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

[Vern]

Google Joseph Carl Shaw, he seemed like a likely suspect. He was involved with the Columbia murders of 1977.

I just googled him; seems there was sexual assault involved as a motivation to all his other crimes. IMO, I haven't seen anything suggesting such a motive in this case.

 

[Vern]

The trucker who found the bodies lived in Lynchburg? Why would a trucker from Lynchburg be on the other side of the I-95?

The man with the murder weapon, where did he live?

View attachment 281062

Lynchburg was pretty small and rural back then, even so today. He could have lived on any of those rural roads around there and been considered "Lynchburg" as it also seems to be the only real area with a population close to the murder scene.

Perhaps he passed them by travelling to/from work to/from his home - wherever that was.

 

[otto]

An option for aerial photos of the area a few years after the murders. Just enter Old St. John's Church Rd, Sumter, SC in the search bar and it will bring up the aerial. There are photos from 1983 and 1966

Historic Aerials: Viewer

If the trucker who found the bodies lived in Lynchburg, is there a reason that he was pulled into a truck stop when lived nearby. Did he park there and get a ride home?

 

[Vern]

An option for aerial photos of the area a few years after the murders. Just enter Old St. John's Church Rd, Sumter, SC in the search bar and it will bring up the aerial. There are photos from 1983 and 1966

Historic Aerials: Viewer

Perfect - thank you!

Interesting that there was a huge build of highways going on in the 70s.

The aeriel view of the spot for 1983 shows the overpass so it was in place by 1983. No earlier date available that shows it.

But, if you select the topographical map for 1971 ... the interstate didn't exist there. Next available year is 1987 and it did exist. I know in my parts, the highways came first in the 70s with the crossroads used as on/offs ... the on'off ramps and overpasses were added on later. It was done that way to speed up their construction and get people "mobile". These days when new highway is built it seems to be built with highway and ramps done at the same time unlike back then.

So, still no way to know.

 

[otto]

Perfect - thank you!

Interesting that there was a huge build of highways going on in the 70s.

The aeriel view of the spot for 1983 shows the overpass so it was in place by 1983. No earlier date available that shows it.

But, if you select the topographical map for 1971 ... the interstate didn't exist there. Next available year is 1987 and it did exist. I know in my parts, the highways came first in the 70s with the crossroads used as on/offs ... the on'off ramps and overpasses were added on later. It was done that way to speed up their construction and get people "mobile". These days when new highway is built it seems to be built with highway and ramps done at the same time unlike back then.

So, still no way to know.

The maps have a large watermark. Is there a way to view without?

 

[otto]

Assuming the trucker who discovered the bodies is an innocent bystander - seems a bit odd to murder the couple and then report it, where does the man with the gun live?

 

[kaen]

I have been reading through all the material that people have posted. It is interesting to hear the diversity of thought about what happened to these two people.

The early to mid-1970s was a hard time to be a traveler in this country is you were young and hippie-ish. There was a fair amount of disdain for the "free wheeling" young people who were not traditional. I experienced some really awful thinking/behaviors from more rural populations when traveling through VA, NC, SC, GA in the late 70s. It may be that they encountered some folks who really did not like "their kind" as they traveled through. With the number of shots fired, it is hard to believe that this was the work of one person. I would think that one of them would have run or had defensive wounds if there was only one perp.

JMHO.

 

[southerngospel]

i ve heard from 2 different sources that james and pam were on a motorcycle...obviously..i cant confirm either story

 

[Vern]

The maps have a large watermark. Is there a way to view without?

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.

 

[Vern]

i ve heard from 2 different sources that james and pam were on a motorcycle...obviously..i cant confirm either story

Well, if so - there still a missing vehicle - it would just be a motorcycle then.

Even if not, as I sated a few days ago, with their identities now known I truly believe that investigators now have information on a vehicle to work with giving them new leads and/or possible suspects.

 

[branmuffin]

Lynchburg was pretty small and rural back then, even so today. He could have lived on any of those rural roads around there and been considered "Lynchburg" as it also seems to be the only real area with a population close to the murder scene.

Perhaps he passed them by travelling to/from work to/from his home - wherever that was.

I've been making an assumption about the trucker who found the bodies in that he was driving a big rig like an 18 wheeler. What if he was driving some kind of big delivery truck. In the article it says Martin Durant called a man called Graham who contacted the sheriff's department so he must have had a radio in his vehicle.

I found a reference to a Martin Durant in an obituary for a man called Howard Vincent who identified Mr. Durant as a dear friend and assistant for over 50 years. Mr. Vincent owned and operated a business called Peoples Oil and Gas Service in Lynchburg.

Is it possible Mr Durant was driving an oil delivery truck or a maintenance truck?

 

[Vern]

I've been making an assumption about the trucker who found the bodies in that he was driving a big rig like an 18 wheeler. What if he was driving some kind of big delivery truck. In the article it says Martin Durant called a man called Graham who contacted the sheriff's department so he must have had a radio in his vehicle.

I found a reference to a Martin Durant in an obituary for a man called Howard Vincent who identified Mr. Durant as a dear friend and assistant for over 50 years. Mr. Vincent owned and operated a business called Peoples Oil and Gas Service in Lynchburg.

Is it possible Mr Durant was driving an oil delivery truck or a maintenance truck?

Perhaps ... with a CB radio. They were popular in in the 70s.

"A truck driver" does not equate to an 18 wheeler you are correct. Perhaps just a local delivery truck fpr gas/oil/milk etc. Heck, we still had a milk truck deliver our milk to our door-steps until 1998 here. lol

 

[MajorHoople]

View attachment 280682
VANv11iss21p08001

The man on the right looks like Neil Young looked in 1971.

 

[Springrain]

i ve heard from 2 different sources that james and pam were on a motorcycle...obviously..i cant confirm either story

I've heard that too, but I'm baffled. If they were on a motorcycle, where would they have kept their belongings while on the road? They were clean, they probably would have had to have been carrying extra clothes, toiletries, laundry detergent, etc. James would also have had to have his driver's/motorcycle license, I assume. Granted, I've never been on a motorcycle, but it seems like it would be impossible to fit two people's belongings on it and ride around? The only thing I could think of is that one of them was carrying a very small bag with stuff for laundry and they would just wash and dry the clothes they were wearing when they could (maybe hand-washing?), and relied on using the free toiletries at motels to clean themselves.

 

[southerngospel]

The first time i heard that they were on a motorcycle was from a facebook post years ago on a local SC report about the Sumter county does. Woman was a Sumter native. Claims her mom worked at the fruit stand that james and pam visited. She said her mom told her that they road up on a newish looking motorcycle. I had screen shotted it...but lost it to a fried computer

 

[landis]

It would be helpful if you used the Reply button when responding to a poster. Then we know who you are talking to.

Yeah I know, I was in a hurry.

 

[Fede]

The first time i heard that they were on a motorcycle was from a facebook post years ago on a local SC report about the Sumter county does. Woman was a Sumter native. Claims her mom worked at the fruit stand that james and pam visited. She said her mom told her that they road up on a newish looking motorcycle. I had screen shotted it...but lost it to a fried computer

Is that post still online in Facebook???

 

[Drew5571]

I just googled him; seems there was sexual assault involved as a motivation to all his other crimes. IMO, I haven't seen anything suggesting such a motive in this case.

What if his crimes escalated after this crime? It’s probably not him.

 

[southerngospel]

Is that post still online in Facebook???

It probably is. i have tried to find it...to no avail...but if one had enough time to look up posts about the sumter county does spanning about 5 years or so back..it is probably still there.

 

[Betty P]

The first time i heard that they were on a motorcycle was from a facebook post years ago on a local SC report about the Sumter county does. Woman was a Sumter native. Claims her mom worked at the fruit stand that james and pam visited. She said her mom told her that they road up on a newish looking motorcycle. I had screen shotted it...but lost it to a fried computer

Sounds plausible for the times. With high gas prices a lot of guys rode motorcycles. They were less expensive to buy and operate.

The guys here can probably describe those rack things that were mounted on the back where you could stack sleeping bags and a duffel. You couldn't carry much more than if you were hitching, but it was faster and safer. A lot of people had a fantasy of taking off on a motorcycle to see the country.