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

[onceuponadecember]

Does anyone think it's possible that Pam tried to run and quickly got shot too? Based on the positions of their bodies.

It's probably what happened. The killer wanted no witnesses. This was another case of a greedy person taking things to a bloody level.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Victim's Advocate Volunteer Matthew McDaniel is from Clemson, SC. He works on his own time digging into missing persons and unidentified persons cases from around the nation.

"I think it's probably the cold, calculated execution-style type of murder that it was, and the fact that it was a couple - a man and a woman," explained McDaniel, when asked what intrigued him about the case. "It's almost unprecedented that two people were murdered and never identified."

Through the DNA Doe Project, McDaniel says Pamela Buckley and James Freund now have a DNA profile entered into NamUs - a National Resource Center for Missing, Unidentified and Unclaimed person cases.

It's a database that can help families find much-needed closure.

"Once a family member of a missing person comes forward and says, 'I think that my family member is in this NamUs database', they'll do DNA testing to see if it is," said McDaniel.

According to NamUs, Over 600,000 people go missing in the United States every year.
Clemson man credited with helping identify Sumter John, Jane Doe | wltx.com

While investigating this case, I have had several depressing and frustrating moments. At one point, I was so frustrated I felt that the only way to take my mind off this case was to pursue other cases, so out of sheer frustration with this case I decided to try and solve a local missing person case named Dale Hunter.
Navy veteran found SC man's body when bloodhounds, rescuers couldn't

Seneca man credited with finding missing 76-year-old seeks to do more

I ended up resolving the case and decided to pursue others as well. I am currently having some success with these other cases. I have plans on officially launching my nonprofit organization called Missing Link Finder later this year. Missing Link Finder’s primary mission is to advocate on the behalf of missing and unidentified persons and to ultimately resolve their cases.
https://sumtermysterycouple.com/

 

[Triss]

Does anyone think it's possible that Pam tried to run and quickly got shot too? Based on the positions of their bodies.

I can't rule that out, but I was wondering lately if it's possible that the place where they were found is not the crime scene. Maybe they were killed elsewhere and the killer(s) transported their bodies where they were found later.

 

[orchidaceaes]

I can't rule that out, but I was wondering lately if it's possible that the place where they were found is not the crime scene. Maybe they were killed elsewhere and the killer(s) transported their bodies where they were found later.

i was thinking about that too but people heard the gunshots. apparently even someone's grandpa on this very thread. i'm pretty sure they were killed there and i agree with the others in this thread that it was a carjacking. how they were shot is kinda a mystery, given the new details from the press conference and the position of the bodies. i thought at first, after hearing the press conference, that they had to be moved/repositioned after the crime to get wallets, etc. if they were shot in the back, wouldn't they fall forward on their faces? but they were found face-up. that would explain, in a way, why they still had jewelry. killer got the money quickly, moving them on their backs and didn't have time to individually mess with rings and watches because they were on a populated frontage road. but witness reports have the car fleeing quickly after the gunshots. just a thought
edit: james was also 150 lbs though, so the validity of the repositioning/moving theory depends on how strong the killer was imo

 

[onceuponadecember]

I can't rule that out, but I was wondering lately if it's possible that the place where they were found is not the crime scene. Maybe they were killed elsewhere and the killer(s) transported their bodies where they were found later.

Were tire tracks recorded at the scene?

 

[orchidaceaes]

Were tire tracks recorded at the scene?

yes there's a newspaper article from the local press around the time of the murder showing LEO taking tires casts

 

[onceuponadecember]

I'm gonna bet that those tracks belonged to James's car probably.

 

[MadMcGoo]

DBM. I attempted to put together a timeline of Sunlendings performances and accidentally hit refresh before I saved my progress on the post.

I will attempt it again eventually.

 

[wary]

I can't rule that out, but I was wondering lately if it's possible that the place where they were found is not the crime scene. Maybe they were killed elsewhere and the killer(s) transported their bodies where they were found later.

It’s always possible that the report of shots fired and a car racing away was simply attention seeking, or a maddening coincidence. I lived ‘out in the sticks’ most of my life, and shots fired, even in the middle of the night, hardly made me blink my eyes. Cars racing away, likewise. I wonder what day of the week it was? Checking that. Looks like Monday morning—the reason I wondered is that, again based on personal experience, hearing cars racing off tends to happen more on the weekend.

 

[wary]

I'm gonna bet that those tracks belonged to James's car probably.

If James had a car, there’s now a huge new angle for the crime investigation to take—what happened to it?

 

[Triss]

DBM. I attempted to put together a timeline of Sunlendings performances and accidentally hit refresh before I saved my progress on the post.

I will attempt it again eventually.

Aw, I hate when it happens! I'm sorry it happened to you, I'm sure you put a lot of time and work into putting it together. I'm also trying to find information about Sunlending, but I haven't had much luck yet.

 

[onceuponadecember]

If James had a car, there’s now a huge new angle for the crime investigation to take—what happened to it?

I’m probably going to guess it has since been crushed

 

[orchidaceaes]

I’m probably going to guess it has since been crushed

But would records of it still be available?

 

[onceuponadecember]

But would records of it still be available?

Maybe, but that was 44 years ago. Records have probably been destroyed or lost since then.

 

[wary]

I’m probably going to guess it has since been crushed

Quite likely, by now. Do those places keep records of who sends them cars? Do you think it was disposed of within days, or driven for a while?

 

[onceuponadecember]

Quite likely, by now. Do those places keep records of who sends them cars? Do you think it was disposed of within days, or driven for a while?

We won’t be able to figure that out. I doubt they recorded cars sent to be crushed

 

[Gameman]

But would records of it still be available?

I believe that yes, they would. For whatever reason, it appears the police believed them to be traveling without a car. Now that a name exists, maybe they will be able to uncover it a car was owned by either of them. I'm sure they have a lot of work ahead with interviewing family and friends.

 

[RubyJuno]

I tell ya, if the DNA turns out to be wrong, I have another theory. Look carefully atvthe second and third singers from the left in this video from 1973.

That song's a blast from the past!

 

[onceuponadecember]

DBM. I attempted to put together a timeline of Sunlendings performances and accidentally hit refresh before I saved my progress on the post.

I will attempt it again eventually.

You can thank me later for screenshotting some of the dates. One thing that stands out to me is that Sunlending played weekly in July of 1971 in New Mexico. This is one of the possible locations James got the matches from: New Mexico. Maybe James met Pam when she was singing for Sunlending?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

DBM. I attempted to put together a timeline of Sunlendings performances and accidentally hit refresh before I saved my progress on the post.

I will attempt it again eventually.

I’ll be glad to see it. I saw them listed in a 70’s music anthology somewhere yesterday. I’ll need to go through my history. They were listed among some heavy hitters in the rock roll scene. I was a hippie flower child back then. Van, VW bug all painted up. Flowers in our hair blowing in the wind. I can see her now. A free spirit hitchhiker like we all did back then. Holding those thumbs up, staring at all the cars wondering if someone was going to pick them up. They were all up and down the highway leading to music festivals usually held at the lakes or parks. The overpasses or bridges were a meeting/holding station until a group felt safe enough to take off and hitch a ride. It was a different time for sure. I was so confused yesterday with the band name. It is unusual. I found a home YouTube page for Sunlending Sky music. idk if it’s the same.
https://youtube.com/channel/UCGaFrkEjDOP2NrKQeXk27LQ