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

[Mbt]

To clear up some baseball questions:

I played baseball pretty much every day in the summer growing up, in a league from the ages of 6-14, plus a year in high school. I can say from personal experience that:

1. baseball is not a contact sport. Contact sports are where bodies run into each other forcefully, like ice hockey, rugby, and American football
2. playing baseball is in no way likely to cause scaring on your back or shoulders
3. the only plausible source of head trauma is getting hit in the head with a pitch when you're batting. However, Little League mandated the use of batting helmets in the 1950s so James probably grew up wearing them in Little League and in high school ball. Further, getting hit in the head is a fairly rare event, so getting hit repeatedly is possible but rather improbable.

Here's a snippet from here: Searching for the History of the Batting Helmet
Some other facts found in the March 27, 1958, article in the Chicago Tribune:

“Present Little League helmets, which still will be permitted but which – it is hoped – will be supplanted by the new and safer one, are of two types: The cap-helmet used in the big leagues and a wrap-around leather helmet which protects the temples and back of the head but not the top.

The Little League ... pioneered the use of helmets in 1949 and since that time has had only about 100 concussions yearly even tho some half-million youngsters play each season.”

Also, most men don't play much fast-pitch ball after high school so if he did happen to have baseball-related trauma it would have been in high school or before -- unless he played in the army. Still, like I said, concussions aren't an issue in baseball.

Football could cause repeated head injuries but again would be from when he was in high school. Is there any evidence that he played football or that he even had head trauma?

 

[Tabirey]

To clear up some baseball questions:

I played baseball pretty much every day in the summer growing up, in a league from the ages of 6-14, plus a year in high school. I can say from personal experience that:

1. baseball is not a contact sport. Contact sports are where bodies run into each other forcefully, like ice hockey, rugby, and American football
2. playing baseball is in no way likely to cause scaring on your back or shoulders
3. the only plausible source of head trauma is getting hit in the head with a pitch when you're batting. However, Little League mandated the use of batting helmets in the 1950s so James probably grew up wearing them in Little League and in high school ball. Further, getting hit in the head is a fairly rare event, so getting hit repeatedly is possible but rather improbable.

Here's a snippet from here: Searching for the History of the Batting Helmet
Some other facts found in the March 27, 1958, article in the Chicago Tribune:

“Present Little League helmets, which still will be permitted but which – it is hoped – will be supplanted by the new and safer one, are of two types: The cap-helmet used in the big leagues and a wrap-around leather helmet which protects the temples and back of the head but not the top.

The Little League ... pioneered the use of helmets in 1949 and since that time has had only about 100 concussions yearly even tho some half-million youngsters play each season.”

Also, most men don't play much fast-pitch ball after high school so if he did happen to have baseball-related trauma it would have been in high school -- unless he played in the army. Still, like I said, concussions aren't an issue in baseball.

Football could cause repeated head injuries but again would be from when he was in high school. Is there any evidence that he played football or that he even had head trauma?

Wonderful points, although I do have to debate one of them. Myself and my son have both played on ball teams. As a catcher, you would be surprised at how many times I'd caught a bat to my head! It caused retinal tearing and displacement, which in turn lead to surgery on my eyes. So, head injuries are definitely still possible. As for scaring on back/ shoulders, my son as several " dirt rash" scars from sliding into bases and suffered many bruises from the opposite terms players trying to tag him out.
But, I do agree that it typically isn't a contact sport.

 

[Mbt]

Wonderful points, although I do have to debate one of them. Myself and my son have both played on ball teams. As a catcher, you would be surprised at how many times I'd caught a bat to my head! It caused retinal tearing and displacement, which in turn lead to surgery on my eyes. So, head injuries are definitely still possible. As for scaring on back/ shoulders, my son as several " dirt rash" scars from sliding into bases and suffered many bruises from the opposite terms players trying to tag him out.
But, I do agree that it typically isn't a contact sport.

I was a 3B/CF but I can't remember a catcher ever getting it in the head so I'm sorry to hear that it happened to you! Dirt rash scars... on the legs though, yeah -- no way on the shoulders.

 

[Ajaygee11]

One big question that I have: The sheriff said that both were reported missing in 1975. But the bodies were found in August 1976. What happened between those dates?
Why were they originally reported missing??

Sorry if someone has responded to this further down. With regards to them being reported missing IN December 1975, I think it might be they were reported later than this and it missing SINCE December 1975. I saw up above JPF’s was reported as missing AFTER December 25, 1975 (Christmas Day). I am thinking Mum and/or relatives last saw him Christmas 1975 and ditto for PMB. Haven’t watched the Sherriff’s Press Conference yet to see his exact wording. Still catching up here first. I am in Australia, I tried to stay up for it but it was 5AM my time and I only made it to 3AM. The Sheriff’s Department, from my POV, have made a few factual errors about this case this week, but then again they are trying to run a Police Force day to day, in the present, in the middle of a Pandemic and are doing a great job handling this as well. MOO

 

[Daphne1972]

Summer camp center? Have I missed something? Forgive my ignorance

Yes, if I'm not mistaken, James played pool there and talked with a guy. Pam was quiet tho.

Oh, the KOA campground. If there’s any truth to that story at all, I think that James and Pamela were traveling together at that point in time, not that they met there.

Yeah campground not summer camp lol. I meant to say that prior to.their death they already knew each other.

 

[Snoods]

That’s remarkable!! Two days?! The future looks brighter by the day for all these unidentified victims!

We think alike, I also wondered about the seemingly simultaneous identification of both the victims. Or very close in time. If they weren’t identified closely together, what would be the purpose of waiting until they were both identified? What if one was never identified? I would think they would want the identity out as soon as possible.

Oh, how I wish authorities would do this for our Swimsuit Boy.

TX - TX - Houston, 'Swimsuit Boy' WhtMale UP4547, 15-19, Dean Corll victim, Aug'73

TX - TX - Unidentified victims of Dean Corll, Houston Serial Killer, 1970-1973

 

[Snoods]

Wonderful points, although I do have to debate one of them. Myself and my son have both played on ball teams. As a catcher, you would be surprised at how many times I'd caught a bat to my head! It caused retinal tearing and displacement, which in turn lead to surgery on my eyes. So, head injuries are definitely still possible. As for scaring on back/ shoulders, my son as several " dirt rash" scars from sliding into bases and suffered many bruises from the opposite terms players trying to tag him out.
But, I do agree that it typically isn't a contact sport.

Yikes! I’m cringing. My son was a catcher and SS through high school but never caught a bat to the head. Nor dirt rash on the back and shoulders, that would be some acrobatic sliding into base.

 

[Daphne1972]

I think that most crime investigators believe that ballistic evidence is pretty dispositive. It's not regarded like hair fiber evidence, at any rate. What is interesting is that they nail a guy on DUI, do ballistics on the gun, and match them up. I think that back then, maybe even now, maybe even with a gun which has filed off identification numbers, that was going a bit beyond. So, maybe they had some prior reason to suspect the arrestee. But maybe someone here in LEO or with a close relation to someone working back then could say whether it would be a bit unusual to make those comparisons after a DUI, which was generally a slap-of-the-wrist thing back then.

Agree, and maybe the whole Christmas gift story was nonsense.

 

[Vern]

It’s possible that if it was indeed a carjacking, then their belongings went with their killer.

Maybe this person dispose of it shortly after the murder, it’s possible that it was burned.

Car-jack/picked up the wrong hitchhiker has been my theory since the beginning.

I know that LEO stated the other day they believed the met hitch-hiking, but even that doesn't rule out that originally Jim had a vehicle and met Pam when she was hitch-hiking and he picked her up. Given the times, as they were then, my money is on he having the vehicle.

You don't show up murdered in the middle of nowhere having been freshly showered, well-groomed, well-dressed even after just a week or two of hitch-hiking. I'm convinced there's a vehicle involved.

IMO, maybe that last contact his wife had with him on December 25th of 1975 was him calling home to talk to his 5 year old daughter to wish her a Merry Christmas after he had already told mom he wasn't coming home because he met a really nice girl who he had picked up. Perhaps mom gave him until New Years to get his act sorted out and get home and when he hadn't showed up by then she reported him missing. released info so far does state that last contact was Dec 25th 1975 and he was reported missing the same year. Months before he was found deceased.

Maybe in the report, mom stated, "that he met some nice hitchhiker that he picked up and was running off with her; He was driving a 19XX, *advertiser censored* - ZZZ in colour, Plate XXXX." Given circumstances like that police do what police did back then .... "voluntarily missing". Never in a hurry to upload that file to their system, or any system, especially NAMUS when it comes along. BUT we know that an initial report was filed before he ended up killed. We also know that his darn initials were on that ring and photographed. Had it been made available - his identity hint would have been clear for all to see.

Mom then starts looking for him mid-eighties with a PI through the orphans court or to have him declared deceased - perhaps trying to get her daughter a portion of any veterans benefits (perhaps his injury/scar was caused by a service injury?) etc or allow step-dad to adopt her. Mom knows he had a vehicle and maybe they are able to track that as having been "sold" or "scrapped" after his disappearance (paperwork forged signature??) date. That info makes it's way to his missing report which adds to police belief that he is voluntarily missing.

Then, decades later, all of a sudden DNA comes knocking -- and James' ex says, "Hey I filed a missing report" and she has a copy of it or the police still do, and she says, "we investigted in the 80s and were able to track that he sold/scrapped his car on XX-date (post-death) and that's the last we were able to trace. So now they have info about the vehicle and realize it was sold/scrapped after his death date(forged signature for him). Either way could leave the current LE with POIs - if sold, the person who actually "bought" the car after their death dates. If scrapped, the individual who actually brought it in to be scrapped after their death dates.

All IMO of course.

BUT this case convinces me that there needs to be a Federal law that mandates all agencies to upload EVERY SINGLE missing persons report they receive into NAMUS. And, they all have to be directed to get ALL historic reports into NAMUS as well.

 

[Daphne1972]

Maybe KOA campground? That's where someone said he was in the bad graces of his family for not wanting to be a doctor and he tried to sell either the watch or the ring, can't remember right off my head. It could be a case of mistaken identity, perhaps. If it is, we've been chasing our tails for over 15 years.

Yeah campground, not summer camp

 

[Daphne1972]

Super good observations here. I think with any situation like this, it's all about ruling things out. It's very possible that James WAS the man at the campground, and that for his own reasons, he had a cover story. My gut feeling is that this case is going to get much more interesting as time goes on. I personally do not think they were hitchhiking, I think they must have had a vehicle. They were, according to the former (now deceased) Coroner, very clean and well groomed, which if you are old enough to remember the heydey of hitchhiking, was not usually the case

My gut feeling too! At first I thought these two were unattached. But now with the new info all is changed.

 

[Daphne1972]

Thank you for this information.

While it is speculated by LE that they have met probably while hitchiking it is strange coincidence that both of them were reported missing to police, albeit in different states, missing since Dec 75.

Makes me wonder if they took off together.

 

[ajac71]

whilst at work today I suddenly imagined what family members would see when they google 'Sumter Does'.....That was sobering!

also were the autopsies ever shared? or is what we know based on articles in media?

 

[Daphne1972]

I’ve decided to make a list of interconnected goals and tasks for figuring out details in this case. I think the best thing to do here is to figure out how and when James and Pam met. I’m going to go over some road maps and see if I can make any connections.

You would like The Bletchley Circle! It's on BBC First.

 

[Vern]

Killer took those things. Anything that could've been used to identify them was likely destroyed.

Oh I 10 000% agree. These two were found far from either of their homes. Well-groomed and kept. Clean clothes. Freshly showered. They weren't hitch-hiking about with nothing.

 

[Bit of hope]

Late to the party, sorry if this is a repeat. Yes, indeed, huge fire, July 12, 1973:

Archives Recalls Fire That Claimed Millions of Military Personnel Files

Thanks @Laughing, you are a life saver

 

[Bit of hope]

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.

Wasn't there a break through in September? Good questions. Maybe they waited to come out with it after they both were identified.

 

[Triss]

Wasn't there a break through in September? Good questions. Maybe they waited to come out with it after they both were identified.

My guess is DDP saw pretty good genetic matches for both Jim and Pam and realised it was only a matter of time they're both identified so they decided to wait and announce both identifications at the same time. They had to notify the families first too.

 

[Bit of hope]

To clear up some baseball questions:

I played baseball pretty much every day in the summer growing up, in a league from the ages of 6-14, plus a year in high school. I can say from personal experience that:

1. baseball is not a contact sport. Contact sports are where bodies run into each other forcefully, like ice hockey, rugby, and American football
2. playing baseball is in no way likely to cause scaring on your back or shoulders
3. the only plausible source of head trauma is getting hit in the head with a pitch when you're batting. However, Little League mandated the use of batting helmets in the 1950s so James probably grew up wearing them in Little League and in high school ball. Further, getting hit in the head is a fairly rare event, so getting hit repeatedly is possible but rather improbable.

Here's a snippet from here: Searching for the History of the Batting Helmet
Some other facts found in the March 27, 1958, article in the Chicago Tribune:

“Present Little League helmets, which still will be permitted but which – it is hoped – will be supplanted by the new and safer one, are of two types: The cap-helmet used in the big leagues and a wrap-around leather helmet which protects the temples and back of the head but not the top.

The Little League ... pioneered the use of helmets in 1949 and since that time has had only about 100 concussions yearly even tho some half-million youngsters play each season.”

Also, most men don't play much fast-pitch ball after high school so if he did happen to have baseball-related trauma it would have been in high school or before -- unless he played in the army. Still, like I said, concussions aren't an issue in baseball.

Football could cause repeated head injuries but again would be from when he was in high school. Is there any evidence that he played football or that he even had head trauma?

Thank for explaining, I thought so too....Baseball is no contact sport. American football, rugby...yes...

 

[Bit of hope]

You're right. There's always so few details in European cases (not only Dutch) that it's often easier to solve a US case even though we're so far away from North America. I wish the EU had a public database like NamUs.

It's frustrating, but my experience is that they open up more to the public. They even "hired" volunteers from the public to work on some cold cases. Also Canada I find very frustrating in this regard...but also becoming more open for public help.