IIRC, according to the obituary posted a couple pages back stated that Lonnie's brother worked as a butcher for Winn Dixie Supermarket. He retired from there after 30 years. Sounds like he did ok, but may have done things to supplement his income.
Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #10
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IIRC, according to the obituary posted a couple pages back stated that Lonnie's brother worked as a butcher for Winn Dixie Supermarket. He retired from there after 30 years. Sounds like he did ok, but may have done things to supplement his income.
worldwatcher
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Hi, yes I know, but Lonnie had more siblings and extended familie (through marriage)
He and his wife had 2 children, one stillborn (from my memory)
And their other son died drowned at a fishing trip, I think that's why he turned to alcohol.
One of his brother served 2 years in the military, but he passed away before Pam and James were murdered.
It seems that Lonnie's family stayed in their birth area.
Lonnie was a truck driver...he did caused a deadly accident, if I am not mistaken, it must be posted upthread
Lonnie George Henry Sr. (1918-1982) - Find a Grave...
ETA I think he kept the matches in pocket to be used or someone gave it to him, that day.
When they were found, it is stated that they were clean and well cared for.
Clean fingernails etc.
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worm
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Is the former market mgr brother the same as the brother who gave the gun as a Christmas gift? I’ve seen more bizarre but he doesn’t seem like one to dabble in stolen guns. That whole gun situation still irks me with this case.
fred&edna
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I've always thought the method of execution to be somewhat unusual, perfunctory. Another suggestion that came up here WRT was when someone suggested the killer had military training. As I recall that opinion noted that 3 bullets for each victim, efficiently delivered, had maximium odds of killing the victims while only using 6 bullets. I can't recall who suggested this, but they said that's the way some LE and military were trained to kill. Two shots to the chest/torso to immobilize and the final kill shot to the head. It would be somewhat difficult to do in the dark on an unlit road.
Remember, too, the gun was found in the possession of a local drunk/problem maker, not exactly the type known for Mafia-style hits.
WS member Rich Kelly, who is verified LE, read through this case and noted that the police found the weapon, that means they found the killer or someone very close to him.
Identified! - Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #10
Good points @worldwatcher and reply as well @Betty P , I’ve thought about this quite a bit. It’s another of the many mind benders in this case. Had the weapon not been found locally, I’d be of the mindset that the traveler theory was more plausible. I remember writing earlier in the threads...
Were Henry and/or his brother tied to some people involved in organized crime?
Your post has me (once again) thinking of the murder weapon. IIRC it was reportedly one of several guns stolen... were those guns stolen by a members of a gang or mob operation? If so, then the answer to your last question would seem to be "yes".
After all these years why won't LE disclose where the guns were stolen from and who likely stole them??
I don't think that because these brothers had the gun it meant they had to be involved.
People barter all the time, especially back then (high inflation) and in the county (my opinion only as I grew up in a similar environment). People traded cars, guns, hunting dogs, whatever. Or sold guns too. It wasn't such a big deal back then. Obviously this makes these brothers somehow connected to the killers if they weren't the killers. But who knows how many degrees of separation?
People barter all the time, especially back then (high inflation) and in the county (my opinion only as I grew up in a similar environment). People traded cars, guns, hunting dogs, whatever. Or sold guns too. It wasn't such a big deal back then. Obviously this makes these brothers somehow connected to the killers if they weren't the killers. But who knows how many degrees of separation?
I think there are several sources that claim he was the one that gave George the gun but I can't remember how many of them may be verified and i don't have time to look right now. However I can give you one and that's Matthew Mcdaniel's website. I don't know how the mods or anyone else here feels about it but I most definitely consider him a verified source. He has been recently involved in the investigation with Sumter LE and has seen parts of the case file so when he states "George Henry claims that his brother, Jim Henry had given it to him as a gift" then I'm confident that's what it was.
Rest in peace James and Pamela We love you
sumtermysterycouple.com
worldwatcher
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To add:I think there are several sources that claim he was the one that gave George the gun but I can't remember how many of them may be verified and i don't have time to look right now. However I can give you one and that's Matthew Mcdaniel's website. I don't know how the mods or anyone else here feels about it but I most definitely consider him a verified source. He has been recently involved in the investigation with Sumter LE and has seen parts of the case file so when he states "George Henry claims that his brother, Jim Henry had given it to him as a gift" then I'm confident that's what it was.
Rest in peace James and Pamela We love you
"Mr. Jimmy Franklin Henry, 81, of Clarksville Va. and formerly of Durham, NC"
"After growing up in Morven and Wadesboro, NC, serving in the US Army from 1951 to 1953"
SBM
(There is a picture of him on the memorial site:)
Jimmy Franklin Mr. Henry Obituary 2012 - Leavitt Funeral Home
It was less than a half year between the murders and Henry having the gun confiscated so I think this makes for less degrees of separation. It's likely that George knew more. He may have been covering for someone or may have told LE everything he knew. LE said they believed he was holding back and this may be true but they could also have been trying to protect him. These were some cold people that did something like this.
I don't know how much the brother would have known about who had the gun in their possession that night but I think he told LE that he gave it to George five year prior. According to Sheriff Parnell it was stolen in 1974. That doesn't add up, so why would he lie?