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

[SolVic]

I hereby declare August 9th as the Sumter County Does’ feast day.

 

[worm]

I wish the sheriff’s office would have taken this day to make some more news and get this up front again for a bit.

 

[Reannan]

Also some good discussion here from a few pages back. There have been a couple of recent podcasts that have proposed some theories

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

Some speculation is that the area where Pam and Jim were killed was also a place where truckers hung out. The man who discovered the bodies was a trucker.

The man who discovered the bodies was indeed a trucker... Martin Durant and he lived only about 1.7 miles from where the bodies were found. Mr. Durant contacted Charles Graham, an employee at a nearby store to call the police. Interestingly, the man who was arrested for DUI and had the weapon that was used in the murder, Lonnie George Henry from Wadesboro, NC was also a truck driver. How police identified the Sumter County Does 40 years later – Film Daily

 

[Richard]

Pamela Buckley and James Freund

 

[worm]

While catching a documentary about the murders that took place in 1960 at starved Rock in Illinois, I couldn’t help but to notice some of the deep dive forensics work that went into that case. I know I’m thinking of big city nearby Chicago and small town SC but there is a 16 year difference in technology and such too. I’m somewhat satisfied that this case has been well studied but I’m still hopeful that something breaks.

 

[Ozoner]

While catching a documentary about the murders that took place in 1960 at starved Rock in Illinois, I couldn’t help but to notice some of the deep dive forensics work that went into that case. I know I’m thinking of big city nearby Chicago and small town SC but there is a 16 year difference in technology and such too. I’m somewhat satisfied that this case has been well studied but I’m still hopeful that something breaks.

Figuring out what vehicle they were in is crucial. I tend to think they were carjacked.

 

[Betty P]

I also think local LE is not interested in determining who killed them. Sadly, the victims own families also seem to want to put it in the past. No interviews or statements to the news media, nothing. Very sad, they don’t deserve this, IMO.

 

[worm]

I also think local LE is not interested in determining who killed them. Sadly, the victims own families also seem to want to put it in the past. No interviews or statements to the news media, nothing. Very sad, they don’t deserve this, IMO.

It does look pretty hopeless at this point.

 

[Eddie99]

Odds are one or both of them had a vehicle. Would Colorado & Pennsylvania still have records?

 

[Ozoner]

Odds are one or both of them had a vehicle. Would Colorado & Pennsylvania still have records?

That's a good question. Do we know what their last addresses were before they went on the road?

There's an off chance that people who knew them in life might remember what vehicles they had. My guess would be that James had a car and Pam was hitchhiking, but it could be the other way around.

 

[worm]

That's a good question. Do we know what their last addresses were before they went on the road?

There's an off chance that people who knew them in life might remember what vehicles they had. My guess would be that James had a car and Pam was hitchhiking, but it could be the other way around.

As far as I’ve seen, or not seen rather while reading thru this case is any records of them missing, auto ownership, employment when they went missing, any kind of reports that they were being looked for (other than declaring James dead in the 80s). It seems to me that the work was done by the Sumter coroner and local investigators rather than where they disappeared tho I’d love to stand corrected on that.

 

[Betty P]

That's a good question. Do we know what their last addresses were before they went on the road?

There's an off chance that people who knew them in life might remember what vehicles they had. My guess would be that James had a car and Pam was hitchhiking, but it could be the other way around.

I still also have a theory that James had relocated temporarily to Colorado and he met Pam there. In that scenario, they might have been on a road trip to a race or to visit someone.

Back then, it wasn't as expensive as today to own a car. JMO, since Pam wasn't working full time as a singer, she may have had a regular job of some kind.

Trying to access old BMV records in PA and CO sounds like a good idea. LE in those states aren't likely to start a cold case search on their own. The standard protocol is probably for SC to initiate those inquiries, right?

 

[Triss]

Happy heavenly birthday, Pam! Thinking of you on what would've been your 71st birthday.

 

[Ajaygee11]

Happy heavenly birthday, Pam! Thinking of you on what would've been your 71st birthday.

 

[Triss]

Two years ago today the Sumter county Does were identified as James Freund and Pamela Buckley.

 

[fred&edna]

Two years ago today the Sumter county Does were identified as James Freund and Pamela Buckley.

And, there's been no information since

 

[Ozoner]

Two years ago today the Sumter county Does were identified as James Freund and Pamela Buckley.

It's been two years already??? That caught me by surprise. It seems like it was yesterday.

And, there's been no information since

True that. But there's a good chance that Lonnie Henry either killed them himself or was covering for a relative, and he and all of his male relatives who were adults at that time are already dead. (There doesn't seem to be much longevity in that family.) There may not be anyone left alive who actually knows the truth.

I would still like to find out whether James or Pamela had a vehicle and whether that vehicle was ever titled or registered after the killings.

 

[fred&edna]

It's been two years already??? That caught me by surprise. It seems like it was yesterday.

True that. But there's a good chance that Lonnie Henry either killed them himself or was covering for a relative, and he and all of his male relatives who were adults at that time are already dead. (There doesn't seem to be much longevity in that family.) There may not be anyone left alive who actually knows the truth.

I would still like to find out whether James or Pamela had a vehicle and whether that vehicle was ever titled or registered after the killings.

I wonder if LE considers the case "closed" (since there may be no one living who knows the truth).

 

[Ozoner]

I wonder if LE considers the "closed" (since there may be no one living who knows the truth).

I think that they would leave it open in case anyone (such as someone's widow or child) comes forward with information, but I doubt they're putting many resources into it. It is extremely likely that the perp is already dead.

 

[worm]

I think that they would leave it open in case anyone (such as someone's widow or child) comes forward with information, but I doubt they're putting many resources into it. It is extremely likely that the perp is already dead.

Isn’t it something about the victims age would be 100 Y/O before they will close a case? Seems I’ve seen that somewhere.