GA GA - Shirley, 87, & Russell Dermond, 88, Putnam County, 2 May 2014 - # 4

[Bethanthony]

Absolutely. In fact I'd remove the more than 1 perp. He said "INDIVIDUAL"
That's what he said. Not mixing words there.

Have you noticed when he speaks off the cuff he ALWAYS refers to 1 person.
He said individual. 1.

Now maybe the individual brought friends.
So they opened the door knowing one personally?
I don't know why he is flip flopping on that, but he is.

Was it 1 or more than 1?
moo

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Sills most certainly said "they knew the person they opened the door for..."
In an earlier interview he alluded to the same thing, however in a more casual way. I believe that statement was more along the lines that the suspect was "someone they WOULD open their door to..." Logically, I would take this to mean LE knows the alarm was set, it was turned off, and the door was opened.

I'm thinking he is referring to one individual because perhaps only one person was at the door.

My theory is this: Sometime while it is still light out, there's a knock at the door. Mrs. Dermond looks out and sees someone unusual, but not unknown to her. Maybe it's a younger person, someone who has previously stayed at her home with a younger relative, or maybe someone who previously worked there, maybe a home healthcare worker from when she had her knee surgery.
She turns off the alarm and opens the door. The person is upbeat, happy to see her, says they are visiting on the lake for the day, wanted to stop by and say hello. She invites them in for a minute but they say that their friends are waiting down at the dock for them in their boat. "Come say hello and see the boat!"

And so The Dermonds walk down to say hello and are invited for a quick ride in the boat (maybe it's their old boat? Again, we just don't have enough evidence released to make any logical guess as to who the killer is).

Someone mentioned that there are small islands in Lake Oconee. We have them where I live too. (They are small, with trees, secluded, and people frequently camp on them) Maybe the boat stops there and everyone gets out, things turn less friendly. The Dermonds are made to exit the boat.

What these people demand from The Dermonds is anyone's guess. I can't imagine it would be anything traceable thru resale, like jewelry or artwork. Money? Maybe, but again, any decent amount would require a trip to the bank and again, traceable with video cameras everywhere and anything over 10 grand tracked very closely. (I refuse to believe they were killed for something paltry like ATM money...)

My best guess is that RD said no to whatever they demanded. He's not stupid; he knows the perps know he can identify them. Whether he gives them what they want or not, he knows exactly who they are and probably suspects what is to come. "Out of self-preservation, or just plain meanness (Sills)" the boaters kill them.

I don't know why the two bodies are placed in different locations, although I suspect they are interrupted after placing one body and quickly change to plan B for the second body.

I wish I knew what the killers hoped to get from the couple. I'm disgusted by the crime regardless, but if it was done for a couple hundred bucks for meth or something similar, I'll be positively beside myself.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

It's getting closer...

The 'attempted to have financial gain''............jumps out at me.

A lot of us mentioned yesterday how so many of the elderly are targeted by someone running scams trying to get the elderly to invest in the scams.

We even mentioned someone they knew well enough to be acquainted with may have been running a Ponzi scheme and maybe even bilked the Dermonds out of a lot of money. Or the Dermonds knew it was a scam they were running and were going to tell others they knew it. Maybe the Dermonds even told him they were going to turn him into police and sue him civilly.

This could be the reason Sills said this was done for self preservation. Imo, to keep the secret from being known.

IMO

 

[fred&edna]

BBM

Now that is a very interesting theory.

If so this person had planned this out in great detail before he even came to the Dermond property..........no one would see him on his own property or the Dermond property. He knew if he used a vehicle coming in the front gate he could be seen. He also knew that scent is harder to trace on water than on land. He also knows it isn't unusual to see anyone aggressive washing their boat down.

Imo, this is a smart person. A planner....organized who put a lot of thought into this. This way no one sees him coming through the entrance gate nor ever returning. No one even would see him walking on the property. He really does all of this from the backside by using the water and the backside of their home as his shield.

So if he lived say a few hundred yards away from the Dermonds then all he has to do is get in his own boat....park at their dock which he would already know was unoccupied, and come up from the water's edge to do his deeds. Then he leaves just like he came, and then returns to wherever his boat is usually docked, and simply disappears back inside of his home. All of it done after nightfall imo. It is so simple but yet it makes a lot of sense and would work. imo

Now I am having to rethink my own theory fred&edna about this being a spontaneous event.

All I keep thinking is 'who would it be easier for to pull all of this off in the manner that it happened?" I still keep coming up with the theory it has to be someone that lives right there. They would know more about the Dermonds daily habits and would know how to maneuver this all without being seen.

IMO

I think it was planned (not by a genius criminal, but I believe the crime was certainly given thought). I've entertained the idea that the killers were not necessarily GW home owners but relatives of a neighbor.

Does anyone know if the Dermonds owned other property in RP? And, did they own the wooded property to either side of their home?

 

[Hickory Born]

Sills most certainly said "they knew the person they opened the door for..."
In an earlier interview he alluded to the same thing, however in a more casual way. I believe that statement was more along the lines that the suspect was "someone they WOULD open their door to..." Logically, I would take this to mean LE knows the alarm was set, it was turned off, and the door was opened.

I'm thinking he is referring to one individual because perhaps only one person was at the door.

My theory is this: Sometime while it is still light out, there's a knock at the door. Mrs. Dermond looks out and sees someone unusual, but not unknown to her. Maybe it's a younger person, someone who has previously stayed at her home with a younger relative, or maybe someone who previously worked there, maybe a home healthcare worker from when she had her knee surgery.
She turns off the alarm and opens the door. The person is upbeat, happy to see her, says they are visiting on the lake for the day, wanted to stop by and say hello. She invites them in for a minute but they say that their friends are waiting down at the dock for them in their boat. "Come say hello and see the boat!"

And so The Dermonds walk down to say hello and are invited for a quick ride in the boat (maybe it's their old boat? Again, we just don't have enough evidence released to make any logical guess as to who the killer is).

Someone mentioned that there are small islands in Lake Oconee. We have them where I live too. (They are small, with trees, secluded, and people frequently camp on them) Maybe the boat stops there and everyone gets out, things turn less friendly. The Dermonds are made to exit the boat.

What these people demand from The Dermonds is anyone's guess. I can't imagine it would be anything traceable thru resale, like jewelry opr artwork. Money? Maybe, but again, any decent amount would require a trip to the bank and again, traceable with video cameras everywhere and anything over 10 grand tracked very closely. (I refuse to believe they were killed for something paltry like ATM money...)

My best guess is that RD said no to whatever they demanded. He's not stupid; he knows the perps know he can identify them. Whether he gives them what they want or not, he knows exactly who they are and probably suspects what is to come. "Out of self-preservation, or just plain meanness (Sills)" the boaters kill them.

I don't know why the two bodies are placed in different locations, although I suspect they are interrupted after placing one body and quickly change to plan B for the second body.

I wish I knew what the killers hoped to get from the couple. I'm disgusted by the crime regardless, but if it was done for a couple hundred bucks for meth or something similar, I'll be positively beside myself.

Having had a joint replacement myself (& talking with friends who have been through this), home health care, physical therapy, and nursing care all come into your house. The agencies do not necessarily send the same person every time, so you have lots of different people coming in. Plus, I had friends who sent food and flower deliveries to my home...more strangers coming in.

I think the murder scene was somewhere on the Dermonds' property inside or outside of the house. Sills is not telling all he knows and he could be putting false info out there on purpose.

I am back to thinking a burglary gone wrong.

 

[Hickory Born]

I think it was planned (not by a genius criminal, but I believe the crime was certainly given thought). I've entertained the idea that the killers were not necessarily GW home owners but relatives of a neighbor.

Does anyone know if the Dermonds owned other property in RP? And, did they own the wooded property to either side of their home?

They did NOT own the wooded property to either side of their house. They did not own other property in Putnam County in their names, but they might have owned other property in a business name. They are not listed as owning property in Greene County (other side of lake).

Wanted to add: many of these properties in Great Waters have higher land values than the value of their homes. That is especially true for land facing the lake.

 

[Canaille]

I think Sills continues to drop hints. Possibly to unnerve the perp or place some suspicion on the perp in someones mind who is close to this creep.

I also think it's very likely that it is only one person who committed this act. Some men who are physically small are extremely strong and work out daily with weights. Therefore, they may be small but are very muscular.

It appears that this crime was committed on Friday/Saturday. Is the perp someone who works an 8-5 job, Monday through Friday who chose this time in order to not be missing from work?

Nighttime? Maybe the perp told his wife or live in girlfriend or boyfriend that he was going out fishing or on a fishing trip with some friends.

I heard Sills make an extremely quick reference to ball bat. While that may have been just something in general, it leaves me wondering since a good bit of discussion at one point was about a crowbar. Could the weapon have been a special kind of ball bat that would leave a certain impression in the head? Or one that left behind traces of the paint used on the bat... i.e. the manufactures name, etc.

An agent was quoted as saying that this was "very personal".

And now, it appears that Sills has stated something about a possible financial gain or perceived financial gain.

I think the "open door" could be taken literally or could be a figure of speech. If the perp came by boat, there may never have even been the opportunity or need to have entered the house.

 

[osu]

*Burglary in Reynolds Plantation - March 2013.

Reward offered in burglary probe of Lake Oconee home
Published: Saturday, May 18, 2013

A wealthy Greensboro businessman has offered a $10,000 reward for the successful prosecution of whoever broke into his home two months ago and stole thousands in jewelry.
A burglar or burglars entered the home of Jamie Reynolds, the co-developer of Reynolds Plantation, a luxury golfing resort started more than 20 years ago on Lake Oconee in Greene County. The Reynolds family sold the development to MetLife Inc. last year.
“We don’t have any leads, so we’re more or less reaching out to the public hoping to develop something,” Greene County sheriff’s Capt. Ron Thurmond said Wednesday.
The Greensboro Herald-Journal in its May 9 issue carried a half-page advertisement offering the $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever burglarized Reynold’s home on March 19 in Reynolds Plantation, a gated community that Thurmond said experiences little crime.
Taken in the burglary, besides an undisclosed amount of expensive jewelry, were some guns, according to Thurmond.
Reynolds is still checking his home to see if anything else is stolen, said Thurmond, who explained investigators are not sure how many people were involved in the crime.
“It’s hard to say,” he explained. “You’re talking about jewelry. One person could do that.”
The burglar apparently entered the home through an unlocked door.
“You know how gated communities are,” Thurmond said. “People live there with a sense of security they shouldn’t have. Even though you live behind the gates, don’t have a false sense of security. Locks and alarms are there for a reason. Use them.”

http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-05-18/reward-offered-burglary-probe-lake-oconee-home

 

[T-Rex]

Do you think Sills is hinting the killer was LE? Someone whose weapon (bullet?) would be traceable, and would think of that, so took the head to hide evidence? Someone the Dermonds would open their door to?

There are other ways to interpret the beheading, so it's interesting that he's almost going on record with that one. Poking the tiger?

 

[T-Rex]

Wow--OSU--what a find! Don't know why there's no "Thanks" button appearing on your post (anyone?) or I'd click it!

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I think it was planned (not by a genius criminal, but I believe the crime was certainly given thought). I've entertained the idea that the killers were not necessarily GW home owners but relatives of a neighbor.

Does anyone know if the Dermonds owned other property in RP? And, did they own the wooded property to either side of their home?

I don't know if they are specifically the homeowner or not but I do believe they resided in GW and was very familiar with the Dermonds' daily activities and all the surrounding property in the GW subdivision.

I certainly believe whoever this is doesn't possess one ounce of empathy.

Now that I believe he planned this out in great detail, I think he came there fully knowing he was going to murder Shirley as well. Imo, he came there to eliminate them both.

Which leads me to believe that both Shirley and Russ both knew the secret this killer was try to hide.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

*Burglary in Reynolds Plantation - March 2013.



http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-05-18/reward-offered-burglary-probe-lake-oconee-home

Very interesting article.

The problem with cases like this of unlocked doors is it could be someone living right there or someone who pretended they had a right to be on the RP property or someone who came up by water.

Do you think that the weapon used could have been one of the stolen guns? Most people have serial numbers written down on their weapons. But how would just the bullet identify the gun used? They would still need the actual gun to do a comparison. Just brain storming and realized after I posted that they have to have the gun to compare the bullet to.....so never mind. I don't think the bullet would tell them much even if they located it. All it would tell them is a certain caliber based on the bullet if it had been found. But many people in Georgia have guns in their home of the same caliber. So guns aren't unique unless and when they are found and then can be compared to the bullet inside the victim. Until then if they don't have the gun then they cant determine which gun it came from.

Since none of Shirley's jewelry was taken this doesn't seem to be a robbery, imo. There was nothing preventing the killer from taking what he wanted.

IMO

 

[T-Rex]

The theory in my head right now again is Mr D. went to check on one of his elderly friends. He got into an arguement with this person because he was no longer welcome to check on this friend. Perhaps accidentally killed in the home of the friend by the family member. He was beheaded then taken back to his home to be found later.
Shirley was beaten and killed. She and the head were taken to pin it on her. The perp never expected her to resurface.
Everything done to buy him time to build an alibi,buy an alibi or leave the US.
Moo

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

THAT's really interesting!! One of my first thoughts, when I heard about this, was maybe they helped someone leave an abusive relationship, and the abuser was "getting even." Elder abuse?

 

[OTPTarheel]

Could the credit card fraud have been the first step- a test perhaps- in a full blown identity theft of the D's lives? Including forging documents to take title to the house and all their assets? And the D's found out??

Had not seen that article about the JR burglary last year. And I read paper/ watch news everyday. Hmmmmm....

 

[Cardinal47]

BBM

Now that is a very interesting theory.

If so this person had planned this out in great detail before he even came to the Dermond property..........no one would see him on his own property or the Dermond property. He knew if he used a vehicle coming in the front gate he could be seen. He also knew that scent is harder to trace on water than on land. He also knows it isn't unusual to see anyone aggressive washing their boat down.

Imo, this is a smart person. A planner....organized who put a lot of thought into this. This way no one sees him coming through the entrance gate nor ever returning. No one even would see him walking on the property. He really does all of this from the backside by using the water and the backside of their home as his shield.

So if he lived say a few hundred yards away from the Dermonds then all he has to do is get in his own boat....park at their dock which he would already know was unoccupied, and come up from the water's edge to do his deeds. Then he leaves just like he came, and then returns to wherever his boat is usually docked, and simply disappears back inside of his home. All of it done after nightfall imo. It is so simple but yet it makes a lot of sense and would work. imo

Now I am having to rethink my own theory fred&edna about this being a spontaneous event.

All I keep thinking is 'who would it be easier for to pull all of this off in the manner that it happened?" I still keep coming up with the theory it has to be someone that lives right there. They would know more about the Dermonds daily habits and would know how to maneuver this all without being seen.

IMO

Well that could NOT have happened that way. First of all Mr. D was killed someplace else..per the sheriff. Second he would have to leave the safety of the cove to deliver Mrs. D body to where she was found!

 

[Xara]

*Burglary in Reynolds Plantation - March 2013.



http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-05-18/reward-offered-burglary-probe-lake-oconee-home

This is probably a stretch:
Could one of the guns have been used that was taken in this burglary, and that is the reason for the beheading.....so they couldn't be linked?
Maybe the burglar thought the Dermonds home was unoccupied?
Can all of Shirley's jewelry be accounted for?

ETA: oops....didn't see this had already been mentioned!

 

[Cardinal47]

The more I think about it the more curious I become wondering about the Dermonds finances.

The stock market took huge tumbles during the last say 12 years. Could Mr. Dermond have had his life savings invested heavily and lost lots of money?

Perhaps he was trying for a recovery more than the 00.25% banks are paying on CD's.

It's very important to the older generation..those that made big money, invested big money and saved big money to leave a large inheritance to their children. A sign of their taking care of their families even in death.

Men of wealth will sometimes finance homes and business ventures with large returns during this down market time.

Perhaps he was calling in notes and perhaps somebody was not happy with him doing so.

The question I always come back to is "would they chop off his head" because of this or that. And my answer is mostly "I donno "!

 

[osu]

Dermond slayings expected to effect Memorial weekend on Lake Oconee
May 24, 2014 Updated 42 minutes ago

~snipped

Sills realizes most of those out enjoying the lake also will be mindful of what happened and will be on the lookout for anything unusual.

“I hate to be graphic, or sound crude, but we’re still looking for Mr. Dermond’s head,” Sills said. “If that’s seen out there, or something like that is seen, we need to know.”

After 18 straight days of long days, Sills was taking his first break from the case Saturday to help a former colleague celebrate a milestone.

“We’ve done about all we can do,” he tiredly said Saturday morning.

He also gave his investigators the weekend off because the case is now focused on paper trails, legal filings and tracking down leads in the business community that’s shut down until Tuesday. Although Sills knows the respite is healthy for all who have been living and breathing the case nearly every waking moment, he would prefer to be researching a major break in the case that would find the killer.

“I suspect we’re going to be getting a lot of calls from people who see something that ain’t nothing,” he said.

More at link: http://www.macon.com/2014/05/24/311...o-effect.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Dermond slayings expected to effect Memorial weekend on Lake Oconee
May 24, 2014 Updated 42 minutes ago

~snipped


More at link: http://www.macon.com/2014/05/24/311...o-effect.html?sp=/99/100/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Sure hope something is discovered with all the holiday weekend traffic.

 

[gngr~snap]

THAT's really interesting!! One of my first thoughts, when I heard about this, was maybe they helped someone leave an abusive relationship, and the abuser was "getting even." Elder abuse?

I was thinking perhaps someone was trying to get power of attorney over one of Mr. Dermond's friends. Saying this person was no longer of sound mind when Mr. D knew good and well that they were.
Perp told Mr. D to butt out and he wouldn't do it. He might have even told this person
"Over my dead body'" so to speak.
I could see Mr. Dermond being very protective of a friend he perceived to be in danger of being taken advantage of.
Moo

Sent from my LG G3 via Tapatalk

 

[T-Rex]

Bethanthony's theory really makes a lot of sense to me ("someone unusual, but not unknown to her. Maybe it's a younger person, someone who has previously stayed at her home with a younger relative, or maybe someone who previously worked there, maybe a home healthcare worker from when she had her knee surgery.")

And so does OceanBlueEyes' ("someone running scams trying to get the elderly to invest in the scams...someone they knew well enough to be acquainted with may have been running a Ponzi scheme and maybe even bilked the Dermonds out of a lot of money. Or the Dermonds knew it was a scam they were running and were going to tell others they knew it. Maybe the Dermonds even told him they were going to turn him into police.")

And I agree with Canaille that the time frame might point to someone who works weekdays.