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

[ilovepierre]

Is Locklear the wrong road? Why is it called Locklair?

View attachment 281758

They’re the same road.

 

[worm]

I’m not aware of any trustworthy source that claims there’s anyone who actually saw the van, or James and Pamela with the van. I know the story exists....Does anyone know where it came from?

I don’t think anyone has been able to confirm how they were traveling. The van is mentioned in news reports linked a few pages back as being at the murder scene. We have concluded (I guess) that LE must have figured that from tire marks there.

 

[southerngospel]

The article that said they were in a van also says they were both shot underneath the chin...which..turns out to be bunk. When you boil it down..really..the only facts in this case are 2 people(who 45 years later are identified) were shot and found by someone and police were notified. then a guy was pulled over with a gun that matched the murder weapon. Thats pretty much it. Everything else is legend and hearsay.

 

[worm]

The article that said they were in a van also says they were both shot underneath the chin...which..turns out to be bunk. When you boil it down..really..the only facts in this case are 2 people(who 45 years later are identified) were shot and found by someone and police were notified. then a guy was pulled over with a gun that matched the murder weapon. Thats pretty much it. Everything else is legend and hearsay.

Good point about the chin/head shots. In those washed out news pics that shows the victims, I couldn’t see any type of blood that would be expected with head trauma. At the risk of sounding disrespectful, which I’m not, I kind of hoped they were shot in the head rather that to be in the middle of nowhere and slowly passing away while suffering. That actually pains me more about these victims, if that’s possible.

 

[Feme98]

The article that said they were in a van also says they were both shot underneath the chin...which..turns out to be bunk. When you boil it down..really..the only facts in this case are 2 people(who 45 years later are identified) were shot and found by someone and police were notified. then a guy was pulled over with a gun that matched the murder weapon. Thats pretty much it. Everything else is legend and hearsay.

I remember that the shot to the throat was misinterpreted and that it was a shot to the chin, if I recall correctly, the press conference cleared that up.

 

[southerngospel]

I remember that the shot to the throat was misinterpreted and that it was a shot to the chin, if I recall correctly, the press conference cleared that up.

Correct me if im wrong...but...i m pretty sure they were both shot in the chest only.

 

[Feme98]

Correct me if im wrong...but...i m pretty sure they were both shot in the chest only.

As I understand, they were shot in the back and on the chin, heading to their heads.

 

[Feme98]

As I understand, they were shot in the chest and there was another one on their backs that exited on their heads.

 

[Feme98]

As I understand, they were shot in the back and on the chin, heading to their heads.

I edited this one by the way

 

[southerngospel]

I edited this one by the way

Each victim had been shot three times in their upper chests and, despite previous reports, neither victim was shot in the throat. The weapon used was believed to be a .357 caliber revolver.

 

[Feme98]

What is puzzling me is that on the two closeups of them, there is what appears to be a hole on Pamela’s neck with what looks like blood.

And on James’s neck there is some smearing it seems.

 

[Feme98]

Each victim had been shot three times in their upper chests and, despite previous reports, neither victim was shot in the throat. The weapon used was believed to be a .357 caliber revolver.

Maybe the report on the press conference got it wrong, they said that they were shot on the chest and the other went from their backs to their heads, and that this was the fatal shot.

It’s possible that there were two shots to their chests and one to their backs, exiting on their heads

 

[Feme98]

I’ll link the press conference, they clear the shots detail at around the 04:30 mark.

 

[Vern]

.

 

[Betty P]

one would hope that if they were visiting someone, the publicity at the time they were found would have caused that person to come forward. They would’ve been identified then, and we wouldn’t be here today.

Agree, I think they were just passing through, in the midst of a road trip. A lot of people were doing the same that summer. Maybe going to some special events, visiting a friend or two along the way.

 

[worm]

What is puzzling me is that on the two closeups of them, there is what appears to be a hole on Pamela’s neck with what looks like blood.

And on James’s neck there is some smearing it seems.

All I can make from those pics is what looks to be a dark shadow from the flash angle in the neck areas. I do think I see a blood spot on her face. I’ve yet to see head trauma in any pic I’ve seen of them post death.

 

[worm]

In talking with a lady I know about this, she seems to think that there is no way this girl was hitchhiking, or any sort of hiking, with the shoes she was found wearing.

 

[Vern]

one would hope that if they were visiting someone, the publicity at the time they were found would have caused that person to come forward. They would’ve been identified then, and we wouldn’t be here today.

Unless that person is the one that caused the deaths I would think.

 

[otto]

They could have had an open casket funeral.

4 Apr 2008, 3 - National Post at Newspapers.com

"The autopsy report showed the victims were each shot three times in the chest, back and head, not throat as had been previously thought, according to Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. Both suffered fatal shots to the head. Both were also shot with the same gun."
​

Names of Sumter County's 1976 John, Jane Doe mystery released

 

[Vern]

They could have had an open casket funeral.

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View attachment 281863

4 Apr 2008, 3 - National Post at Newspapers.com

"The autopsy report showed the victims were each shot three times in the chest, back and head, not throat as had been previously thought, according to Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker. Both suffered fatal shots to the head. Both were also shot with the same gun."
​

Names of Sumter County's 1976 John, Jane Doe mystery released

Conference also stated the shots to the back of the head also had entrance and exit wounds. It's entirely possible the the exit wounds were to the throat or chin I guess. Would depend the angle the shot was taken from. There's a pic of Pamela out there and something is going on with the underneath of her chin it seems.

As for open caskets, my uncle committed suicide via a gunshot though the center of his forehead.

He was an open casket; the mortician did an amazing job.