Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James Freund #9

[norest4thewicked]

Just MOO, but the jewelry and where it came from is another rabbit hole. That stuff was everywhere back then. It was extremely popular. I still remember buying some at Infinite Mushroom, Sears jewelry counter, and Witches Cove(trendy boutique) all in Orlando. Most stores, if they sold jewelery included turquoise (southwestern)jewelry in their selections.

Yes, I agree with you in that this is another rabbit hole. My relatives live in Nebraska and I grew up in California. Every summer we would take trips back to see grandparents and my mom would always buy a new piece of turquoise jewelry on our trips. This stuff was like candy in the 70's and almost everyone had a piece.

 

[norest4thewicked]

DBM

 

[Ladypink]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time. I viewed one yearbook photo of James (the pic has been posted here earlier) and decided to randomly search for another mans name who was in the same class. Vince Fink. Found an article where he describes his past Vietnam experience as a young man shortly after graduating from McCaskey Highschool. Somehow hearing Vince describe it made me get an even more emotional connection to what life (possibly) was like for James. It must change a person... even if he didn't go to Vietnam. Such a scary situation.

Article: Back to Vietnam

Yearbook I'm referencing (page 69 digital but page 63 in actual book, class of 1963): Echo (Class of 1963) :: Lancaster Public Library - Yearbooks

 

[Ladypink]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time. I viewed one yearbook photo of James (the pic has been posted here earlier) and decided to randomly search for another mans name who was in the same class. Vince Fink. Found an article where he describes his past Vietnam experience as a young man shortly after graduating from McCaskey Highschool. Somehow hearing Vince describe it made me get an even more emotional connection to what life (possibly) was like for James. It must change a person... even if he didn't go to Vietnam. Such a scary situation.

Article: Back to Vietnam. (EDIT: it's under the headline "The gunner")

Yearbook I'm referencing (page 69 digital but page 63 in actual book, class of 1963): Echo (Class of 1963) :: Lancaster Public Library - Yearbooks

 

[worm]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time. I viewed one yearbook photo of James (the pic has been posted here earlier) and decided to randomly search for another mans name who was in the same class. Vince Fink. Found an article where he describes his past Vietnam experience as a young man shortly after graduating from McCaskey Highschool. Somehow hearing Vince describe it made me get an even more emotional connection to what life (possibly) was like for James. It must change a person... even if he didn't go to Vietnam. Such a scary situation.

Article: Back to Vietnam

Yearbook I'm referencing (page 69 digital but page 63 in actual book, class of 1963): Echo (Class of 1963) :: Lancaster Public Library - Yearbooks

Welcome and thanks for the links. You’ll find your way around the double posting, it drove me nuts.

 

[wary]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time. I viewed one yearbook photo of James (the pic has been posted here earlier) and decided to randomly search for another mans name who was in the same class. Vince Fink. Found an article where he describes his past Vietnam experience as a young man shortly after graduating from McCaskey Highschool. Somehow hearing Vince describe it made me get an even more emotional connection to what life (possibly) was like for James. It must change a person... even if he didn't go to Vietnam. Such a scary situation.

Article: Back to Vietnam. (EDIT: it's under the headline "The gunner")

Yearbook I'm referencing (page 69 digital but page 63 in actual book, class of 1963): Echo (Class of 1963) :: Lancaster Public Library - Yearbooks

Welcome!

You can’t totally delete a post, but for one hour you can edit it. If you get to it in time, I suggest editing the second one down to nothing but the phrase: dbm—duplicate.

dbm is ‘deleted by me’

 

[wary]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time.

Snipped for focus.

We don’t know much about his life yet. He was married and in the Army at 19. He seems to have been posted to Germany for part of his service, at least. We don’t know for certain that he spent his entire time there. But I think you’re right, that thoughts of Vietnam must have hung over practically everyone in the military. Possibly even some survivor’s guilt for not being in the active war.

He was divorced a few years before he died—maybe three or four? I suspect that, since he had so much responsibility early on in life, this traveling might have been from a desire for the carefree jauntering that others had been doing, earlier in life.

 

[worm]

I don’t have face book but has anyone seen any discussion on there from anybody who knew the victims? I just don’t see these young people not having a circle of like young people before they left. Did any of Pamela’s family report a last contact with her?

 

[Betty P]

I don’t have face book but has anyone seen any discussion on there from anybody who knew the victims? I just don’t see these young people not having a circle of like young people before they left. Did any of Pamela’s family report a last contact with her?

I checked Facebook and didn't see any new information, nothing more than what we already know. There were a lot of people commenting on the Crime Junkie Podcast FB page. They had done a podcast on the James and Pamela a few months ago. Might have a listen.

In one comment, someone posted that the couple had been killed for trespassing on private property when trying to get into a rock concert. That just sounds like another rumor. There was never any mention of a rock concert taking place in or around Sumter that weekend. So many rumors with this case, its crazy.

 

[worm]

Thank you @Betty P , I would guess the nearest place there may have been a concert would be Columbia but as you say, that sounds like rumor.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

I completely agree with. Every gift shop between Florida to California had that kind of jewelry.

In Florida I didn't know anyone who owned that jewelry. If I lived in New Mexico I guarantee I would have been so familiar with it I wouldn't have needed to look it up online in January 2021. It may have been available elsewhere but significantly less likely to be prioritized and purchased than in areas where it's readily available and popular.

Authorities and researchers did a great job in identifying that jewelry as sourcing from the southwest. There always seemed to be a western United States connection to this case, from the jewelry and matchbox and mechanic's account. Not all of those may have been accurate but it would require 0-3 to dismiss totally. Meanwhile, were there 3 variables indicating Canada? Hardly. Only one...the KOA story. Somehow 1 was prioritized above 3. I guessed Pacific Northwest because I put more stock in 3 than 1. Jock didn't even look Canadian but due to the bias of the KOA story everyone was looking at those morgue photos and interpreting as French Canadian.

 

[retrometro]

Question for people who've been to the crime scene area: how far away are the nearest houses? I'm curious about who would have heard the gunshots. (And thank you to @Betty P for clarifying that there was no hermit. It makes a lot more sense that would be a resident of a nearby home).

 

[Betty P]

Question for people who've been to the crime scene area: how far away are the nearest houses? I'm curious about who would have heard the gunshots. (And thank you to @Betty P for clarifying that there was no hermit. It makes a lot more sense that would be a resident of a nearby home).

You can find the location on Google Maps. Awsi Dooger made some posts a couple pages back where he describes the location. Find that on Google Maps and you'll see at least one house not too far away, maybe a quarter of a mile.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Did any of Pamela’s family report a last contact with her?

I've intentionally avoided looking for those names. Years ago it would have been common for reporters to contact family members for info like that. There were investigative journalists who had trust of the public and would be welcome in living rooms. Barbara Walters covered lots of true crime cases and would do sympathetic family interviews.

I'm hoping some of the Doe genealogical teams branch out in that regard also, instead of solving and then moving on. The family already has gratitude and trust so even something like brief You Tube Clips or podcast interviews would seemingly be viable, in most cases if not every case.

 

[Betty P]

Hi amazing people! I am completely new to this site but have followed some threads and this has been a case that always stood out to me. I am so happy they have gotten their names back! Sorry if I do something wrong, please correct me then.

I haven't read all of the posts about James and Pamela and I am unsure of how much of James' past military experience has been mapped out. I find it interesting to think about his possible life before the tragic murder. What lead him to want to get away and leave everything behind? Did he go to Vietnam? It must have been a very rough yet interesting time for youths in America during those years of war and liberation at the same time. I viewed one yearbook photo of James (the pic has been posted here earlier) and decided to randomly search for another mans name who was in the same class. Vince Fink. Found an article where he describes his past Vietnam experience as a young man shortly after graduating from McCaskey Highschool. Somehow hearing Vince describe it made me get an even more emotional connection to what life (possibly) was like for James. It must change a person... even if he didn't go to Vietnam. Such a scary situation.

Article: Back to Vietnam

Yearbook I'm referencing (page 69 digital but page 63 in actual book, class of 1963): Echo (Class of 1963) :: Lancaster Public Library - Yearbooks

Welcome, Lady pink. You're so right about the young men of that era who spent time in the military and Vietnam.

 

[musicaljoke]

In Florida I didn't know anyone who owned that jewelry. If I lived in New Mexico I guarantee I would have been so familiar with it I wouldn't have needed to look it up online in January 2021. It may have been available elsewhere but significantly less likely to be prioritized and purchased than in areas where it's readily available and popular.

Authorities and researchers did a great job in identifying that jewelry as sourcing from the southwest. There always seemed to be a western United States connection to this case, from the jewelry and matchbox and mechanic's account. Not all of those may have been accurate but it would require 0-3 to dismiss totally. Meanwhile, were there 3 variables indicating Canada? Hardly. Only one...the KOA story. Somehow 1 was prioritized above 3. I guessed Pacific Northwest because I put more stock in 3 than 1. Jock didn't even look Canadian but due to the bias of the KOA story everyone was looking at those morgue photos and interpreting as French Canadian.

Jock didn't even look Canadian?! What does that mean? Canada is a very ethnically rich and culturally diverse country. One simply cannot determine whether or not a person is Canadian merely by his or her appearance.

 

[Roselvr]

I have or had some of the same rings that she had. I bought them at a flea market in Union, NJ. Grants also had silver and turquoise jewelry.

I've been taking a break due to it being 15 years since my dad's cancer and death.

Question, I read she was reported missing. What happened to her MP report? Have they said? I know most purged them or refused to take them because adults were allowed to leave.

This seems like the 4th thread since they were identified.

Thanks for the help.

Very happy they were ID'd

 

[killarney rose]

In Florida I didn't know anyone who owned that jewelry. If I lived in New Mexico I guarantee I would have been so familiar with it I wouldn't have needed to look it up online in January 2021. It may have been available elsewhere but significantly less likely to be prioritized and purchased than in areas where it's readily available and popular.

Authorities and researchers did a great job in identifying that jewelry as sourcing from the southwest. There always seemed to be a western United States connection to this case, from the jewelry and matchbox and mechanic's account. Not all of those may have been accurate but it would require 0-3 to dismiss totally. Meanwhile, were there 3 variables indicating Canada? Hardly. Only one...the KOA story. Somehow 1 was prioritized above 3. I guessed Pacific Northwest because I put more stock in 3 than 1. Jock didn't even look Canadian but due to the bias of the KOA story everyone was looking at those morgue photos and interpreting as French Canadian.

I still think the jewelry is a rabbit hole and says nothing except she liked it. Any teen/ twenty something and others in FL if they didn’t wear it, knew where to buy it.

now some of the solid silver pieces with real turquoise had a makers mark inside of the piece. That might be traceable. There were also pieces that were made with nickel silver that did not have marks. I have both kinds myself.

 

[scandinavian girl]

About the jewelry, it was really popular here in Sweden too in the 70´s, I think I still have some from my mother.

 

[worm]

I still think the jewelry is a rabbit hole and says nothing except she liked it. Any teen/ twenty something and others in FL if they didn’t wear it, knew where to buy it.

now some of the solid silver pieces with real turquoise had a makers mark inside of the piece. That might be traceable. There were also pieces that were made with nickel silver that did not have marks. I have both kinds myself.

Agree, a lady mentioned in one of these threads that she bought this kind of jewelry at a Sears counter. That’s when I wrapped concern over the jewelry.