Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James P Freund #8

[branmuffin]

It may seem to be a niche interest but I've found such a passionate community since I joined a few months ago. When such a case like this gets solved, even partially, makes me reflect on all the hours people have spent through the decades. There's a bittersweet feeling, but still a happy feeling in the end.

I'm not saying it's not fulfilling but it seems a lot of people get the idea that the rest of the world has the same level of interest in their passion. My husband is a perfect example. He shows no interest in missing and unidentified people. Just like I don't have much interest in golf.

 

[dotr]

Jan 21 2021 rbbm.

Lancaster man, Colorado women found shot to death in SC identified after 44 years
''James Paul Freund was 30 and Pamela Mae Buckley was 25 when a trucker found their bodies in August 1976 on a narrow paved road just off Interstate 95 near Lynchburg, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said.

Both hadn’t been seen for about eight months before they died, and investigators are still trying to figure out their relationship, Dennis said.

Freund and Buckley were both shot several times with the same gun and the fatal wound was to the back of their heads, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said.

Whoever shot them has not been found and authorities hope naming the victims and releasing their photos might jog a memory or reach a troubled soul.

“I hope there is somebody out there in the United States that comes with a guilty conscience or has some kind of memory of these victims,” Baker said at a news conference.''

 

[Claireishere]

Is that video of Pamela singing? It doesn’t really look like her

 

[leilarose68]

Is that video of Pamela singing? It doesn’t really look like her

It's not her. She wasn't in the band The We Five, she just opened for them or something.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

He has a definite German or Jewish last name. Jewish is ruled out by his gedmatch profile. He is likely of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry which is German. His Gedmatch showed a strong Anglo component. I guess his paternal line is German and everybody else British Isles descent American.

Makes sense. When the genealogical pie charts were posted months ago I went to sites where enthusiasts were posting their own charts and describing their ancestry. Almost immediately it stood out that charts most resembling these Does and especially Jock Doe had German as most common link and British Isles second most common. I posted that in thread #7.

 

[Springrain]

Both hadn’t been seen for about eight months before they died, and investigators are still trying to figure out their relationship, Dennis said.

While I know investigators have speculated that they met while hitchhiking, I wonder if James was hitchhiking throughout the western US and made his way to Colorado, where he met Pamela. Since Pamela was in the midst of a separation and divorce, she might've met James and been like "f*ck it, my life is hard now, why don't I go on an adventure with this guy?" Just a theory; this could happen with or without a romantic relationship. Alternative theory: he briefly lived in Colorado, met Pamela there, and they developed a relationship, and decided to hitchhike across the country.

I almost wonder if Pamela's ex-husband was in the military and stationed in one of the bases in Colorado Springs and James met her through a common friend in the military and they developed a relationship that way. Was James in the Army? Fort Carson was nearby to Pamela. Complete speculation, just throwing things out there.

I really doubt they were strangers when they died as I have seen proposed, just MOO. They both disappeared very close together time-wise.

Freund and Buckley were both shot several times with the same gun and the fatal wound was to the back of their heads, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said.

I would love to know which order the gunshots were delivered in. Since the fatal wound was the gunshot to the back of their heads, I wonder if he shot them in the back to disarm them, then the back of the head, then throats? I'm (poorly) trying to envision what position they were in. Assuming they were shot either in the back of their head or the back first, they presumably would have fallen face-down after the impact of the shot and the killer would have to flip their bodies over to shoot their throat. I almost wonder if they were shot in the front first.

 

[orchidaceaes]

While I know investigators have speculated that they met while hitchhiking, I wonder if James was hitchhiking throughout the western US and made his way to Colorado, where he met Pamela. Since Pamela was in the midst of a separation and divorce, she might've met James and been like "f*ck it, my life is hard now, why don't I go on an adventure with this guy?" Just a theory; this could happen with or without a romantic relationship. Alternative theory: he briefly lived in Colorado, met Pamela there, and they developed a relationship, and decided to hitchhike across the country.

It was previously stated that James was last heard from in a call to his ex-wife in December of 1975. Where was he when he made that call? The call was to a location in Lancaster, PA so maybe that's why he was reported missing in Pennsylvania and he was elsewhere. Of course this is a reach. I'm short, I gotta reach often

 

[superunknown]

I am frankly doubtful about them being hitchhikers. The reason is because the reports on the case details indicate the tire tracks at the scene likely belonged to a van. It is possible the van was theirs (maybe a camper van?) and they were sleeping in it at campgrounds and then staying in motels every few days. I say this because Mrs Moore (the now deceased former Coroner) stated that the couple were very clean when they were found and that it appeared they had showered within the day or so before they were killed. That's why I really don't think they were hitchhiking. Also Miss Buckley had on open wedge heeled sandals which IMO would make walking/hitching very difficult, especially in the deep south in the summer. Anyone who has worn sandals in heat and humidity knows that your feet get raw pretty fast if you are walking a lot.

While I know investigators have speculated that they met while hitchhiking, I wonder if James was hitchhiking throughout the western US and made his way to Colorado, where he met Pamela. Since Pamela was in the midst of a separation and divorce, she might've met James and been like "f*ck it, my life is hard now, why don't I go on an adventure with this guy?" Just a theory; this could happen with or without a romantic relationship. Alternative theory: he briefly lived in Colorado, met Pamela there, and they developed a relationship, and decided to hitchhike across the country..

 

[JDCF1970]

Another thing I find very odd is the lack of underwear. Ok, you can be robbed of all your possessions, and it was the 70’s when underwear may have been a little less common if a woman was making a liberal statement, but why, for example, was a guy not wearing underwear? Where they disturbed/held up in bed/in a tent and marched away at gunpoint?

 

[superunknown]

It was the 1970s, folks didn't wear underwear... it was a holdover from the hippie thing

Another thing I find very odd is the lack of underwear. Ok, you can be robbed of all your possessions, and it was the 70’s when underwear may have been a little less common if a woman was making a liberal statement, but why, for example, was a guy not wearing underwear? Where they disturbed/held up in bed/in a tent and marched away at gunpoint?

 

[fred&edna]

I'm sorry the We Five song link singer has been confused as Pam. I hope everyone is keeping up and reading all the posts. We Five and the song seemed relevant to the discussion particularly to us older people who were around in the 60s and 70s... and as another WS member posted... Sunlending opened for We Five... way back then.

jmo

Times were sooo different in the 70s.

 

[orchidaceaes]

I am frankly doubtful about them being hitchhikers. The reason is because the reports on the case details indicate the tire tracks at the scene likely belonged to a van. It is possible the van was theirs (maybe a camper van?) and they were sleeping in it at campgrounds and then staying in motels every few days. I say this because Mrs Moore (the now deceased former Coroner) stated that the couple were very clean when they were found and that it appeared they had showered within the day or so before they were killed. That's why I really don't think they were hitchhiking. Also Miss Buckley had on open wedge heeled sandals which IMO would make walking/hitching very difficult, especially in the deep south in the summer. Anyone who has worn sandals in heat and humidity knows that your feet get raw pretty fast if you are walking a lot.

The sandals have always thrown me for a loop. They kinda just don't make sense. I was born after hitchhiking was cool so I don't know how that goes, but sandals with heels of all things just don't sound comfortable to be walking a lot in.

 

[Springrain]

It was previously stated that James was last heard from in a call to his ex-wife in December of 1975. Where was he when he made that call? The call was to a location in Lancaster, PA so maybe that's why he was reported missing in Pennsylvania and he was elsewhere. Of course this is a reach. I'm short, I gotta reach often

Excellent point! I would argue he may have been calling from Colorado. From what we know there is no indication where he actually was at the time...

 

[Fairy1]

Wow! So happy to see these lovely young people finally identified. So hoping they find their murderer(s). RIP Pamela and James.

 

[Springrain]

I am frankly doubtful about them being hitchhikers. The reason is because the reports on the case details indicate the tire tracks at the scene likely belonged to a van. It is possible the van was theirs (maybe a camper van?) and they were sleeping in it at campgrounds and then staying in motels every few days. I say this because Mrs Moore (the now deceased former Coroner) stated that the couple were very clean when they were found and that it appeared they had showered within the day or so before they were killed. That's why I really don't think they were hitchhiking. Also Miss Buckley had on open wedge heeled sandals which IMO would make walking/hitching very difficult, especially in the deep south in the summer. Anyone who has worn sandals in heat and humidity knows that your feet get raw pretty fast if you are walking a lot.

Also an excellent point. I wonder if they were mistaken sightings at the campground. While he could have been lying to protect his identity, I think it's probably more likely the witnesses just met a similar-looking couple and thought it was them. I assume they had steady access to showers, which would be hard while hitchhiking.

That's true about the heeled sandals, but some are very comfortable and since Pamela was in some beauty competitions and was a performer, she may have been more used to wearing heeled shoes than most of us. I may be wrong though.

 

[superunknown]

Those wedge sandals were a super popular look back then. Also chunky sandals with cork bottoms (Cork-eze- which were resurrected a few years ago) Famolare, wave-y soled wedges and also Bare Traps which were chunky wood. I haven't seen any detailed images of the shoes, but my guess is that they probably didn't look like they had heavy road wear to them.. Hitchhiking involved both waiting for rides and walking in between so you could at least cover some ground while you tried to catch rides. Closed shoes were a must IMO both to save your feet from mishaps but because of debris and crap on the roads and if you needed to run away from someone unsavory who picked you up. Don't ask me why I know this lol

The sandals have always thrown me for a loop. They kinda just don't make sense. I was born after hitchhiking was cool so I don't know how that goes, but sandals with heels of all things just don't sound comfortable to be walking a lot in.

 

[wary]

Also an excellent point. I wonder if they were mistaken sightings at the campground. While he could have been lying to protect his identity, I think it's probably more likely the witnesses just met a similar-looking couple and thought it was them. I assume they had steady access to showers, which would be hard while hitchhiking.

That's true about the heeled sandals, but some are very comfortable and since Pamela was in some beauty competitions and was a performer, she may have been more used to wearing heeled shoes than most of us. I may be wrong though.

I think there was maybe just one campground witness, the husband of a woman who worked there, and I think he only reported his sightings several months after the shootings. That makes mistaken identity even more likely, since his memory wouldn’t be fresh.

 

[Springrain]

I think there was maybe just one campground witness, the husband of a woman who worked there, and I think he only reported his sightings several months after the shootings. That makes mistaken identity even more likely, since his memory wouldn’t be fresh.

I bet somewhere out there, there's an old Quebecois guy named Jacques who has no idea that a slew of internet sleuthers think he was shot to death on a cross-country road trip 45 years ago...

 

[MadMcGoo]

I’m very curious as to how BOTH of them were identified so close together, time wise. I know there was talk on this thread of “what if one is identified and the other is not” or one before the other type thing. And once it was determined they weren’t related and unlikely listed in any database as a missing “couple”, the chances became slimmer that they’d be identified at the same time. But it kind of seems like they were. I just wonder if one identification led to another or the stars aligned just right. Ya know what I mean?

The answer to that could lend a clue as to why the sheriff implied (or said directly) that there were persons of interest in their murder. I really do think these are solvable murders now. At least, I hope they are. Even if it was an “isolated incident”, it was a tragic one nonetheless...that deserves to be solved. At least one person has lived the last 44+ years thinking they got away with murder. And, in reality, they have. I hope that changes.

 

[Springrain]

I’m very curious as to how BOTH of them were identified so close together, time wise. I know there was talk on this thread of “what if one is identified and the other is not” or one before the other type thing. And once it was determined they weren’t related and unlikely listed in any database as a missing “couple”, the chances became slimmer that they’d be identified at the same time. But it kind of seems like they were. I just wonder if one identification led to another or the stars aligned just right. Ya know what I mean?

The answer to that could lend a clue as to why the sheriff implied (or said directly) that there were persons of interest in their murder. I really do think these are solvable murders now. At least, I hope they are. Even if it was an “isolated incident”, it was a tragic one nonetheless...that deserves to be solved. At least one person has lived the last 44+ years thinking they got away with murder. And, in reality, they have. I hope that changes.

We don't actually know when exactly they were identified, though. DNA Doe Project had been working on them for quite a while and only just announced their IDs, so one could have been identified way before the other, and they waited to have both IDs to announce. Although I do hope they have a suspect.