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

[Warwick1991]

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

Anyway this was found in my brick wall in June 2014.

I've been a target shooter for many years, and have also had CCW licenses. I own both handguns and rifles. I don't load my own ammunition right now. I've taken courses on how to do it, though. I would think the bullet in your wall was crushed and deformed when it struck the brick. It is hard to tell what kind of ammunition that really is without extracting it, which is probably more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Warwick1991]

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?

Both revolvers and semi-automatic pistols have barrels with lands and grooves, so I'm not sure what type of firearm it was. If you make your own ammunition, you can buy bullets in bulk in many types and profiles. I can't really see the pellets, so I'm not sure what kind of cartridge it was.

I often shoot at indoor pistol ranges, and there are people who aren't proficient hitting the concrete floor. After it hits such a hard surface, it isn't easy to tell what it was. If there are copper alloy remains, along with lead, one can assume it was a bullet with a copper jacket.

 

[Warwick1991]

I'll answer my own question - most likely Friday night

I think that it was reported that both the Friday and Saturday newspapers were untouched outside. Perhaps the killer(s) entered the house sometime Friday morning. It would be interesting to know what time the newspapers were delivered, and when the Dermonds normally took them in. The killer(s) spent some time doing what they did; they may have been in the house for several hours, and taking Shirley to her death would have also taken some time.

 

[concernedcitizen706]

Both revolvers and semi-automatic pistols have barrels with lands and grooves, so I'm not sure what type of firearm it was. If you make your own ammunition, you can buy bullets in bulk in many types and profiles. I can't really see the pellets, so I'm not sure what kind of cartridge it was.

I often shoot at indoor pistol ranges, and there are people who aren't proficient hitting the concrete floor. After it hits such a hard surface, it isn't easy to tell what it was. If there are copper alloy remains, along with lead, one can assume it was a bullet with a copper jacket.

Okay thanks. There are a few people who saw it and thought it was a bullet, and a couple people who thought it wasn't. In my personal opinion, I'm pretty sure it's a bullet, because I can't figure out what else it is, and how it got in my brick wall.

 

[STAGNUM]

Lets dismiss the idea that the killers decapitated RD to retrieve a bullet that might implicate them. That idea is pretty far reaching. SD was killed by blows to the head, not a gunshot. Lets suppose that the killers decapitated RD because they were instructed to bring the head of XX as proof of the killing. We can assume that RD had no enemies that would want that sort of retribution. On the other hand, there is someone in the county who has such enemies and who bears some resemblance to RD. Ideas?