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

[onceuponadecember]

But, of course they do.

They always know more than we site members here do.
Same as every other case on here really. If we didn't speculate, what would we have to do here then? Everyone is just trying to lend a hand.

Agreed, but I feel like the killer part is out of our hands, but rather learning where they were and about them

 

[Vern]

Agreed, but I feel like the killer part is out of our hands, but rather learning where they were and about them

I thought that's what people in here are trying to do?

What/how/why did they come to be found where they were. How did they meet? What were they doing there. If others want to discuss dude with the gun from way back when, it was a piece of info released by LE into the public domain, so I'd think discussion of that is fair game.

It's kind of like the chicken and the egg riddle to me:
Chicken:
Figure out why/how they met and ended up there (the motive) and that may lead to justice and their killer; and
Egg:
Figure out/stumble across who killed them (or may have had "motive" to) and that that may led to justice as well along with answers to the how/why.

Figuring out either wouldn't be a bad thing in terms of seeing possible justice rendered for Pamela and Jim. It wouldn't really matter which of the two came first as the end-goal is the same.

 

[Kiranerys]

Ok, thanks for the map and explanation, I was always, really, really.. bad at reading roadmaps, inventing, navigation was truly a blessing for me!!


I believe it was Jimmy the brother who passed in 2012

If I am not mistaken, lonnie was the oldest of the family, he had 2 sons, one still born, perhaps?
One of his brothers, 3 yrs younger, died in 1964, so can't be him.
One in 1996, 7 yrs younger.
The rest of his (2) brothers,died in this century.
Didn't he say, he got the gun as a Christmas present from his brother?
-Wich brother?
Maybe the POIS were connected with one of his brothers, lonnie had a truck, was a truck driver, maybe others as well, had access to his truck??
So, putting a gun under your seat, points to easy access of a gun, incase needed, when the plan goes wrong/different?
Just some talking thoughts, about the gun ending up in his truck....

 

[worldwatcher]

Good info. A rural place like that under a full moon would be bright. The shooter probably had no problem with aim, tho I still don’t know what the distance was they were shot at?


It begins and ends with that gun I think. How did it get to the murder scene and kill this couple? And return to his car? I don’t see how they found the murder weapon locally and didn’t figure this out. I’m not saying that I have any better answers, it just seems like something slipped by with this evidence.

ITA, the smoking gun, so it seems..

So, if it is certain,the transportation was a van, who took them there on the dirt road.
Then I find this earlier mention, of the mechanic in York, NE, who stated he thought he had worked on a van with WA or OR plates that matched the couple's description, a lot more interesting.
Pam was very attractive and had 2 distinctive moles,
York NE had also a G. truck stop, matches found in JPFs pocket.

Makes me wonder, if LE, questioned the man, who thought he might know J. and said to play pool with him, when the couple were camping there, about the transportation of the two, but I guess, there was only a publish focus about getting them ID-ed, the leads of being them Canadian or European.
There must be something that LE took seriously, to push - this- story out.

 

[worm]

ITA, the smoking gun, so it seems..

So, if it is certain,the transportation was a van, who took them there on the dirt road.
Then I find this earlier mention, of the mechanic in York, NE, who stated he thought he had worked on a van with WA or OR plates that matched the couple's description, a lot more interesting.
Pam was very attractive and had 2 distinctive moles,
York NE had also a G. truck stop, matches found in JPFs pocket.

Makes me wonder, if LE, questioned the man, who thought he might know J. and said to play pool with him, when the couple were camping there, about the transportation of the two, but I guess, there was only a publish focus about getting them ID-ed, the leads of being them Canadian or European.
There must be something that LE took seriously, to push - this- story out.

I dug into the KOA story pretty good and I couldn’t find this person sure of anything. He claimed to have become “friends” with them but if it’s anything at all, he was “friendly” with the couple. I don’t recall him saying anything of how they were traveling. I haven’t seen where he said anything at all of Pamela to the investigator. He wasn’t positive on the ring or watch,. That just makes the campground story and this “friend” confusing to me.

 

[Fukiyama]

Pam was very attractive and had 2 distinctive moles, York NE had also a G. truck stop, matches found in JPFs pocket.

Just wanted to ask if we did confirm from Pam's photos that she had moles. I thought there was some confusion over the discrepancy between the description of Jane Doe having hair moles and Pam not having anything evident in her photos.

 

[onceuponadecember]

Just wanted to ask if we did confirm from Pam's photos that she had moles. I thought there was some confusion over the discrepancy between the description of Jane Doe having hair moles and Pam not having anything evident in her photos.

Maybe Pam developed the moles after she disappeared? Who knows.

 

[Feme98]

Just wanted to ask if we did confirm from Pam's photos that she had moles. I thought there was some confusion over the discrepancy between the description of Jane Doe having hair moles and Pam not having anything evident in her photos.

I think that I can see them from 2 pictures, it’s very faint, possibly from covering them up with makeup.

 

[Feme98]

I think that I can see them from 2 pictures, it’s very faint, possibly from covering them up with makeup.

It’s also possible that if she indeed covered her moles with makeup, during her HS years.

Maybe during adulthood she stopped covering them up.

 

[worm]

It’s also possible that if she indeed covered her moles with makeup, during her HS years.

Maybe during adulthood she stopped covering them up.

In her post mortem pics I can see 2 small freckle looking moles to the left of her mouth.

 

[Feme98]

In her post mortem pics I can see 2 small freckle looking moles to the left of her mouth.

Yeah, they are small in size but they are notorious, maybe her foundation and the flash from the camera make it seem as though her moles aren’t there.

 

[worldwatcher]

Since the truck driver was stopped for the DUI four months later when they found the gun that killed the couple, I think an alibi at that time would be hard to check unless records demonstrated that he was far away from the crime scene. This has also been discussed but I can't see how they can prove he was at the hospital with his wife at the time or if his brother had possession of the gun then.

The couple was shot, around midnight.
Must have been an urgency, to visit your wife, at the hospital, at nights, or maybe visiting hours weren't as strickted, back then?

Anyway, a post about a year ago, about Lonnie's family and alibi
Identified! - Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - #7 Pam Buckley & James P Freund

 

[Ajaygee11]

In older threads someone mentioned the "Gamecock Speedway" in Sumter Co, and last night I found some info (news clipping) dated Aug 2 1976, which I believe was referencing a race to happen the following weekend. It was late and I didn't save the link (not sure it would help, anyway). Also, I think there was the Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory NC operating in the 70s. I haven't taken time to follow up on this but maybe? it could be a possible very loose link with anyone living in NC. Again, I'm not sure if any of this helps but mentioning it anyway.

I reckon it was worth a mention

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Per Matt McDaniel (Remember that Pamela and James were killed in August)

"In December of 1976, a truck driver named George Lonnie Henry from Wadesboro, NC was stopped in SC for driving under the influence. He had in his possession a stolen gun with a scratched-off serial number that was ultimately determined through ballistics to be the murder weapon. Subsequent interviews and polygraphs yielded mixed results as to whether or not he was the one responsible for their murders. According to George Henry's statement he was a few hours away at the bed-side of his ailing wife at a NC hospital. The chain of custody of the gun remains a mystery as well. George Henry claims that his brother, Jim Henry had given it to him as a gift. Since several months had elapsed since the murders, it is difficult to verify George Henry's alibi or to verify who actually had possession of the gun at the time of the murders. The gun was originally stolen by a group of thieves in the Raleigh-Durham area, before the Henry's came into possession of the gun. Could it be possible that another person or persons had possession of the gun at the time of the murders and that George Henry had no involvement?"
I can't wait for Matt's book to release.
Rest in peace James and Pamela We love you

 

[Kittybunny]

I am aware that Pam's sister passed a couple of days ago. I wasn't talking about Pam, I was talking about James. James was a product of his environment, the era, and the social upheaval of the time. So were his children. When LE investigate a murder they have to ask some unpleasant questions about the victim. And sometimes those answers move the investigation to solvability. Sometimes, investigations unearth some unpleasant aspects of murdered people. And sometimes it's those unpleasant aspects of their lives that help solves the crime.

Yes. Victimology is absolutely critical in solving homicide cases, which is different than victim blaming. I have seen nothing that crosses the line into victim-bashing. In other cases, one is allowed to sleuth victim social media, MSM articles, etc...the mods will step in if that is not the case.

On another note, it just never ceases to amaze me what can be done with DNA now. It's truly astonishing the dedication and the patience that those who work on giving the unidentified a voice and name have. Kudos to them and to all of you who invest time in caring about these Does.

 

[worm]

I was thinking this morning about how the two ended up in SC. We haven’t heard of a car being registered to either of them and I looked at the weather in Lancaster PA and Colorado Springs from around Christmas of 75 and it just doesn’t seem ideal for somebody taking off walking and possibly having to camp at night. Both areas were in the 30s with some moisture in PA and cool winds in CO.
Also, traveling on foot in SC during this time in Aug would have been no picnic either with the heat and humidity. Water and shade would have been a must for any hitchhiker.

 

[fred&edna]

I reckon it was worth a mention

Ha! Thanks! Sometimes, (like that post) I seem to only offer-up apple to orange information but I try.

Now here I go with something else... I just recently learned about the CrimeDoor app (which appears to give a virtual walk-through of various crime scenes). The news clip linked below refers to its' use in the Delphi murders. And, it reminds me of some of the work GH did early on but with an improved twist. Too bad GH didn't advance his skills and manner to create something more - as he had the initial foresight, imo.

That being said, I'm not quite sure how well this app will help solve crimes (it somewhat borders on gimmicky imo). However, I think that the CrimeDoor app could be very helpful in virtually "seeing" the location of Sumter Co murders (maybe a combo of historical views as well current). It would take research and work but I think it's entirely possible.

 

[Valiant]

I was thinking this morning about how the two ended up in SC. We haven’t heard of a car being registered to either of them and I looked at the weather in Lancaster PA and Colorado Springs from around Christmas of 75 and it just doesn’t seem ideal for somebody taking off walking and possibly having to camp at night. Both areas were in the 30s with some moisture in PA and cool winds in CO.
Also, traveling on foot in SC during this time in Aug would have been no picnic either with the heat and humidity. Water and shade would have been a must for any hitchhiker.

Greyhound Bus travel was much more popular back then, with stops in many places they bypass now. Or one or both of them had a car (quite likely, I'd think) and we just haven't been told that information.
For all we know, they may have each had a car and weren't really traveling together - though they obviously met at some point in time.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

If you go to the historical photos (Aerial View- 1983), about 1/2 way through the long straight stretch of Locklair there is a place where there are trees on both sides of the road. It kind of resembles a giant capital "T". Zooming in, there are trees on both sides of the road. These are cleared now and look like they are all fields. They weren't back then. When I measure, I'm getting 375.3 metres from the road between those trees to the interstate.

The triangle shaped place along the highway (on the left side) where the billboard currently is also exists in that historical photo. Seems to me that if the crime scene was indeed between these two spots of trees on either side of the roadway (that don't exist now), the angle is such that a photograph taken from the Old St John Church side toward the highway may indeed have had the billboard showing in the background - especially so if the wooded area was thinner back then.

Historic Aerials: Viewer

On google maps today, the spot looks like a large line of trees coming up from the bottom of the screen to the 1/2 way mark on that long, straight stretch of Locklair. Measure from there to the highway and billboard can be seen to the left along the highway too.

Excellent find. I saw that area of trees last week when Betty P posted the aerial link. But I didn't think it was possible as the crime scene because the giant capital T is too far away from Locklair Road itself. The photos from 1976 clearly show a thick row of trees tight to the dirt road on both sides. That capital T has an extremely narrow base intersecting Locklair on the south side and then the longer stretch of trees on the north side is seemingly too far away from Locklair.

However, on closer zoom examination of the 1983 aerial in that T area it does look like there could have been a short-lived patch of trees on both sides adjacent to Locklair that qualify as logical not only from the 1976 photos, but also the 400 meter distance, plus the description of the vehicle driving further down Locklair only to encounter a tall fence near a tobacco stand.

That tobacco stand reference was so specific and confidently written I've never felt comfortable throwing it away entirely. But nothing visual made sense until you pointed this out from the 1983 aerial. I was looking for a considerably more prominent tree line than that. If that is the area then the 1976 photos are partial fooler because they make it appear the trees are dense and extend far back from the road. Instead the 1983 overhead makes it obvious they stop almost immediately, somewhat like a movie prop.

Weird that the specific area changes at every aerial. It did not look viable as tree cover in 1966. Then only partially visible in 1994, and totally gone by 2005. Unfortunately the one decade we lack was something from the mid '70s.

It does make sense that the murderer would want to distance the crime not only from the Locklair intersection but also from view of the interstate. This compromise location is ideal for that. It also seemingly bought more time before discovery than if committed near the intersection.

One aspect I don't understand: if ShadetreePI filmed a video of Locklair in 2008 and spotlighted the area where the bodies were found, alongside a patch of trees...these trees would have no longer existed. The 2006 aerial and 2009 aerial verify that. There is nothing in that area except wide open farmland, just like my visit in 2019.

BTW, nobody in South Carolina was referencing meters in summer 1976, even if the Montreal Olympics had just ended. The 400 meter estimate doesn't show up until decades after the murders.

As Vern mentioned, a freeway billboard in the background would be very logical from photos taken in the opposite direction, with Old St. John Church Road behind the photographer. No doubt there were perspective pictures taken from all directions, even if we've seen only one or two angles.

 

[worldwatcher]

Per Matt McDaniel (Remember that Pamela and James were killed in August)

"In December of 1976, a truck driver named George Lonnie Henry from Wadesboro, NC was stopped in SC for driving under the influence. He had in his possession a stolen gun with a scratched-off serial number that was ultimately determined through ballistics to be the murder weapon. Subsequent interviews and polygraphs yielded mixed results as to whether or not he was the one responsible for their murders. According to George Henry's statement he was a few hours away at the bed-side of his ailing wife at a NC hospital. The chain of custody of the gun remains a mystery as well. George Henry claims that his brother, Jim Henry had given it to him as a gift. Since several months had elapsed since the murders, it is difficult to verify George Henry's alibi or to verify who actually had possession of the gun at the time of the murders. The gun was originally stolen by a group of thieves in the Raleigh-Durham area, before the Henry's came into possession of the gun. Could it be possible that another person or persons had possession of the gun at the time of the murders and that George Henry had no involvement?"
I can't wait for Matt's book to release.
Rest in peace James and Pamela We love you

Thanks
His brother, Jimmy, who was 22 Yr younger died in 2012.There is no mention, about what year, the gun originally was stolen?

@fred&edna, I have been following the Delphi murders, sideways, that's quite interesting, the app/new tool, that will help to solve their murders, I hope!