GA GA - Shirley, 87, & Russell Dermond, 88, Putnam Co, 2 May 2014 - #13

[fsngruv]

You should probably go back and read about the case more, the wife's body was dumped from a boat in the middle of the lake, some distance from the house. So clearly they must have done that from a boat.

I have read as much as I can about the case, and I have not seen anything in the media about the boat. If you could provide a link that would be far more helpful, but I understand if you can't provide a link.

I, of course, am aware Mrs. D's body was located in the lake, but I think the location of the body could suggest it could've been dropped from the near by long shoals boat ramp, as well.

Most, if not all the boats on their dock or the near by docks are more than likely on a lift. That would also make a good bit of noise and not go unnoticed by an owner who only visited their home every now and then.

I can see how the Mrs. D being dropped in a boat as a great theory, it may have also been how the perps accessed the home in the first place. I was just curious where it had been mentioned before, in the news or something.

I'm most curious about the DNA, and the lamp the detective got a plane seat for! Very encouraging news!

 

[concernedcitizen706]

I have read as much as I can about the case, and I have not seen anything in the media about the boat. If you could provide a link that would be far more helpful, but I understand if you can't provide a link.

I, of course, am aware Mrs. D's body was located in the lake, but I think the location of the body could suggest it could've been dropped from the near by long shoals boat ramp, as well.

Most, if not all the boats on their dock or the near by docks are more than likely on a lift. That would also make a good bit of noise and not go unnoticed by an owner who only visited their home every now and then.

I can see how the Mrs. D being dropped in a boat as a great theory, it may have also been how the perps accessed the home in the first place. I was just curious where it had been mentioned before, in the news or something.

I'm most curious about the DNA, and the lamp the detective got a plane seat for! Very encouraging news!

Well I forgot where they said it was in a boat. I assumed it was a boat. Since they said she was found in like the deepest part of the lake. Yeah I guess that she could have been dropped from some kind of overpass too. That would narrow the location of the path of the perp. And I did not hear about this airplane seat for a lamp. So I'm going to have to look that up too.

 

[fsngruv]

I took your very helpful advice and found this...

"Investigators arrived and began to comb over the scene. There was no evidence of a struggle or forced entry and the couple’s home left little clues as to what happened. They also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate or found their way to the home by boat."

New evidence surfaces in Lake Oconee beheading

Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbor’s home. They never showed up. Three days passed with no excuse, no apology, and no signs of activity at the Dermond home.

www.fox5atlanta.com

 

[AliceInPain]

I have read as much as I can about the case, and I have not seen anything in the media about the boat. If you could provide a link that would be far more helpful, but I understand if you can't provide a link.

I, of course, am aware Mrs. D's body was located in the lake, but I think the location of the body could suggest it could've been dropped from the near by long shoals boat ramp, as well.

Most, if not all the boats on their dock or the near by docks are more than likely on a lift. That would also make a good bit of noise and not go unnoticed by an owner who only visited their home every now and then.

I can see how the Mrs. D being dropped in a boat as a great theory, it may have also been how the perps accessed the home in the first place. I was just curious where it had been mentioned before, in the news or something.

I'm most curious about the DNA, and the lamp the detective got a plane seat for! Very encouraging news!

I followed this from the start on WS and all info and news links with LE statements at the time should be here in the first threads. Hopefully if the links are dead you can still view them on archive.org. I remember lots of talk about a boat too but can't remember if it was just people speculating or if it was LE.

 

[fsngruv]

Well I forgot where they said it was in a boat. I assumed it was a boat. Since they said she was found in like the deepest part of the lake. Yeah I guess that she could have been dropped from some kind of overpass too. That would narrow the location of the path of the perp. And I did not hear about this airplane seat for a lamp. So I'm going to have to look that up too.

Hmm. Well, isn't that funny!

I'll provide the link and the quote from the article pertaining to the lamp.

After 10 years of probing double-homicide at Lake Oconee, new evidence comes to light

It’s been 10 long years since the brutal slayings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at their million-dollar home in Great Waters, a plush gated community at Reynolds of Lake Oconee

www.unionrecorder.com

"But there is encouraging news of late from a private laboratory in Utah that might link DNA evidence from the home and garage to a possible suspect."
...
"Asked what type of items were taken, Sills said he didn’t wish to discuss such in detail.

“But things, articles that we know the perpetrator or perpetrators had to have handled,” Sills said.

The sheriff was also asked about a lamp that was taken to the lab from the living room of the Dermond home.

“I can tell you that I took a lamp,” Sills said. “It was a typical table lamp, three feet tall, and 15 inches in diameter that I had to purchase a separate seat for with the airlines.”

Eta: the article goes on, "When Sills and other law enforcement authorities first saw the lamp, it was located in the garage of the Dermond home where Russell Dermond’s headless body laid on the floor.

Sills assumes the lamp was removed from inside the home and taken into the garage to provide more light, apparently to aid the killer or killers as they decapitated Russell Dermond, a World War II veteran.

Sills said the lamp was “very” close to Dermond’s body."
...
I highly doubt there would be an overpass
involved because the two I know of are over 6 miles away, though not an impossible theory. Jmo.

I'm not so sure about your claims of the depth of where Mrs. D was found. While parts in the middle are very deep the inlets are shallow.

Lake Oconee (GA) nautical chart and water depth map

Lake Oconee (GA) nautical chart on depth map. Coordinates: 33.5045, -83.2827. Free marine navigation, important information about the hydrography of Lake Oconee

usa.fishermap.org

Eta(also)
Seems she was found at the mouth of Richland Creek.

Sportsmen asked for clues on Dermond murder at Lake Oconee

Local law-enforcement teams are asking sportsmen and anglers to share any information that could help bring justice to a recent murder case on the banks of Lake Oconee in Putnam County. The double …

www.onlineathens.com

 

[fsngruv]

I followed this from the start on WS and all info and news links with LE statements at the time should be here in the first threads. Hopefully if the links are dead you can still view them on archive.org. I remember lots of talk about a boat too but can't remember if it was just people speculating or if it was LE.

Thanks!!

I left a comment with what I believe may be the link I was requesting?

Thanks again!!

 

[Warwick1991]

For example here's a picture of a bullet, (larger sized pic) and you can see that it's kind of unique, because it seems to be hollow and filled with some kind of small metallic powder. So it looks like it's homemade to me. So if they see another bullet that looks like this, then they know where a matched one comes from.

That appears to be a commercially manufactured a hollow point bullet, although it's hard to tell. The context of where the picture came from would be helpful. They are made in a variety of shapes and configurations, and some have inserts with plastic or metal pellets. I think the picture may show oxidation of copper-bearing metal, which is the green coloration. Many hollow points are patented and have unique features that can identify the manufacturer. Also, there are often remains of gunpowder on a spent round. Some hollow point ammunition cartridges have bullets with concave or shaped backs.

 

[Valiant]

Wouldn't anybody kind of remember hearing a boat go by? I mean he did travel miles away. And he made at least two trips. So how come nobody heard this boat?

I have no idea if they are common there, but when I lived by a lake in Georgia everyone had electric boats. They are incredibly quiet.

 

[acehard]

I looked up bullet making for another issue, and I see it's not that hard to do. You can make many types of homemade bullets, in many ways, and filled with a lot of different fillers and powders. I learned from looking up homemade bullet making, that you can make a bullet in many creative ways. And so for example, if police found a similar bullet in another incident, that could link the two. They would at least know the size of gun he had and if it was a revolver or whatnot.

Agree. Some people customize bullets and other have color tips, most common red tips.

 

[acehard]

I have no idea if they are common there, but when I lived by a lake in Georgia everyone had electric boats. They are incredibly quiet.

Yeah and this is a high end retirement community where the houses are far from each other

 

[Rush4087]

I think this will never be solved. Sheriff Sills should have involved GBI and FBI from the get go.

Imo this case would’ve been solved long ago had it not been for Sheriff Howard R. Sills and his stubborn refusal to involve the FBI and the GBI (whom he hates) early in the case. He sometimes reminds me of Buford T. Justice - only more self important and more belligerent. As Andy Griffith said in one episode: “Call the man Aunt Bee, just call the man!”

Suspects arrested after incident at Putnam County sheriff’s home

An incident unfolded at the home of Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Sills on Saturday afternoon that led to a gunshot being fired before two men were arrested on various

www.unionrecorder.com

And, from

New evidence surfaces in Lake Oconee beheading

Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbor’s home. They never showed up. Three days passed with no excuse, no apology, and no signs of activity at the Dermond home.

www.fox5atlanta.com

“What we really need more than anything is for someone to call us up and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.”

Okay.

And, what serious LE officer would ever pose for photos like the ones in this article:

Relentless: Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills chases a killer

In Putnam County, GA, everybody knows Sheriff Howard Sills, and Sills knows everybody—except who murdered an elderly couple on Lake Oconee last May.

www.atlantamagazine.com

Is he trying to scare the bad guys?

Then:

After 10 years of probing double-homicide at Lake Oconee, new evidence comes to light

It’s been 10 long years since the brutal slayings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at their million-dollar home in Great Waters, a plush gated community at Reynolds of Lake Oconee

www.unionrecorder.com

So, after ten years, Sheriff Howard R. Sills finally discovers that there are DNA labs out there like Othram in Houston, TX (“It’s actually in The Woodlands, as they call it.”) that might be able to help. “I sat down with their people… And they found DNA”.

The article continues: ‘Additional STR testing, which is a COMMON (my caps) type of DNA profiling used in criminal cases, was required.’

Sills: “And only the FBI or a company they partner with […] could do it.” Wow. Just wish Howard had known about that several years ago.

For the first few years, this case received extensive local, state, and national media coverage. Extensive. It did not go unsolved because nobody had ever heard of it, because everybody had. It was (and still should be) a big deal. Imo the fact that it faded and became almost a cold case after just 3–4 years is directly related to lack of progress made in the investigation by the Eatonton County Sheriff’s Office.

I hope the DNA that Othram and Sorenson found comes back and provides the clue needed to solve the case. Russell and Shirley Dermond deserve Justice.

I just have little faith that the crime will ultimately be solved by the same man who went back into his house from raking leaves in his front yard in order to grab a .38 pistol so he could (only if necessary!) shoot out the front tire of a pick up truck parked in his driveway in order to prevent two notorious pine straw solicitors from making a clean getaway (then insisting of course that it was not an officer-involved shooting, and that the two perps would only be given citations; nothing to see here)

As I myself have sadly discovered over the past dozen years or so, this truly IS no country for old men.

Jmo

 

[acehard]

'Mr. Dermond’s body was found decapitated on May 6, while Mrs. Dermond’s body was not found until May 16 when an angler fishing several miles downstream near the mouth of Richland Creek discovered her body.'

The last seen cctv footage is from May 1st, that's 4-5 days before they were found. Did the autopsy reveal when he or she died?

 

[concernedcitizen706]

That appears to be a commercially manufactured a hollow point bullet, although it's hard to tell. The context of where the picture came from would be helpful. They are made in a variety of shapes and configurations, and some have inserts with plastic or metal pellets. I think the picture may show oxidation of copper-bearing metal, which is the green coloration. Many hollow points are patented and have unique features that can identify the manufacturer. Also, there are often remains of gunpowder on a spent round. Some hollow point ammunition cartridges have bullets with concave or shaped backs.

I thought it was a hollow base bullet. I read that hollow bases don't expand. Also a lot of amateurs make them, maybe cuz they're easier to make. Edit - Also If you look close, you can see some teeny tiny little pellets in it. Also don't the grooves on the top suggest a revolver?

 

[concernedcitizen706]

I have no idea if they are common there, but when I lived by a lake in Georgia everyone had electric boats. They are incredibly quiet.

Hmmm. Interesting. Well that would make more sense, because if he's jaunting around in a gas boat, I would imagine somebody would hear him.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

That appears to be a commercially manufactured a hollow point bullet, although it's hard to tell. The context of where the picture came from would be helpful. They are made in a variety of shapes and configurations, and some have inserts with plastic or metal pellets. I think the picture may show oxidation of copper-bearing metal, which is the green coloration. Many hollow points are patented and have unique features that can identify the manufacturer. Also, there are often remains of gunpowder on a spent round. Some hollow point ammunition cartridges have bullets with concave or shaped backs.

Btw, are you experienced in bullets and gun issues? Just curious.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Imo this case would’ve been solved long ago had it not been for Sheriff Howard R. Sills and his stubborn refusal to involve the FBI and the GBI (whom he hates) early in the case. He sometimes reminds me of Buford T. Justice - only more self important and more belligerent. As Andy Griffith said in one episode: “Call the man Aunt Bee, just call the man!”

Suspects arrested after incident at Putnam County sheriff’s home

An incident unfolded at the home of Putnam County Sheriff Howard R. Sills on Saturday afternoon that led to a gunshot being fired before two men were arrested on various

www.unionrecorder.com

And, from

New evidence surfaces in Lake Oconee beheading

Russell and Shirley Dermond were supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby Party on May 3, 2014, at a neighbor’s home. They never showed up. Three days passed with no excuse, no apology, and no signs of activity at the Dermond home.

www.fox5atlanta.com

“What we really need more than anything is for someone to call us up and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.”

Okay.

And, what serious LE officer would ever pose for photos like the ones in this article:

Relentless: Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills chases a killer

In Putnam County, GA, everybody knows Sheriff Howard Sills, and Sills knows everybody—except who murdered an elderly couple on Lake Oconee last May.

www.atlantamagazine.com

Is he trying to scare the bad guys?

Then:

After 10 years of probing double-homicide at Lake Oconee, new evidence comes to light

It’s been 10 long years since the brutal slayings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at their million-dollar home in Great Waters, a plush gated community at Reynolds of Lake Oconee

www.unionrecorder.com

So, after ten years, Sheriff Howard R. Sills finally discovers that there are DNA labs out there like Othram in Houston, TX (“It’s actually in The Woodlands, as they call it.”) that might be able to help. “I sat down with their people… And they found DNA”.

The article continues: ‘Additional STR testing, which is a COMMON (my caps) type of DNA profiling used in criminal cases, was required.’

Sills: “And only the FBI or a company they partner with […] could do it.” Wow. Just wish Howard had known about that several years ago.

For the first few years, this case received extensive local, state, and national media coverage. Extensive. It did not go unsolved because nobody had ever heard of it, because everybody had. It was (and still should be) a big deal. Imo the fact that it faded and became almost a cold case after just 3–4 years is directly related to lack of progress made in the investigation by the Eatonton County Sheriff’s Office.

I hope the DNA that Othram and Sorenson found comes back and provides the clue needed to solve the case. Russell and Shirley Dermond deserve Justice.

I just have little faith that the crime will ultimately be solved by the same man who went back into his house from raking leaves in his front yard in order to grab a .38 pistol so he could (only if necessary!) shoot out the front tire of a pick up truck parked in his driveway in order to prevent two notorious pine straw solicitors from making a clean getaway (then insisting of course that it was not an officer-involved shooting, and that the two perps would only be given citations; nothing to see here)

As I myself have sadly discovered over the past dozen years or so, this truly IS no country for old men.

Jmo

The guy may have had a point there about the gbi and FBI, in relation to this case.