Each of the Dermonds surviving children were interviewed by deputies about the case. I think the only chance we have at this point (is) that he trips himself up., This week, while Sheriff Sills declined to elaborate on what clue he may have in hand, he said the material was something I am actively working on.. As of 2022, the murders remain unsolved and Russell's head has not been found. Nothing was out of placejewelry and medications were seemingly as the Dermonds had left them. These days, he relies on the FBI, Sills and the public to come forward and shed light on who did this to his family. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery," he said Friday. They have the responsibility of coming forward., We may not like how long it takes, but it will be solved, Brad said with optimism. But, I cant find anyone who had an ax to grind with them and I cant find any connections to any kind of criminal enterprise or other activity, whatsoever.. His wife, who was not beheaded, died from blows to the skull, wounds possibly inflicted with something like a hammer, Sills said. Others figure the Dermonds fell prey to a cult. But the memories are bittersweet, because that is all that remains. They were just really down-to-earth.. Together, they had three sons and a daughterand eventually, they would dote on nine grandchildren too. I got some data just last week, Sills said. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), The Dermonds owned a house, above, on Lake Oconee. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, Man, 88, Beheaded, His Wife Missing From Home in Gated Georgia Community, Body confirmed to be Shirley Dermond; officials searching lake for husbands head, Phone records released in Dermond slayings on Lake Oconee, Son of slain couple in grisly Putnam case: Mystery just eats at you, New details as mystery reigns in year-old Dermond lake murders, Relentless: Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills chases a killer, Son of slain Dermond couple says Lake Oconee mystery haunts us, Vicious enemy may have killed Dermonds; Lake Oconee murders now 3 years cold. They hope deputies are able to find their parents' killers. There was terror in her voice the morning the murder mystery came to light. [4] Ten days later, Shirley's body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee. Stolen concrete truck leads to 60-mile chase along I-20, Former Wilco jail administrator indicted by grand jury, Employee helps makes cables used in his own rob, Owners passion for fashion fuels Js Fashion & More, CHILDRE, Phillip Ernest "Erny" Sep 16, 1961 - Jan 29, 2023, Authorities investigating attempted hijacking in Putnam County, 'BE A LIGHT': Annual fundraiser honors life of dedicated nurse by paying it forward, Trojan baseball looking for another long season, Winner comes forward to claim $1.35B Mega Millions jackpot, Shoplifting case leads to womans arrest on drug charge. Ten days later, a pair of fishermen found Shirley, 87, dead near a Lake Oconee dam about five miles from their Eatonton lakefront home. In the video, he can be seen wearing dark glasses, khaki shorts, a green polo shirt and dark gym shoesthe same clothes police found in his bedroom when they searched the Dermonds residence after his murder. She was on the phone, gasping, breathless in the 11 seconds it took someone to answer and say, Putnam County 911., Yes, uh, I have an emergency, the woman, 68, said. Like most days, he said, they just chatted about how their day went with each other. Along with Shirley, he spoke with his son Brad over the phone later that day. Investigators said an elderly man was found beheaded in his home. They also were not sure if the killers somehow got in through the gate or found their way to the home by boat. Investigators said a professional would know that would not work. I still think they came by car, but there is no question whatsoever that Mrs. Dermonds body was, in my opinion, disposed of by boat, Sills said. [4] Although the perpetrator(s) and motive remain unknown, Putnam County sheriff Howard Sills has said he is convinced that multiple people were involved. According to the National Institutes of Health, 80 percent of people stricken with the disease suffer from visual hallucinations that are typically realistic and detailed. Sometimes, they can be frightening or dangerous, states the NIH, citing, as an example, a person attempting to fight a perceived intruder. Sills, who has helped solve dozens of murder cases during his career, said he believes it was the intent of the killers that the body of 87-year-old Shirley Dermond would never resurface. Greene County deputies spotted Haufler, gun in hand, walking away from his home on Jones Bluff Court when they responded to the emergency call. He could have been shot, beaten or suffered some as-yet-unknown end. The two were both New Jersey natives, who relocated to Georgia in the 1980s so that Russell could manage a chain of Hardee restaurants in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The infamous, unsolved case still haunts Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. Russell Dermonds head has never been found. "I don't want to create the impression that I have acquired some silver bullet, but this is yet another tool we are using to find out who perpetrated these heinous crimes.". When asked how residents were coping in the year since the killings, a 77-year-old woman who lives a few doors down from the Dermond house told a reporter that she didnt want to discuss the matter. The victims younger brother, Jeff Dimos, watched the proceedings Tuesday in silence, declining an interview request but offering a brief statement to the media mourning the passing of the father of six. For more of Georgia's cold cases, visit 11Alive's Cold Case page. Her body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. New Details On The Unsolved Murder Of The Georgia Couple, Somebody knows. He then traveled to the nearby Publix, at 2:26 p.m., to pick up a prescription for Shirley, for an upcoming cataract surgeryas well as a loaf of bread and a few cucumbers. Down a sloped yard from the slain couples house, at the waters edge, there is a lighted dock. Perhaps, Sills says, but the usual things a burglar might steal -- televisions, jewelry, electronics -- were apparently not taken. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Russell Dermond, 88, was found beheaded in the garage at his home on Lake Oconee on May 6, 2014. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. After not hearing from the Dermonds for a few days, the friends went to the lakefront Dermond house that is nestled in a wooded cove on Carolyn Drive to check on the pair. The Dermonds were expected to attend a party for the 2014 Kentucky Derby the following weekend with their neighbors, who grew concerned when the couple did not show up. Later that evening, before dinner, Brad spoke to his parents on the phone. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said its a case he still thinks about every day, now eight years later. His wife was found days later in a nearby lake having been weighed down. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. From the street or the water, even in early spring, seeing anything distressing happening inside would have been all but impossible. We used some of the most advanced underwater electronic equipment that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division has in an attempt to find Shirley Dermonds body, as well as the head of her husband, Sills said. Please rate, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our work. When you start involving more and more people, it increases the chances of information being shared. But you think there would be other crimes, Keith Dermond said. Unsolved murders in Putnam County, Georgia, "Decapitation mystery: Russell Dermond was World War II vet, golfer", "The murders at Lake Oconee: 4 years later, elderly couple's son opens up", "5 years later, murders of Lake Oconee couple continue to confound", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Russell_and_Shirley_Dermond&oldid=1140583082, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 19:22. Henry is 62, a slim, deep-voiced, Vidalia-born career cop. Though Sills declined to elaborate, he mentioned the sighting of a potential suspect outside the Dermond house at 147 Carolyn Drive. Thats why he hopes new evidence can breathe new life into the investigation. It was also believed the head was not taken as a trophy. On May 6, 2014, neighbors of Russell and Shirley Dermond, an elderly couple who lived for 15 years inside the Reynolds Great Waters gated community, home to some of the countys wealthiest citizens, called 911 to report a gruesome discovery. The cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the head. What played out over the next month would leave more questions than answers in their usually sleepy neighborhood. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. Once I knew the backgrounds of Russell and Shirley Dermond, I have always thought that this was some sort of extortion, Sills told the newspaper. Meanwhile, his 87-year-old wife, Shirley Dermond, was nowhere to be found. Sills did not offer other details about the cell phone data, or if it belonged to anyone from the small, rural community where the couple was found dead. OConnell told the judge hed be willing to put up his home to cover Hauflers bond. Russ, once an avid golfer when he and Shirley lived near Roswell, had called it a career after more than 10 years in the restaurant business. A $45,000 reward was offered. An investigators has said the Dermond home was kept so neat and clean that youd eat off the floors.. And since that demand could not be satisfied, both she and her husband were killed. But what led the two men to fight in the first place? The decapitated body of Russell Dermond (age Investigators said they believe the towels were put down around the decapitated body to keep the blood from seeping out under the garage door. Because gunshot residue was found on Russell's collar,[5] Sills believes he was decapitated after having been shot in the head in an attempt to prevent police from finding the bullet,[6] and that the perpetrator(s) went to the Dermonds' home intending to obtain money, despite the fact that nothing in the home was stolen.[5]. Sills believes that Dermond was decapitated after he was murdered in an attempt to hide evidence, such as a gunshot wound and bullet. Police: UGA football staffer drunk, racing at 104 mph before fatal crash, Police: Stetson Bennett hid behind brick wall prior to arrest, UGA star Jalen Carter present at scene of fatal crash, Long before season, Georgia Tech president found football performance worrisome, Kemp, Rivian double down on $5B Georgia factory despite challenges, Georgia Power customers bills could jump again soon. Show Going West: True Crime, Ep The Lake Oconee Murders // 121 - 18 May 2021. The neighbors who made the 911 call did so on the Dermonds cordless phone. Chad has not changed since he was a kid. On Sunday, the likely anniversary of the couples death, Key planned to lead an afternoon memorial service at the church. It's difficult for their son to fathom their last moments alive. Submitted photo In 2014, Russell and Shirley Dermond were the victims of a brutal Lake Oconee murder that shocked the country. He fit right in with Hauflers large circle of friends, joining them on a deep-sea fishing excursion 120 miles off the Atlantic coast. But when the worst happens in the seemingly best of places, folks cannot help but wonder why or how. The case remains as much a mystery today and is it did when the crimes first happened. There have been 11 violent homicides in Macon this year, including five in February, Heres how to qualify for medical marijuana in Georgia, Pregnant woman shot in the head, Georgia cops say. Russell, 88, was found decapitated inside his garage on May 6, 2014, and two fishermen discovered 87-year-old Shirleys body 10 days later in Lake Oconee, about five miles from their lakefront home. If you have a tip or story idea, email her at jnoll@11Alive.com or call, text at (404) 664-3634. The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. "Im going to defend myself.. Psychopath: 5 years after grisly Lake Oconee murders, who killed the Dermonds and why? WebView history The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond occurred in early May 2014 in Putnam County, Georgia, United States. If theres somebody whos going to get this thing solved, its going to be him.. The concern of it may have diminished in the public, because time, of course, erodes all things., I travel all over the United States of America and the first thing (people) ask me no matter where I go is about the Dermond killings, he said. Sills talked with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday about the case and how technology that wasnt yet developed six years ago might be useful to authorities in solving the case. He became the face of an unsolved crime that fascinated viewers and newspaper readers across the region. For a decade and a half, from about the turn of the century on, the Dermonds had called Lake Oconee home. His brother-in-law put his son on the phone to relay the horrific news. Despite the non-stop efforts of local law enforcement, this cruel murder case has never been solved. Mauldin, the prosecutor, said the states case against him will be much clearer then. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Haufler had bruises on his back and elbows, according to his attorney. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. The guard shack lies a shade under two miles from the Dermond house. The notion of such an atrocity in an exclusive, golf course-ringed neighborhood struck at peoples deepest fears: If it happened there, is anywhere safe? Hauflers attorney, Manny Arora, has been equally circumspect, floating possible explanations for the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Marc Dimos but not yet settling on a fixed defense. Tangled within his blood, they found strands of Shirleys hair. Last May, some of Sills news conferences about the Dermond killings were aired live on Atlanta news channels. WebThe unsolved murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond remain an ongoing and active investigation. WebHer body was found by fishermen on Lake Oconee, weighed down with two 30-pound concrete blocks tied to her. "Im not going to say its absolutely physically impossible, but its highly unlikely.". Support by joining KMH+ and by checking out our merch shop! Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Both her and dad, total family people. Credit: Photo provided by Ceciley Pangburn, Inside exclusive Lake Oconee community, another confounding mystery, Lake Oconee decapitation mystery still consumes sheriff. 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