(Provided), The Dermonds adored their nine grandchildren. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. For more of Georgia's cold cases, visit 11Alive's Cold Case page. An investigators has said the Dermond home was kept so neat and clean that youd eat off the floors.. He could have been shot, beaten or suffered some as-yet-unknown end. Because he lacks any ties to the area, Haufler was denied bond and returned to the Greene County jail. This story was originally published May 5, 2021, 5:00 AM. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? 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. We talked about some technological stuff that were working on right now.. OConnell told the judge hed be willing to put up his home to cover Hauflers bond. Russell's decapitated body was found on the floor of his two-car garage, lying in a small pool of blood. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. Theyll say, They never came up with nothing on that murder, did they? Ill say, Well, youre looking at they. It was wooded and very private. But, he is convinced more than one person was involved. Down a sloped yard from the slain couples house, at the waters edge, there is a lighted dock. (Provided), Brad Dermond looks at years' worth of memories with his parents, Shirley and Russell Dermond. WebCome Wednesday, a year will have passed since that emergency call, since the frantic womans husband found the decapitated body of their 88-year-old friend, Russell J. When Russells body was found in the couples garage, his finger had a severe wound, Sills said. Haufler and Dimos were, by all accounts, close friends, even though they just met last fall, on a hunting trip. This was technology that was not available eight years ago.. And when the crime scene, in all likelihood, was a $769,000 lake house. We got the call from my brother-in law, and he was a total mess. Potential evidence was gathered. Yet they have all, not unlike the villain whose misdeeds provoked them, faded into oblivion for the time being. WebThe Oconee County Sheriff's Office says 41-year-old Adam Robert Cabe, of Candler, turned himself in on Monday, Feb. 28, 2023, on a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct It is possible that whatever the killer sought, if anything, was something the Dermonds didnt have. He fit right in with Hauflers large circle of friends, joining them on a deep-sea fishing excursion 120 miles off the Atlantic coast. Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. His message, he said, would touch on coming to grips with something that should not have happened., Thats what makes it even a stranger story. I cant imagine this happening.. Their favorite time was to spend time with the family and grandkids, Brad said about his parents, who were both only children, themselves. Sills narrowed the timeframe of Russells murder to somewhere between 4:30 p.m., on May 1when the mail was deliveredto 6 p.m., on May 4, when the couple failed to show up for the party. The 3,200-square-foot, $1 million home in Great Waters subdivision, lies just under 10 miles due south of Interstate 20 and a dozen or so miles northeast of downtown Eatonton. Ten days later, Shirley Dermonds body surfaced near where two men were fishing in a boat on the lake, just inside Greene County. No one has more questions than Dimos family. It just always ends up with a big question mark, he said. But he did receive one earlier this week that hes looking into. 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. He said, 'Grandpa had been murdered; grandma was missing.'. Sheriff Howard Sills, who is personally spearheading the probe, earlier this week declined to publicly divulge what evidentiary avenue was being pursued, but told The Telegraph that the effort could prove promising. If you want to support the channel and participate in future LIVE shows and other perks, click on the link and join Patreon! WebLake Oconee murders revisited years later September 20, 2022, 12:40 AM It was May 2014 when the bodies of Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife Shirley, 87, were found "The technology we are using was not in existence back in 2014," Sills said in a statement. Shirley Dermond had been a homemaker who in her later years liked gardening, playing bridge and doing crossword puzzles. 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. Please rate, subscribe, and share if you enjoy our work. REAL LIFE A look at the Dermond's home on Lake Oconee in May 2014. Channel 2s Justin Wilfon learned that there is new evidence from the FBI that is giving investigators new hope in trying to solve the case. Investigators said an elderly man was found beheaded in his home. Were very, very sad. She liked to read, play bridge, go to church. The neighbors who alerted the authorities about Russ death live about a mile from the Dermond place. Naturally, the shifting narratives aroused suspicions. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. On Dec. 15, 1950, Shirley and Russell, a Navy veteran, tied the knot. Four years after his elderly parents' brutal murders, their son believes it's time to talk and hopefully break someone else's silence, uncovering a clue into who killed Russell and Shirley Dermond. 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. There were no intruders, and after initially telling investigators he didnt know Dimos, Haufler eventually came clean. The FBI, who has assisted the Putnam County Sheriffs Office in the investigation, launched an intensified search, placing Shirley Dermonds photo on digital billboards throughout the area, but received no information. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Psychopath: 5 years after grisly Lake Oconee murders, who killed the Dermonds and why? We feel that theres a very strong likelihood that it was done by more than one person. In fact, the grandchildren would go to Lake Oconee for summer camp and spend time with Shirley and Russell every year. "Theres about three persons in my house trying to kill me," he told the dispatcher. Her body was anchored by two 30-pound cinder blocks that were placed into a nylon bag and then thrown into the lake, according to Sills. Hundreds of people were interviewed but investigators came up short. "That person with that little sliver of knowledge would come forward at this point lives -- (that would be) very much appreciated with our family," their son said. The infamous, unsolved case still haunts Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills. And thats the information were looking for.. The two-story Dermond home, a four-bedroom, four-bath, 3,500-square-footer in a wooded cul-de-sac overlooking a cove, is now on the market. "Im going to defend myself.. (FOX 5). And despite some new revelations Tuesday at a bond hearing for suspect Chad Haufler, the prosecution is keeping tight-lipped about why they believe the retired firefighter intended to kill a man in the basement of the $1.9 million home purchased just one month earlier. "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.". He ran a chain of metro-Atlanta Hardees eateries. By boat, the spot lies some five miles from her home, in a wide bend above the Wallace Dam. The husband who found Russ slain can be heard on the recorded line in the background searching the house in vain -- apparently for Shirley. The city had a record-high 70 homicides in 2022. She even emailed Sills hundreds of pages of notes supporting her claim, which Sills debunked. When asked if some of the technology was the way to go at this time, since other ideas have been exhausted, Sills quickly replied. Investigators have since scoured the couples financial and other records for clues to anything that might put them on the killers trail, but so far nothing has helped. It was found by fishermen. Babys dad is charged with murder, Whats coming to Middle Georgia? There is none. A real estate listing touts the homes expansive views and mentions fresh paint, new carpet.. He said he also believes that when Shirley Dermonds body was tossed into the lake, the killers could easily have thrown Russell Dermonds head into the lake at the same time. To contact writer Joe Kovac Jr., call 744-4397. Haufler had bruises on his back and elbows, according to his attorney. The biggest roadblock is motive. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. Jessica Noll is a multimedia journalist, who focuses on in-depth, investigative crime/justice reports for 11Alive's digital platforms. Before that, he spent most of his working years as an executive for a New York-area clock company. Its two years later. She has been bludgeoned to death and her body had been weighted down with cinder blocks. Russell, 88, was found beheaded in the couples garage. Sheriff Sills said his office received new data, some of it cell phone data. Follow us on -Instagram @kmh.podcastTwitter @kmhpodcastFacebook click hereTikTok @kmhpodcastThank you for listening! Anyone with information about this unsolved double-murder is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office at 706-485-8557. Oh, my god.. Subscribers and Viewers! His killer remains in prison, and people on the slayings periphery -- relatives, friends and others -- appear to have played no role in his parents deaths. Sills believes that Dermond was decapitated after he was murdered in an attempt to hide evidence, such as a gunshot wound and bullet. Meanwhile, his 87-year-old wife, Shirley Dermond, was nowhere to be found. Hes probably the nicest person I met in my entire life, said neighbor Mark OConnell, calling Haufler an honorable man.. Heres a look at new, renovated stores and restaurants, Burger King brings back fan-favorite sandwich but not for long. The couple was supposed to attend a Kentucky Derby party that weekend, but never showed. Low 66F. Heres a list of the homicides in Macon in 2023. Haufler will return to court in two weeks for a preliminary hearing. He suggests inebriation mightve played a role, noting the two men had purchased $130 worth of adult beverages the day before Haufler called 911, 30 minutes before sunrise on August 28. Dimos also confided in his new friend about his poor health. The Dermonds eldest son, Mark, was killed while attempting to purchase crack cocaine in Atlanta. Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife Shirley Dermond, 87, were brutally murdered in their gated community overlooking Lake Oconee, Georgia, in 2014, according to Fox Macon affiliate WGXA. Sills issued a statement saying investigators are using new technology to analyze phones: "Just last week I received some data, primarily cell phone data, that we have been waiting on for some time. [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. Example video title will go here for this video. Sills has told The Telegraph that he and his deputies are not muddling along in the dark. I am currently trying to obtain data of a highly technical nature that I believe will be fruitful. According to store and bank surveillance videos, obtained only by 11Alive, Russell transferred money from the drive-thru lane at the Lake Oconee branch of the Peoples Bank at 2:15 p.m. We looked back over some of the crime scene photographs and talked about a lot of things during our meeting, Sills said.

In 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. Everybodys got their own theory on what happened -- and a lot of them are possible., Anything that is halfway sane is a very plausible theory, Henry said, at this point.. Howard Sills, Putnams homegrown, two-decade sheriff, knows the area as well as anyone. Indeed, the highlight of their life was spending time with their grandchildren, all nine of them. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. There is new evidence in the murder of a Putnam County couple in their 80s. The last time Russell was seen alive was on Thursday, May 1, 2014 when he ran some errands in town. In the 12 months that followed, no reasons or explanations have emerged. Brad was at his sons baseball game when he got the worst call of his life. Oldest son Chad is now a sheriffs deputy in Florida. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are assisting by analyzing the new evidence, the sheriff said. 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