Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #10

[MajorHoople]

It sounds to me as if the gun was never restored to its original owners. None of the Henry brothers would be legal owners of the revolver; a previous post (#978 in “Identified” thread #9 by MadMcGoo) found that Lonnie was eventually prosecuted in Federal court for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. As far as a theft charge goes, perhaps the Federal charge was more easily prosecuted because of the difficulty proving the circumstances of the theft. Perhaps the Federal charge offered more potential leverage for persuading Lonnie to reveal more details.

In US gun sales, the names of the dealer and the buyer are usually recorded on BATF form 4475, so the last legitimate owner would likely be on that form. Those forms are the method used to trace firearms used in crimes from the manufacturer onward. This can be a dead end for stolen guns - thieves aren’t a part of the sales process. In many states, there’s no registration of owners; the 4475 is the only record. Some states also have additional forms for firearms transfers/sales.

The Henry brothers are the key to this crime, and always have been. They must have known who had the gun during the period the murders took place. It was either someone in their family or in their circle of acquaintances.

Would that be ATF Form 4473 ? Nicknamed the "yellow sheet". I'm not saying you're wrong, it's just that I've never seen a BATF form 4475.

ATF Form 4473 - Firearms Transaction Record Revisions | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives


Edit: Never mind, I see you corrected the post above on Post#27

 

[branmuffin]

I thought the same when reading his obit. Double life, maybe? Poor choice in friends, maybe? A one off thing, maybe? It's a bit puzzling. (I am assuming we are all discussing the correct people, here.)

I wondered about a double life but I kind of rejected it. There never was a whiff of criminality regarding him and I'm sure LE checked out his story. It's not unheard of that someone could successfully lead a double life and never give any indication that they weren't who they seemed. I don't know, maybe Lonnie was/is the key to the murder. He did have a slew of misdemeanors, although, why the cops didn't charge him with filing off the serial number I have no idea. That's a felony, state and federal so I don't know how he skated on all those charges. Maybe he knew people in high places or maybe he became a snitch. Who knows. We've heard for years that there was corruption in law enforcement and politics in that area. The Henry family seems to have tragically short lives when you look on Find a Grave. I wonder how Lonnie died?

Edited to correct that Lonnie was charged federally for obliterating the serial numbers.

 

[branmuffin]

It sounds to me as if the gun was never restored to its original owners. None of the Henry brothers would be legal owners of the revolver; a previous post (#978 in “Identified” thread #9 by MadMcGoo) found that Lonnie was eventually prosecuted in Federal court for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. As far as a theft charge goes, perhaps the Federal charge was more easily prosecuted because of the difficulty proving the circumstances of the theft. Perhaps the Federal charge offered more potential leverage for persuading Lonnie to reveal more details.

In US gun sales, the names of the dealer and the buyer are usually recorded on BATF form 4475, so the last legitimate owner would likely be on that form. Those forms are the method used to trace firearms used in crimes from the manufacturer onward. This can be a dead end for stolen guns - thieves aren’t a part of the sales process. In many states, there’s no registration of owners; the 4475 is the only record. Some states also have additional forms for firearms transfers/sales.

The Henry brothers are the key to this crime, and always have been. They must have known who had the gun during the period the murders took place. It was either someone in their family or in their circle of acquaintances.

I forgot about Lonnie being ultimately charged by the feds. If the feds traced the weapon back to Jimmy Henry doesn't that mean he was a legitimate owner of the gun? That's how I interpreted it. Unless he registered the weapon not realizing he had bought a stolen gun. I know nothing about each states laws regarding gun ownership. I would think nearly fifty years ago it would be even more lax than it is now.

 

[branmuffin]

Agree. Also, we don’t know what kind of personal possessions they had since they were dumped without them. It’s possible they had a sum of cash they used for traveling. The killer could’ve had his eye on that.

back in the 70s it was a popular thing to want to go live on the road for a year or so. We don’t know anything about Pam and James. How they met, why they were traveling, etc. it’s possible they met in CO, became friends, decided to save up some money and take this road trip. If so, they would’ve possibly had cash on them. Were the murders sending a message to someone?



some thieves, especially if they are addicts, have little regard for human life and would’ve thought nothing of taking their lives and robbing them.

I agree but it's the way they were murdered that gives me pause. They weren't just shot, they were executed. Those three shots and not obliterating their faces. Was that to ensure they could be identified? We've heard of multiple murderers who pull out teeth, chop off hands or fingers, bludgeon someone so they are unidentifiable. This killer was different. Their murders don't seem done in a fit of anger or hate but methodical.

 

[branmuffin]

I agree but it's the way they were murdered that gives me pause. They weren't just shot, they were executed. Those three shots and not obliterating their faces. Was that to ensure they could be identified? We've heard of multiple murderers who pull out teeth, chop off hands or fingers, bludgeon someone so they are unidentifiable. This killer was different. Their murders don't seem done in a fit of anger or hate but methodical.

For some weird reason I can't edit this post but I wanted to add - were the murders a message?

 

[killarney rose]

I don’t think my OP contained,” were the murderers trying to send a message to someone?”

 

[Betty P]

I don't lend any credence to Lonnie Henry's alibi that night. His performance on a polygraph later was very poor.

One of my theories is that Lonnie had a buddy who he liked to drink with and drive around at night. This buddy was either LE or former LE. They might cruise around, maybe pretending to be police, scaring the "hippies" and "yankees" who were passing through. Just a couple of "good ole boys" so to speak. Maybe they robbed people, shook them down, scared them, etc. Maybe they accosted the victims thinking they would find drugs. I still think, despite the autopsy showing no signs of sexual assault, that it may have been part of the motive. It's possible a sexual assault was interrupted by Jim fighting back or making a threat.

At some point, these good ole boys knew they would have to get rid of the couple or someone would find out. Maybe someone's job and/or reputation was on the line. In the county where they lived and worked. They convinced themselves they couldn't have witnesses. So they used the weapon to control the couple, put them in the back of the van and took them to another county, where they were killed and dumped.

If they had a van that the killers drove to the murder scene, they either took it some distance away and sold it or disposed of it somewhere.

The murder weapon was stashed under Lonnie's seat. He either didn't know it was there or was loaded that night and forgot. The gun could have found its way to the crime scene when it was possibly stolen from a crime scene or evidence locker. Back in those days, some police probably took guns that way for their own personal use or traded with other law enforcement officers.

If the sheriff today is saying there is a POI, perhaps that means, even though Lonnie Henry is deceased, the other person who did the shooting that night is still living. It's possible there were other witnesses.

It's also possible the couple had a van or motorcycle that was sold. It wasn't difficult to forge title paperwork back then, right? If LE can check old state license records in PA or CO, they may find info about Jim's vehicle.

All JMO.

ETA: I also wanted to add, I'm often wrong about my theories, but I wanted to put this out there to see if you all think it answers some questions we've been discussing.

 

[Warwick1991]

I forgot about Lonnie being ultimately charged by the feds. If the feds traced the weapon back to Jimmy Henry doesn't that mean he was a legitimate owner of the gun? That's how I interpreted it. Unless he registered the weapon not realizing he had bought a stolen gun. I know nothing about each states laws regarding gun ownership. I would think nearly fifty years ago it would be even more lax than it is now.

It would be my guess that since Lonnie was the one found with the gun, it might have been a stretch to charge his brother with theft. It would be difficult to prove where he got it. Lonnie faced no state charges, only Federal charges, so there might have been problems having local authorities filing charges for a stolen gun. The Federal obliterated serial number charge might have looked like it was LE’s best chance for getting more information. It looks like local LE did not pursue the brothers appropriately. It is uncertain whether LE really traced the gun back to Jimmy - Lonnie said he got it from Jimmy as a Christmas gift, but perhaps that wasn’t really verifiable.

There’s no gun registration in SC.

 

[Warwick1991]

To be honest, I have no clue/knowledge about weapons at all, so I did try to search more info, about the gun that was used to murder James and Pam
(at this point, have given up, - to digg around if there is any MSM, clippings about the stolen weapons in Durham, I think there is non)

I wondered, wich guns were used by LE, given the fact of discussions in previous threads (crime scene :desert, dirt road, dark, execution style)

It seems that the 357. Magnum was used a lot by LE, so it could be stolen from a police officer? And the robbery was never published publicly?
Legacy: When Cops Carried Revolvers - American Cop

Also found this in Dutch:
"De .357 Magnum is wellicht het populairste magnumkaliber bij overheidsdiensten en sportschutters."
The .357 Magnum is perhaps the most popular magnum caliber among government agencies and sport shooters"
.357 Magnum - Wikipedia
So the original owner, who was a member from a shootingclub?
It wouldn't be the first time, there would be knowledge that a member of a shootingclub had weapons in the house, club or whatever..
^MOO^

Qoute :
"Combining old fashioned investigative work with non-public information , I developed a lead that is potentially explosive and could turn this case on its head. I have turned over this lead along with my other research to the Sumter SD."
https://sumtermysterycouple.com/

Although we don’t know the exact model, series and barrel length, Smith & Wesson .357 revolvers were standard issue to hundreds of US police departments at the time. They were also popular with civilians for self defense and recreational shooting. Revolvers used by police departments usually had 4” barrels, and were marked by large police departments in some cases. We don’t know enough about the theft to say who the original owner was.

 

[Reannan]

I don't lend any credence to Lonnie Henry's alibi that night. His performance on a polygraph later was very poor.

One of my theories is that Lonnie had a buddy who he liked to drink with and drive around at night. This buddy was either LE or former LE. They might cruise around, maybe pretending to be police, scaring the "hippies" and "yankees" who were passing through. Just a couple of "good ole boys" so to speak. Maybe they robbed people, shook them down, scared them, etc. Maybe they accosted the victims thinking they would find drugs. I still think, despite the autopsy showing no signs of sexual assault, that it may have been part of the motive. It's possible a sexual assault was interrupted by Jim fighting back or making a threat.

At some point, these good ole boys knew they would have to get rid of the couple or someone would find out. Maybe someone's job and/or reputation was on the line. In the county where they lived and worked. They convinced themselves they couldn't have witnesses. So they used the weapon to control the couple, put them in the back of the van and took them to another county, where they were killed and dumped.

If they had a van that the killers drove to the murder scene, they either took it some distance away and sold it or disposed of it somewhere.

The murder weapon was stashed under Lonnie's seat. He either didn't know it was there or was loaded that night and forgot. The gun could have found its way to the crime scene when it was possibly stolen from a crime scene or evidence locker. Back in those days, some police probably took guns that way for their own personal use or traded with other law enforcement officers.

If the sheriff today is saying there is a POI, perhaps that means, even though Lonnie Henry is deceased, the other person who did the shooting that night is still living. It's possible there were other witnesses.

It's also possible the couple had a van or motorcycle that was sold. It wasn't difficult to forge title paperwork back then, right? If LE can check old state license records in PA or CO, they may find info about Jim's vehicle.

All JMO.

ETA: I also wanted to add, I'm often wrong about my theories, but I wanted to put this out there to see if you all think it answers some questions we've been discussing.

There are not a lot of people still living from the family of Lonnie George Henry. He was from North Carolina, which is where the gun was originally stolen from... in 1974, two years before this murder. The only connection I can find for Lonnie to South Carolina is his wife. She had a family in Pageland, SC, which is just over the border from NC, but almost 70 miles from Lynchburg, SC, in Sumter County where the murders happened. HOW do we tie North Carolina and that stolen gun to the site of the murders in Lynchburg, SC? I am researching the guy who found the bodies (Martin Durant - 84 years old today)... he has a relative that had ties to NC. I would NEVER try to contact any of these living people because I am not LE. Mr. Durant was the "truck driver" that found the bodies. He currently lives in that exact area. Just interesting. I would hope LE is connecting dots as well... this case CAN BE SOLVED!!! I have believed that since 2008!!!

 

[southerngospel]

I agree with you all about the cocaine running thing being dubious. Im guessing the guy who sent me the info is probably just a person who into old biker gang lore. It really blindsided me when the identities were revealed...because i was sure the info was credible. He told me he got it from a captain on the charlotte-mecklenberg police department who is now deceased/ The cop in question was a real person which is easily verifiable. So...egg on my face..i suppose.

 

[fred&edna]

I can't be the only one who has noticed some questionable family history posted elsewhere...

An LGH Jr born 1946 (with LGH Sr as father), no death date listed. As well as CGH (born 1952, died 1973) LGH as his father.

I discounted the info and didn't spend time attempting to disprove. Has all of this been previously discussed and discarded? Or, is there something I'm missing (an adoption, illegitimate child, or ??).

 

[fred&edna]

There are not a lot of people still living from the family of Lonnie George Henry. He was from North Carolina, which is where the gun was originally stolen from... in 1974, two years before this murder. The only connection I can find for Lonnie to South Carolina is his wife. She had a family in Pageland, SC, which is just over the border from NC, but almost 70 miles from Lynchburg, SC, in Sumter County where the murders happened. HOW do we tie North Carolina and that stolen gun to the site of the murders in Lynchburg, SC? I am researching the guy who found the bodies (Martin Durant - 84 years old today)... he has a relative that had ties to NC. I would NEVER try to contact any of these living people because I am not LE. Mr. Durant was the "truck driver" that found the bodies. He currently lives in that exact area. Just interesting. I would hope LE is connecting dots as well... this case CAN BE SOLVED!!! I have believed that since 2008!!!

I thought LGH had at least one brother who lived/died in Cheraw, SC. (Although, it's not that far from Pageland.) A sister listed as living in Chesterfield Co, SC. Maybe I'll check my notes (as well as look for more info). ETA **I could be wrong... I'm posting without verifying.

 

[shellbee]

There are many carjackings that involve murdering the car owner. The exception might be a thief just interested in a joyride, but many have enormous violence. There was a recent case here on WS where a man was killed in a situation where he was selling a vehicle. There are other fatal carjackings on WS. I can think of 3 carjacking crimes in New England that involved murder. In one case, a group of carjackers carjacked a young couple as they left a nightclub, and killed them both execution style on a golf course several miles away. Their bloody bodies were discovered the next day. There was no special motive revealed when the killers were caught. In another, a carjacker killed a few people as he went on a carjacking and killing wave in at least 2 states. In yet another, a man and his vehicle disappeared, and neither were found. Police were certain he’d been carjacked for his Land Rover. Whether a carjacking becomes violent seems to depend on motives, impulse and planning.

Okay.....

Yes there are carjackings where the owner of the vehicle is murdered. As I previously said,
"I think it's possible they [James and Pamela] were random victims of carjacking."
There's plenty of anecdotal evidence to support that assertion. However, statistical evidence indicates the opposite: 85% of carjackings end without violence. Essentially, what I'm saying is all possibilities need to be explored with equal tenacity.

A lot of scenarios are possible here, but how would anyone in the Sumter county area know about a drug runner going up and down I-95 unless their dealings involved that locale?

State Police making drug arrests on the interstate would communicate that to the County Sheriff.

I highly doubt James and Pam had business in Sumter County. However, as I tell my husband and kids, I'm wrong about one thing or another everyday so, I could be wrong about that.

 

[shellbee]

All JMO.

ETA: I also wanted to add, I'm often wrong about my theories, but I wanted to put this out there to see if you all think it answers some questions we've been discussing.

We all are, but maybe one person's theory, although technically incorrect, is the catalyst that sparks an idea or thought with someone else which leads to the solution.

 

[shellbee]

I agree with you all about the cocaine running thing being dubious. Im guessing the guy who sent me the info is probably just a person who into old biker gang lore. It really blindsided me when the identities were revealed...because i was sure the info was credible. He told me he got it from a captain on the charlotte-mecklenberg police department who is now deceased/ The cop in question was a real person which is easily verifiable. So...egg on my face..i suppose.

Not at all. I apologize if I came across as overly dismissive. I only meant that I doubted the Henry brothers killed them on behalf of a motorcycle club since they seem to have members brutal enough to do their own killing. I mean, why outsource that kind of thing?

Other than that, I think the drug theory is quite plausible. Jim and Pam didn't look like drug runners. Maybe that made them perfect for the role.

 

[Warwick1991]

Okay.....

Yes there are carjackings where the owner of the vehicle is murdered. As I previously said,
"I think it's possible they [James and Pamela] were random victims of carjacking."
There's plenty of anecdotal evidence to support that assertion. However, statistical evidence indicates the opposite: 85% of carjackings end without violence. Essentially, what I'm saying is all possibilities need to be explored with equal tenacity.



State Police making drug arrests on the interstate would communicate that to the County Sheriff.

I highly doubt James and Pam had business in Sumter County. However, as I tell my husband and kids, I'm wrong about one thing or another everyday so, I could be wrong about that.

If James or Pamela had been arrested on the interstate, they probably would have been identified much sooner.... That we know of, neither victim has a criminal history.

Right now there are many unknowns. Hopefully, local LE knows more.

 

[shellbee]

If James or Pamela had been arrested on the interstate, they probably would have been identified much sooner.... That we know of, neither victim has a criminal history.

Right now there are many unknowns. Hopefully, local LE knows more.

I wasn't limiting arrests by State Police to only J&P. Hypothetically there could have been numerous people moving drugs from Miami to NYC via that route.

I'm revealing my age with this, but I just realized I'm basing the 'running drugs up and down the coast' theory on the movie The Big Chill. There's a scene in the film where William Hurt is driving a Porsche in South Carolina and police pull him over because he looks like one of those drug runners from "up north" making his way to Florida.

 

[branmuffin]

It would be my guess that since Lonnie was the one found with the gun, it might have been a stretch to charge his brother with theft. It would be difficult to prove where he got it. Lonnie faced no state charges, only Federal charges, so there might have been problems having local authorities filing charges for a stolen gun. The Federal obliterated serial number charge might have looked like it was LE’s best chance for getting more information. It looks like local LE did not pursue the brothers appropriately. It is uncertain whether LE really traced the gun back to Jimmy - Lonnie said he got it from Jimmy as a Christmas gift, but perhaps that wasn’t really verifiable.

There’s no gun registration in SC.

As far as I can remember, Jimmy verified that he gave the weapon to Lonnie for Christmas in 1971 or 72. He also stated the weapon had its serial numbers when it was given which basically threw out Lonnie's story about buying it and finding out the numbers had been scratched. That's when he admitted he'd erased the numbers. I still can't figure out why the cops never pursued that angle. I'm mean, I'm a cop and I've got a suspect that is in possession of the murder weapon of two unidentified individuals and the suspect keeps changing his story. Why didn't they lean on him? Did Lonnie wake up one day and say, hey, I'm going to obliterated the serial numbers on this gun my brother gave me four years ago? It boggles my mind.

I really do believe the cops dropped the ball on this one. It appears that they did their due diligence, putting out feelers all over the country, getting Interpol involved, keeping the bodies in a viewable casket until decomp made that difficult, and Verna..... the woman who relentlessly pursued this case for the rest of her life. What if the investigation was stymied by some insider. Think of all that lost and misplaced evidence. The lack of charges. It just goes on and on. I remember seeing this Italian movie a long time ago, it was called An Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. That citizen was a cop.

 

[Fukiyama]

Local corruption has always been a suspicion in this case. The trick has always been trying to fit the crime with the local situation.