Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #10

[worldwatcher]

Thanks! I'll make sure to listen, maybe tonight. I recall LE saying in one of the news stories around the time the gun was found that it had been traced to a string of burglaries up around Charlotte, NC. or nearby. That's how I got on a tangent researching outlaw-type biker gangs in the region at that time. There were some big MC gangs back then, with a lot of crime, murders, intra-gang fighting, etc. They were also known to steal motorcycles and sometimes cars, to earn money.

It may not have been a motorcycle gang, but it sounds like Lonnie knew some people who were into heavy criminal activity. Could be he didn't want to give any info to LE for fear something might happen to him or his family.

Thanks Betty for your inputs and thoughts! The string of burglaries in the area,that you mentioned,makes me think that the killer was a trucker or idd gang related,or connected in some way.

I do think James travelled with his own car,because of his mechanic skills/profession and his father being a car sales man.

 

[Betty P]

Thanks Betty for your inputs and thoughts! The string of burglaries in the area,that you mentioned,makes me think that the killer was a trucker or idd gang related,or connected in some way.

I do think James travelled with his own car,because of his mechanic skills/profession and his father being a car sales man.

Though Lonnie's brother Jimmy worked in a meat market at Winn Dixie, he would have come in contact with truck drivers on a regular basis. They could have been stealing meat and fencing it. When the Trace Evidence podcast speculated that the area where the bodies were found might have been a place where truckers hung out doing illegal things, it makes me wonder if it was a meet-up spot where truckers would go to fence stolen goods.

That kind of thing was more common back then as companies didn't have as many ways to stop theft.

 

[worm]

@worldwatcher, private gun sales/trades are pretty common now so the idea that the truck driver selling it is very possible. A lot of truckers were armed then and I assume now but laws change from state to state so maybe not now? I could easily see this gun sold at a truck stop or market somewhere.

 

[worm]

Though Lonnie's brother Jimmy worked in a meat market at Winn Dixie, he would have come in contact with truck drivers on a regular basis. They could have been stealing meat and fencing it. When the Trace Evidence podcast speculated that the area where the bodies were found might have been a place where truckers hung out doing illegal things, it makes me wonder if it was a meet-up spot where truckers would go to fence stolen goods.

That kind of thing was more common back then as companies didn't have as many ways to stop theft.

I’m sure I’m reaching here but that Dixie mafia crowd, and many like them, were running the highways and stealing/transporting the goods around the country to avoid it being found.

 

[Betty P]

I’m sure I’m reaching here but that Dixie mafia crowd, and many like them, were running the highways and stealing/transporting the goods around the country to avoid it being found.

Sounds very plausible.

 

[fred&edna]

Do we know if anyone or any agency is trying to obtain additional info into their murders. Do LE authorities have the resources to fund an actual cold case investigation?

 

[worm]

Do we know if anyone or any agency is trying to obtain additional info into their murders. Do LE authorities have the resources to fund an actual cold case investigation?

The local sheriff’s office said they were still working it during the conference about the IDs. That was a year ago. I’m sure they would follow up on any info but that info is the biggie.

 

[worldwatcher]

Thanks @Betty P and @worm ,it sounds interesting and I know a lot of fraud/theft was also going on here,at the end of the 80ss.

Got my first job starting in a supermarkt and when the expired date of meat was almost reached,we had to throw it away in a sealed container and write it off.
It was picked up ,but the weight/numbers never matched.
I worked as a cashier and after asking my former worker,(who worked on the meat department) why there was no discount price for costumers -for almost expired meat,...he just answered: that you don’t ask or mention it to those,who picked it up and never,never,never pointed out that the numbers /weight didn’t matched up,these are the guys you don’t want to mess with!
So I never mentioned it again...

Well,anyway,because it all seems silence ,no updates,no news..guess I have been digging rabbit holes.
Searched for robbery’s in North Carolina and get away cars/vans.

Somehow I do believe that Lonnie or/and his family knew that the gun was used for murder or was stolen..find it very credible,one part of the story that the serial number was filed off by one of the Henry brothers,so thought maybe the gun was used more then,the fatal night.

The only thing that I came up with,seems to be an armed robbery in a motel.I can’t access the article.
Due to -no news,thought as well to post it here..

The Robesonian from Lumberton, North Carolina on November 15, 1976 · Page 2

Maybe one of you is kind enough to clip the article.TIA

 

[Betty P]

Somehow I do believe that Lonnie or/and his family knew that the gun was used for murder or was stolen..find it very credible,one part of the story that the serial number was filed off by one of the Henry brothers,so thought maybe the gun was used more then,the fatal night.

Thanks. Yes, ballistics matched Lonnie Henry's gun to the bullets found at the murder scene, so it was his gun that was used that night.

The only thing that I came up with,seems to be an armed robbery in a motel.I can’t access the article.
Due to -no news,thought as well to post it here..

The Robesonian from Lumberton, North Carolina on November 15, 1976 · Page 2

It was about 2 black males who robbed the Scottish Inn in Lumberton, NC. They robbed the motel clerks of $1700. Held a gun on them and made them lay down on the floor. The couple managing the officer was a married couple. There was another clerk there, as well as the couple's child. The article is kind of confusing because it says the husband told the robbers he didn't have a combo to the safe, but apparently they were able to give the robbers $1700. The robbers pulled out phone wires and left on the nearby highway.

One theory I thought about re Pam and Jim is that they were staying in a motel and were awakened when someone tried to steal their vehicle outside (van, motorcycle, car, etc.) They rushed out to stop the robbery and were taken hostage and driven away.

Someone (I think in one of the podcasts) questioned if they were awakened from sleep and got quickly dressed, how did they have time to put on shoes. Good question, though it seems possible if the killer held a gun on them and told them to get dressed.

I also keep wondering if they were at a bar, motel or someplace similar and were accosted when they walked outside. Doesn't seem likely, though, as someone in a restaurant or bar would have recognized them.

 

[Warwick1991]

One thing I've been thinking about is the ballistics tests that showed a match between Lonnie's revolver and the bullets found at the murder scene. S&W revolvers were (and still are) extremely common, with many thousands of guns made from the same equipment in the same caliber. In a much earlier thread, the revolver was tested by SLED and IIRC, the FBI. Many results of ballistics tests are good matches, without ambiguity, but I think it's always possible that another similar S&W revolver was really the murder weapon. It depends on the condition of the recovered bullets, and wear/tooling patterns in the barrel. We aren't in a position to know, but if there's anything ambiguous about the ballistic match, we could be barking up the wrong tree. It's a just a thought, and unless LE says otherwise, the murder weapon was probably the one found with Lonnie. The fact that it's serial number was filed off suggests it was involved in illegal activity.

 

[worldwatcher]

There was a lot of published news about the jewellery that James and Pam had,when they were found.
Even the match book is discussed,but there are no news reports -at least not many- about the clothes,they were wearing,only the shirt that James had on is traced to Florida,Sebring racing.which was probably a promotional item,sponsored by Coors.

Haven’t seen any pictures of the clothes and that makes me doubt,if it was ever published in newspapers,to trigger any memory’s which could lead to an identification or more leads,back then..

So,I have been looking into the Car race held in march,21. 1975 where James got his t shirt from. Thought, it could be possible that they met there,or maybe shortly before on the way to Sebring.It does seem like a very big event:


Sebring Fl 1975

A movie starring Robert Redford was filmed at Sebring Raceway.

Portions of the 1975 movie “The Great Waldo Pepper” were filmed at the Sebring Airport and Raceway.

n 1975, Led Zeppelin, BTO and the J. Geils Band cancelled a concert appearance at Palm Beach International Raceway, not Sebring. However, a Joe Cocker concert scheduled at the 1975 Sebring 12 Hours was cancelled only two weeks before the race.


Sebring Urban Legends: Fact or Fiction? – Sebring Raceway

So you have car racing and gigs going on and it could be possible that Pam was playing there or hoped to get on the stage.

 

[Betty P]

There was a lot of published news about the jewellery that James and Pam had,when they were found.
Even the match book is discussed,but there are no news reports -at least not many- about the clothes,they were wearing,only the shirt that James had on is traced to Florida,Sebring racing.which was probably a promotional item,sponsored by Coors.

Haven’t seen any pictures of the clothes and that makes me doubt,if it was ever published in newspapers,to trigger any memory’s which could lead to an identification or more leads,back then..

So,I have been looking into the Car race held in march,21. 1975 where James got his t shirt from. Thought, it could be possible that they met there,or maybe shortly before on the way to Sebring.It does seem like a very big event:


Sebring Fl 1975

A movie starring Robert Redford was filmed at Sebring Raceway.

Portions of the 1975 movie “The Great Waldo Pepper” were filmed at the Sebring Airport and Raceway.

n 1975, Led Zeppelin, BTO and the J. Geils Band cancelled a concert appearance at Palm Beach International Raceway, not Sebring. However, a Joe Cocker concert scheduled at the 1975 Sebring 12 Hours was cancelled only two weeks before the race.


Sebring Urban Legends: Fact or Fiction? – Sebring Raceway

BBM

So you have car racing and gigs going on and it could be possible that Pam was playing there or hoped to get on the stage.

Good information. It could be she went there with some of her musician/performer friends. Traveling to these big outdoor concerts was a big thing in the mid to late 70's. Groups of friends would travel together, make a trip/vacation of it. Some of us discussed earlier in this thread that the summer of '76 was a big party. A lot of people traveled, took trips, etc. to celebrate the bicentennial. There were a lot of events all over the U.S.

I wonder what the concerts were in 1976?

https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/July_4,_1976_Tampa_Stadium,_Tampa,_FL

I'm having some trouble searching this information, but here's a link I found of a concert in Tampa, FL on July 6. Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Loggins and Messina.

It will take some searching to see what was in that region. There were a LOT of concerts that summer, a lot of groups on tour. If we can narrow it down to the time around the date they were killed, that would help.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1976_concert_tours

 

[worldwatcher]

BBM

So you have car racing and gigs going on and it could be possible that Pam was playing there or hoped to get on the stage.

Good information. It could be she went there with some of her musician/performer friends. Traveling to these big outdoor concerts was a big thing in the mid to late 70's. Groups of friends would travel together, make a trip/vacation of it. Some of us discussed earlier in this thread that the summer of '76 was a big party. A lot of people traveled, took trips, etc. to celebrate the bicentennial. There were a lot of events all over the U.S.

I wonder what the concerts were in 1976?

https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/July_4,_1976_Tampa_Stadium,_Tampa,_FL

I'm having some trouble searching this information, but here's a link I found of a concert in Tampa, FL on July 6. Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles and Loggins and Messina.

It will take some searching to see what was in that region. There were a LOT of concerts that summer, a lot of groups on tour. If we can narrow it down to the time around the date they were killed, that would help.

Would be nice to know,about their timeline.I do think,their travels included camping,cheaper,more common (in the 70s)etc etc.

According to your post Media Links Only - *No Discussion* the band sunlending was playing in Minnesota Morris from the newspaper on March 11, 1975 .

The car race in FL,Sebring was held on March 21,1975.Narrow time line,but it can be possible.For Pamela,it was 1.791,8 mi) via I-75 S.

It was an well known,international event.I really think James was there,when I read the info:
“Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in the U.S., its first race being run in 1950. Sebring is one of the classic race tracks in North American sports car racing,[citation needed] and plays host to the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The raceway occupies a portion of Sebring Regional Airport (an active airport for private and commercial traffic that was originally built as Hendricks Army Airfield, which was a World War II training base for the United States Army Air Forces”

Source : Sebring International Raceway - Wikipedia
Here is an impression :
Sebring through the decades - The 70s

(there is even a comment,about the 75 BMW)

Also,IMO it could be that they weren’t traveling as a pair but maybe in a group.
I get that impression from re reading this:

<We do have persons of interest,” Dennis said. “We’re definitely going to reopen the case, and we want to find out who actually committed these crimes>
Names of Sumter County's 1976 John, Jane Doe mystery released

It is also not known if the matchbook found in James pants, actually belonged to him.Guess it was assumed,it was his.
When I am driving ,I hardly have stuff in my pockets. It irritates me.

As far as we know,there were 3 truckstops in Idaho, Nebraska, and Arizona.
The matchbook could be from a travel companion(s)/killer(s) James could have put in his pocket orso..

 

[Betty P]

Would be nice to know,about their timeline.I do think,their travels included camping,cheaper,more common (in the 70s)etc etc.

According to your post Media Links Only - *No Discussion* the band sunlending was playing in Minnesota Morris from the newspaper on March 11, 1975 .

The car race in FL,Sebring was held on March 21,1975.Narrow time line,but it can be possible.For Pamela,it was 1.791,8 mi) via I-75 S.

It was an well known,international event.I really think James was there,when I read the info:
“Sebring Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating race tracks in the U.S., its first race being run in 1950. Sebring is one of the classic race tracks in North American sports car racing,[citation needed] and plays host to the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The raceway occupies a portion of Sebring Regional Airport (an active airport for private and commercial traffic that was originally built as Hendricks Army Airfield, which was a World War II training base for the United States Army Air Forces”

Source : Sebring International Raceway - Wikipedia
Here is an impression :
Sebring through the decades - The 70s

(there is even a comment,about the 75 BMW)

Also,IMO it could be that they weren’t traveling as a pair but maybe in a group.
I get that impression from re reading this:

<We do have persons of interest,” Dennis said. “We’re definitely going to reopen the case, and we want to find out who actually committed these crimes>
Names of Sumter County's 1976 John, Jane Doe mystery released

It is also not known if the matchbook found in James pants, actually belonged to him.Guess it was assumed,it was his.
When I am driving ,I hardly have stuff in my pockets. It irritates me.

As far as we know,there were 3 truckstops in Idaho, Nebraska, and Arizona.
The matchbook could be from a travel companion(s)/killer(s) James could have put in his pocket orso..

It sounds plausible. Sunlending could have had their next date in the area of Sebring, or she went there with others to watch the races. Racing was very popular in the 70's. That would have been a major race to see if you were in the area.

If they met in 1975, then they would have stayed in touch or something in order to meet up again in the summer of 1976. Was there a race happening in FL in July 1976? It's so hard to fill in this timeline, so little information.

 

[worm]

I got the notion that they had met earlier at some point based on the times they went missing. Unfortunately their phone/mail records can’t be pulled up with a click like it is now.
I’ve wondered too, having watched too much crime tv maybe, if they still have the clothes that the couple were wearing at the time of the murders? Technology is making waves into decades old cases these days.

 

[worldwatcher]

I got the notion that they had met earlier at some point based on the times they went missing. Unfortunately their phone/mail records can’t be pulled up with a click like it is now.
I’ve wondered too, having watched too much crime tv maybe, if they still have the clothes that the couple were wearing at the time of the murders? Technology is making waves into decades old cases these days.

I see where this is coming from,they both started to travel around the same time..
Also wonder about the clothes, not much news to find,there!
Guess the upper clothes were soaked in blood.Maybe that is why,LE was holding back.
Maybe it was lost or misplaced.
So many questions...

Anyway,it could be that they met in march 76,the Sebring car race was/is a yearly event.

I really don't know,anymore..just like stated by @Betty P ,so little information.

Still searchingg for the needle... sigh.

 

[worldwatcher]

Going a little OT here, but wonder if these currents events within the police department, the case is shelved?
Uncovered: A Sumter, South Carolina, sheriff. A rape claim. And silence from SLED.

 

[worm]

Going a little OT here, but wonder if these currents events within the police department, the case is shelved?
Uncovered: A Sumter, South Carolina, sheriff. A rape claim. And silence from SLED.

I read about this and wondered the same. I’m sure these distractions aren’t good for anything the dept is working on.

 

[Betty P]

Going a little OT here, but wonder if these currents events within the police department, the case is shelved?
Uncovered: A Sumter, South Carolina, sheriff. A rape claim. And silence from SLED.

Oh, dear. That doesn't sound good.

 

[Warwick1991]

Perhaps there’s LE involvement in the death of James and Pam - with an LE climate like this, anything is possible.