GA GA - Shirley, 87, & Russell Dermond, 88, Putnam County, 2 May 2014 - # 1

[tomkat]

That is the only way the FBI can come into a state case. The local jurisdictional Sheriff Sills asked for their assistance.

They may think Shirley has been taken across state lines and usually that is when the FBI gets involved.

Also the FBI lab will be utilized as well as the GBI lab on some of the evidence removed from the scene.

I really think the police are stumped.
IMO

I DO TOO ! Been a long time with a murder much less one with such mystery, dont' get a lot of experience over the years when nothing much is going on, but I"m sure they are pretty well versed, but even Macon, with all it's crime called in the FBI for the LG murder, so it's good to get all the brains you can get , involved

 

[swanniee11]

Oceanblueeyes, I was thinking the same thing. I know this is mostly an elderly neighborhood but maybe someone is staying with a neighbor? I hope everyone is accounted for in that neighborhood. IMO

 

[LuckyCat]

I do think maybe LE knows more than they are letting on. I mean the GBI was already assisting. Would the FBI just step in because Sills asked?

I agree, not so much because of the FBI or GBI being involved (Being that they needed thorough investigating in other states, it makes sense for the FBI to assist.) but because Sheriff Sills keeps saying he doesn't even know when this could have happened.

Elderly people are creatures of habit an routine. It appears to me that the Dermonds were no different, due to certain indicators such as Mrs. Dermond cleaning her own house, the house being immaculate, Mr. Dermond being known for walks, etc. IME, elderly folks do the same things at the same time, every single day.

For example, I could see Mr. Dermond getting up at 7 AM, going out for a walk, grabbing the paper on the way back, getting home at 8 AM and eating breakfast. He'd do the same routine every morning and people in the neighborhood (and definitely the daughter that was there for Easter) must be aware of it. I say this because the newspaper is probably a huge clue for timing. Old folks read their paper every morning because they don't get their news online like the rest of us do. Would the Dermonds really let the Saturday paper sit in the box until Saturday afternoon?

I have no idea what I'm getting at except that they have to know more than they're letting on because any change in routine would be huge. Heck, if something happened to my 85 yo mom, I could tell you when she gets up, what she eats for breakfast, what mug she uses for tea, and when she gets her newspaper.

 

[katydid23]

Oh MY--wasn't there another similar case last week? Where the elderly husband was killed in the home, and the wife was found, decapitated, in the lake?

Could they be connected?

 

[oceanblueeyes]

early on wmaz

http://www.13wmaz.com/story/news/local/hancock/2014/05/09/putnam-murder-autopsy-report/8893493/

no casings were found so don't suspect shooting, little blood splatter was found

She was in the house and he was working in the garage, she walked outside to the garage witnessed whatever was happening and was either killed and dumped or kidnapped

If a person is going to take time to take the head with them they certainly would pick up any bullet casings left lying around.

I do believe he was shot in the head at a very close range with no exit wound. It is exit wounds that create blood spatter because the bullet is traveling out of the skull at a high velocity bringing blood with it. Close range shots leave very little if any blood spatter if there is no exit wound. What little that comes out lands on the hand and gun of the shooter.

Remember when Julie S. shot her son Beau at close range in the car. The only blood spatter of Beau's that was found was on the backside of the pistol grip. The hand and arm of the shooter blocks most of the blood spatter.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Oh MY--wasn't there another similar case last week? Where the elderly husband was killed in the home, and the wife was found, decapitated, in the lake?

Could they be connected?

Wow, I haven't heard about that case Katy. Tell us more please.

 

[belimom]

I know the ministers at their church and a few folks in their community, and this just came across the FB page of their church. I know it's Social Media, but it's also on the church's website (http://locc.co/).

 

[Hickory Born]

Oceanblueeyes, I was thinking the same thing. I know this is mostly an elderly neighborhood but maybe someone is staying with a neighbor? I hope everyone is accounted for in that neighborhood. IMO

Or maybe the killer/killers worked for a neighbor and had seen or talked with M r. D while he was on one of his walks...then deciding to come back and burglarize his house.

 

[ClaireNC]

My great uncle got one of his fingers shot off. The nub looked fine to me as well.
That does make me wonder if he had any defensive knife wounds on his hands.

Both my father and father in law do not and will not own debit cards.
They also only do banking at the bank.
They both still pay all bills with a check via snail mail.
They may own 2 or 3 credit cards,but rarely use them and never carry a balance.
They are both almost 80 as well.

*I am giving my dad a brownie point. He has learned to text!
My mother/father in law will not text and have no desire to learn, but they would never leave home without their cell phones.
Moo

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Same with my parents. They are in their 80's and no debit cards, they go to the bank to do their banking, pay bills by check and own a few credit cards that they rarely use. My Mom was vice president of a corporation. She does use a computer for email, the internet, word processing, and keeping track of finances and such. They just prefer to handle their money the old fashioned way. A lot of older people are like that. It is common among my friends' parents. I often notice older people writing checks to pay for their groceries. Rarely see them using debit cards.

 

[los2188]

From everything that I've read, I still lean towards a hit. I know that decapitation is a very personal action, but it can also be confirmation of a hit that the target is in fact, dead. Taking the wife could also be a sign of torture. I would imagine that if someone wanted to do harm to someone as a way of gaining a certain amount of revenge, taking a man's wife before you kill the husband would be torture and would indicate a very personal edge to this horrible event. Just a thought.

 

[ClaireNC]

I do think maybe LE knows more than they are letting on. I mean the GBI was already assisting. Would the FBI just step in because Sills asked?

The FBI handles most abduction/kidnapping cases. There is nothing unusual about them getting involved in this case.

 

[Treelights]

I believe it happened at night too. I don't think the perp came from the lake on a boat. I don't think he drove in on the property either. I think the perp was right there all along living in that community.

No one would know how to creep around at night undetected better than someone who lives there and knows the layout like the back of their hand.

No one would know better that the community property owner didn't have surveillance cameras up than someone who lives there.

And they would know if they were seen leaving by car or boat no one would notice because they are supposed to be there anyway.

Imo, I still say the answer to these crimes can be found right in their own community.

IMO

This article mentions:
"Surveillance cameras in the community were not working, Sills said."

http://www.macon.com/2014/05/07/3085920/putnam-mans-death-wifes-disappearance.html

Perhaps someone in the community knew that there were cameras and knew that the cameras were not working.
IMOO.

 

[epagehall]

One other thing I read that seemed to be unusual was the lack of a debit card between Russell and Shirley. That is most unusual, particularly because Russell had to be familiar with the technology from his fast food restaurants. It was also mentioned they had just a few credit cards. That kind of thing makes me think they didn't want a financial trail. Wealthy older men have all sorts of accounts to which a debit card is most likely automatically sent: 401k account, checking, savings, stock account, IRAs, etc. And that's not even counting all of his business accounts.

I work at a bank and it is not at all unusual for people of their age not to have a debit card. They grew up in a time of cash and writing checks and many people their age are very reluctant to use debit cards. They probably rely on credit cards and check writing for their bills and purchases. Also, what is your source?

 

[tomkat]

Oh MY--wasn't there another similar case last week? Where the elderly husband was killed in the home, and the wife was found, decapitated, in the lake?

Could they be connected?

WOW, WHERE wa that!?? too eerily similar huh?

 

[tomkat]

If a person is going to take time to take the head with them they certainly would pick up any bullet casings left lying around.

I do believe he was shot in the head at a very close range with no exit wound. It is exit wounds that create blood spatter because the bullet is traveling out of the skull at a high velocity bringing blood with it. Close range shots leave very little if any blood spatter if there is no exit wound. What little that comes out lands on the hand and gun of the shooter.

Remember when Julie S. shot her son Beau at close range in the car. The only blood spatter of Beau's that was found was on the backside of the pistol grip. The hand and arm of the shooter blocks most of the blood spatter.

IMO

Yes I agree but could have been blunt force too, and there WAS BLOOD SPLATTER, reported elsewhere i saw there was reports of no blood splatter, anyway thanks, was just reporting the news

 

[tomkat]

This article mentions:
"Surveillance cameras in the community were not working, Sills said."

http://www.macon.com/2014/05/07/3085920/putnam-mans-death-wifes-disappearance.html

Perhaps someone in the community knew that there were cameras and knew that the cameras were not working.
IMOO.

well clearly someone had all things working in their favor, coincidental or planned huh?

Also wondered/pondered the thought that maybe the beheading was to confuse the authorities??

Sad to wonder how many years they had left, maybe 10 or more, and they had to go like this............. they must've been healthy living alone in such a large home, quite capable, most people are passing by early 80's and not living at home quite independent of their children and with their spouse of many years............

 

[swanniee11]

This article mentions:
"Surveillance cameras in the community were not working, Sills said."

http://www.macon.com/2014/05/07/3085920/putnam-mans-death-wifes-disappearance.html

Perhaps someone in the community knew that there were cameras and knew that the cameras were not working.
IMOO.

That is upsetting as well. I wonder if these people pay an HOA fee? If I were those neighbors I would be up in arms about this. IMO

 

[ClaireNC]

I work at a bank and it is not at all unusual for people of their age not to have a debit card. They grew up in a time of cash and writing checks and many people their age are very reluctant to use debit cards. They probably rely on credit cards and check writing for their bills and purchases. Also, what is your source?

I agree with you about it not being unusual for older people to not have debit cards. It was mentioned in some of the articles that the Dermonds did not have debit cards. For instance:

The Dermonds did not own a debit card and only had a few credit cards, he said. Both of their cars were at their house.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2014/05/08/3087453/decapitation-unlikely-cause-of.html#storylink=cpy

 

[SDkid]

My gut instinct impression of this crime is that this was originally planned out as a robbery that went really, really bad. This would be far from the first crime where greedy criminals tried to extort money from an older wealthy couple.

1) a couple of thugs cruise in by boat late at night to avoid detection and security.

2) They demand money, and a whole lot of it from this wealthy retired couple.

3) The gentleman kindly tells these thugs that they can go F ** k themselves--they aren't going to get a damn thing.

4) In a rage, one of the perps pulls out a gun and shoots him in the head.

5)In a rare moment of clarity, one of the perps realize how stupid it is to leave a bullet in the skull that can be traced back to them. Out comes the machete. Of course this action could have also been done to terrorize the woman into cooperating with them.

6) The elderly woman is tied and gagged and hustled out to the boat that the men arrived in.

7) Still thinking they can extort money from this woman, they take her to god-knows-where and hold her in order to carry out the scheme. It may turn out that she actually went into a bank and withdrew thousands of dollars before anyone realized she was missing. It may even be plausible that they could try and demand a ransom from her family.............don't count it out yet. The cops are not revealing these details.

Many times cops will withhold important details of a crime, details which, if the public were made aware of them, might aid in apprehending the criminals. Why do the cops withhold important information like this ?? Nobody knows !! ......maybe they just like having little secrets amongst themselves. Maybe it has something to do with big egos.


The scenario shown above is just my theory.....we'll see how it plays out.

----------------

Steelman, I have been thinking along these same lines. It's happened before. Look at the Hawkes from AZ. There have been a couple of quotes from MSM that contradict each other about the boat sale. One said it was recently and the other said it was a couple of years ago. In any event, it's highly possible the husband stood up to whoever it was and he was murdered and the wife kept to maybe sign over assets to the perps.

Of course, the first thing that popped into my mind is that one of their family members had something to do with it. Supposedly, they've been cleared. At least, the children.

Disturbing and horrifying case. I hope Mrs. Dermond is found safe, but she probably is not. Sad, sad case. I, too, hate crimes against the elderly.

 

[swanniee11]

I didn't see this posted but it gives a better background to the family
http://www.msgr.com/news/crime/article_4301bba8-d6dc-11e3-9a0f-0019bb2963f4.html