Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

[worm]

The Gun. Is that where Lonny Henry comes into the picture? What I remember is that the gun owner is from Latta. Four months after the murder he was drunk driving, arrested, the gun was found under his seat - serial number partially filed. I wonder whether more can be found out about the serial number today, or was that lost too?

Polygraph showed he told the truth about not commiting the murders, but lied about where he got the gun.

4 Apr 2008, 3 - National Post at Newspapers.com

Murder is Locklear Road. Gun was in Latta. KOA is in Santee. Hurricane was blowing in

View attachment 281522

Hurricane Belle - August 7-11, 1976

"A tropical wave moved off the African coast on July 28th. The disturbed area moved across the central tropical Atlantic and moved to the north of the Lesser Antilles, approaching the Bahamas by August 5th. Early on the 6th, the thunderstorm cluster became organized into a tropical depression. Steadily developing over the next few days, Belle became a major hurricane early on the 9th while moving northward towards the coast of Long Island. It struck western Long Island before moving northeast and losing tropical character over New England."​

Hurricane Belle - August 7-11, 1976

Gun owner's brother was also detained. No charges. Is the brother still alive? Perhaps there are children?

You pretty much have it nailed. I’m not aware if he has family there still. I think he moved to N.C. at some point?

 

[otto]

pecans are gathered in the fall after they drop from the trees. I saw that peaches are in season, and there are vegetables as well.

Peaches maybe. It just seems like a couple who met by chance. She's a musician, and he just paid out child support. Maybe she was heading to a music scene and he was heading to Florida beaches when they crossed paths.

I'm curious where they crossed paths, where were they June 1976? Bank records must tell a story for both of them.

 

[Vern]

Thank you!

This article is from Aug 11, 1976. I appreciate seeing facts. They were killed around 1 AM and found at found at 6:20 AM by a man on his way to work.

The entire story about a trucker pulling over for a rest is complete fabrication.

View attachment 281509

Sumter Does - Newspapers.com

I linked an article that is an interview with the cases' Coroner Assistant yesterday; Vera Moore. She stated that they were found by a local trucker who was on his way to work.

It's a full page article linked in the below post:
Identified! - Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

 

[killarney rose]

Peaches maybe. It just seems like a couple who met by chance. She's a musician, and he just paid out child support. Maybe she was heading to a music scene and he was heading to Florida beaches when they crossed paths.

I'm curious where they crossed paths, where were they June 1976? Bank records must tell a story for both of them.

I don’t understand your reply,” peaches maybe.” You asked what was in season. I googled peach season in SC yesterday. It is July/Aug. I also don’t understand how what produce was in season pertains to how they met?

 

[worm]

Peaches maybe. It just seems like a couple who met by chance. She's a musician, and he just paid out child support. Maybe she was heading to a music scene and he was heading to Florida beaches when they crossed paths.

I'm curious where they crossed paths, where were they June 1976? Bank records must tell a story for both of them.

There’s a quote in one of these links from the late coroner I think where it’s said “it’s like they came from another planet” and I completely get the frustration. There seems to be no trail of them at all, even after they are in Sumter county.

 

[worm]

I don’t understand your reply,” peaches maybe.” You asked what was in season. I googled peach season in SC yesterday. It is July/Aug. I also don’t understand how what produce was in season pertains to how they met?

I think the suggestion was they possibly got work with the picking season. That could be I guess but as we were saying above, there is nothing about their time in Sumter that we can confirm except murder.

 

[CCJD]

I linked an article that is an interview with the cases' Coroner Assistant yesterday; Vera Moore.

RS&BBM

Verna
Verna Moore Obituary (2017) - The State
(forgive me for acting like the spelling police)

 

[otto]

I linked an article that is an interview with the cases' Coroner Assistant yesterday; Vera Moore. She stated that they were found by a local trucker who was on his way to work.

It's a full page article linked in the below post:
Identified! - Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

I agree. A trucker going to work, not a trucker pulling off to rest for the night.

They were discovered first light on the side of the road by people going to work at 6:20 AM Monday morning, August 9, 1976. Durant? Wild guess about which direction he was headed on the way to work?

The historic map link ? I'm curious about maps on Locklear Road 1976. Zoom in far enough and the watermark is out of the way link?

 

[worm]

I agree. A trucker going to work, not a trucker pulling off to rest for the night.

They were discovered first light on the side of the road by people going to work at 6:20 AM Monday morning, August 9, 1976. Durant? Wild guess about which direction he was headed on the way to work?

The historic map link ? I'm curious about maps on Locklear Road 1976. Zoom in far enough and the watermark is out of the way link?

There was an earlier poster that found aerial pics from the mid 60s and the early 80s but I don’t recall if they were posted or linked. It would be interesting to see the tree line on that road from then if possible.​

 

[otto]

I don’t understand your reply,” peaches maybe.” You asked what was in season. I googled peach season in SC yesterday. It is July/Aug. I also don’t understand how what produce was in season pertains to how they met?

I meant to say thank you, that I'm guessing it was peaches. Apologies.

In season produce picking, specifically June / July 1976 matters because they were murdered on August 9, 1976. There's no history that they knew each other. Each family was probably looking for a child, not a couple. That suggests to me that it's possible that they met within a month or two of the murders.

How would a 25 year old musician and a 30 year old disillusioned man with an accidental child meet in 1976? What were they both doing that put them together? They were traveling together when murdered, so knowing how they met helps me understand why.

 

[worm]

I meant to say thank you, that I'm guessing it was peaches. Apologies.

In season produce picking, specifically June / July 1976 matters because they were murdered on August 9, 1976. There's no history that they knew each other. Each family was probably looking for a child, not a couple. That suggests to me that it's possible that they met within a month or two of the murders.

How would a 25 year old musician and a 30 year old disillusioned man with an accidental child meet in 1976? What were they both doing that put them together? They were traveling together when murdered, so knowing how they met helps me understand why.

That is a big question. An earlier news article said that James was never officially reported as missing. I have to wonder if his folks may have thought it was legal issues that he may have ran from given the child support thing. I’m guessing they could have met literally anywhere as one was from CO and one from PA. Just a guess is somewhere on 95?

 

[Vern]

RS&BBM

Verna
Verna Moore Obituary (2017) - The State
(forgive me for acting like the spelling police)

D'oh; apologies!! Given my username, you'd think I could pull off spelling that correctly.

 

[Vern]

I agree. A trucker going to work, not a trucker pulling off to rest for the night.

They were discovered first light on the side of the road by people going to work at 6:20 AM Monday morning, August 9, 1976. Durant? Wild guess about which direction he was headed on the way to work?

The historic map link ? I'm curious about maps on Locklear Road 1976. Zoom in far enough and the watermark is out of the way link?

Yes, the watermarks disappear when you zoom in.

 

[Vern]

There was an earlier poster that found aerial pics from the mid 60s and the early 80s but I don’t recall if they were posted or linked. It would be interesting to see the tree line on that road from then if possible.​

It's right here @worm . Originally posted by @Betty P

Identified! - Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

 

[worm]

It's right here @worm . Originally posted by @Betty P

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/posts/16587114/like

Many thanks to you and @Betty P .

 

[otto]

That is a big question. An earlier news article said that James was never officially reported as missing. I have to wonder if his folks may have thought it was legal issues that he may have ran from given the child support thing. I’m guessing they could have met literally anywhere as one was from CO and one from PA. Just a guess is somewhere on 95?

That doesn't sound right. I read an article where his family tried to have him declared dead. That requires that he is reported missing.

His legal custody issues were cleared in 1974, two years before the murders.

I need a minute to find the link that his family tried to declare him dead. I did not read that she was declared dead, but I doubt her family looked at deceased couples.




link upthreadd.

 

[otto]

Yes, the watermarks disappear when you zoom in.

What address

Historic Aerials: Viewer

 

[otto]

Not that I was able to figure out, but you can do a side-by-side to make sure you're looking at the same areas.

Would like to look at a side x side photos, longleaf pine trees in 1976 and 400 m. today. Does the exact location make a difference? We know the road, we know the distance from the highway, we know the interchanges off the I95, we see the backroads, we know the gun was in the community 4 months after the murders.

Perhaps someone in town heard something.

 

[Vern]

I think it was that he had never actually been uploaded to NAMUS. Both reported missing in 1975. but only she was uploaded to NAMIS (in 2019?) I think. Alas, one of our site-members broguht her forward back then, but no photo on NAMUS with a wee photo mic up.

 

[worm]

That doesn't sound right. I read an article where his family tried to have him declared dead. That requires that he is reported missing.

His legal custody issues were cleared in 1974, two years before the murders.

I need a minute to find the link that his family tried to declare him dead. I did not read that she was declared dead, but I doubt her family looked at deceased couples.

View attachment 281526

View attachment 281527
link upthreadd.

I’m a terrible note taker and can’t recall where I read that. Pamela was reported but I remember reading that he wasn’t. Yea, his family would have been able to check if he had legal issues and as you say, he had cleared that. I’d really like to hear from the families but I understand that they were shocked and wanted to remain private. Maybe later.