branmuffin
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-SLED recovered the serial number and investigators tracked the gun from its manufacturer to Henry's brother, who said he gave it to Henry as a Christmas present four or five years earlier.-
So, the theft of the gun was in 1971,or '72??
Surely, the gun wasn't the only thing that got stolen and, imo, the gun passed through many hands, before the murders took place..
Is there anything known about the theft and possible arrest?
Was it stolen from a gun shop, or so?
I'm trying to track the gun. LE traced the gun from the manufacturer to Henry's brother, so does that mean he was the original owner? And that someone stole the gun off him? Did he get the gun back when the thief resold it? And it was after it ended up back in his possession that he gave the weapon to his brother? So Is there a possibility that while the gun was in the possession of the thief or the 'new' owner, it was involved in the commission of a crime.
Henry's brother gave the gun to him for Christmas in the early 70's so Lonnie, by the time of the murders, has had the gun for about 5 years.
We don't know when he attempted to file the serial numbers down. It could have been after the murders but it could also have been any time prior to that. In those five years could the weapon have been involved in other crimes? Maybe by him and/or his son, the one who drowned in 1973?
Lonnie had several skirmishes with the law prior to his being charged with the DUI; he was a known alcoholic and had killed a man he worked backing over him with a dump truck. It's possible that he was careless with the weapon, leaving it laying around so that his son or other people could have taken the weapon without his ever knowing it was gone. Maybe he did know it was taken by his son and used in a crime and he filed off the serial numbers to protect him. Which might suggest Lonnie knew the weapon had been fired. Or maybe he knew who murdered the Sumter Does and filed off the serial numbers because he was somehow implicated if he spoke up.
We've read that there were cases of political corruption in the area during that time and a murder that occurred. I can't remember if it was a politician or a cop who was murdered or did the deed. Can anyone remember?