do much chatting on it possibly, I think I'd have gotten nervous about the dirt road deal and not being able to find a road that no longer exists, then if that wasn't enough, i'd be noticing how secluded and wooded this area of GA is

I wont ever travel anywhere to buy something, never do anyway, if it aint local, I pass it up, now for sure

I'm sure more will come out again, would really like to know if he robbed them of cash, since robbery charges were filed, unless as someone mentioned, it was the car, just trumping up all charges they can on RT, he aparently stole SOMETHING