Especially when someone was decapitated, the whereabouts of his head unknown. 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. There was terror in her voice the morning the murder mystery came to light. Isnt it time we heard from UGAs Kirby Smart? REAL LIFE [2], Russell was last seen alive on May 1, 2014, as he was running errands in Eatonton. FLASHBACK: Sheriff: Beheading is most frustrating homicide in his career, GONE COLD: More of Georgia's cold case mysteries, Justice for Love: A mothers relentless pursuit to find her daughters killer. The guard shack lies a shade under two miles from the Dermond house. Earlier this summer, Haufler invited Dimos to his home in Ocala, Florida. Sills said this case has baffled him more than any other murder in his career. They had a huge retirement house overlooking a beautiful lake in Georgia. 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. For seven years, the killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond at Lake Oconee have gone unsolved, the motive unknown and the culprit or culprits uncaught in a bizarre double slaying that has remained as baffling as it was heinous. 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. Her husband was impressed with the handmade knife Dimos had given him while visiting in June. The decapitated body of Russell Dermond (age Russ Dermond. Russell was a thoughtful businessman, disciplinarian and Brads favorite golfing partner, according to their son. Russell Joseph Dermond, a WWII Navy veteran, married Shirley Wilcox on Dec. 15, 1950. "If there was an enemy out there, (it) would have taken place a lot sooner than that.". The murders of Russell Dermond, 88, and his wife, Shirley, 87, have They were just really down-to-earth.. In the years since, the Putnam County Sheriffs Office would re-interview several times hoping something new would emerge. Seconds later, at his wifes side, she asked, Did you find both of them?. Timeline | Multiple rounds of strong to severe storms possible, Woman convicted in husband's murder after stabbing him with butcher knife, Douglas County prosecutors say, Douglas County jury convicts woman in husband's stabbing death, Forecast | Shower and storms increase to finish the week. Sills has told The Telegraph that he and his deputies are not muddling along in the dark. 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. Despite what the listing describes as large windows found in every room, the house sits in a tree-shrouded lot. It was on May 6, 2014, that the same neighbor walked up to the Dermonds front door, found it unlocked, walked in to investigate, and made a gruesome discovery inside the garage. 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. They dont know the case theyre making, the defense lawyer said. From the street or the water, even in early spring, seeing anything distressing happening inside would have been all but impossible. They werent gaudy, they werent pretentious. Murder or self-defense? The Dermonds had said theyd attend but never showed. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. (Jessica Noll / WXIA), Held up by push pins, the Dermonds' unsolved murder poster is faded, but remains on the Putnam County Sheriff's bulletin board as soon as you walk inside. They know what theyre doing. PUTNAM COUNTY, Ga. - New evidence might reinvigorate the investigation into a chilling murder mystery that still haunts a Lake Oconee community eight years later. Five years ago in 2016, one of the couples sons, Keith Dermond, who lived in Florida, told The Telegraph that he hadnt given up hope his parents killer might someday be caught. The judge cited the 45-year-old ex-firefighters lack of ties to the community. It's difficult for their son to fathom their last moments alive. It is possible that whatever the killer sought, if anything, was something the Dermonds didnt have. They had a great relationship, said Monica Haufler, Chad Hauflers wife of 25 years. But theres no way for us to search all of Lake Oconee to try to find the missing head. 2023 Cox Media Group. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This story was originally published May 5, 2021, 5:00 AM. Were searching through that to see if we may be able to find some clue as to who was in the area at the time. Brad Dermond, center, with his parents at his wedding. We feel that theres a very strong likelihood that it was done by more than one person. WebThe unsolved murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond remain an ongoing and active investigation. The Dermonds were living an idyllic life in retirement. Russell and Shirley Dermond (Family photos). Haufler had bruises on his back and elbows, according to his attorney. "What we need more than anything is for someone to call us and tell us who is responsible for this savagery.". And, hes left at a loss all over againperplexed, because his parents, he said, had no dark side or secrets that would have resulted in their murders. A real estate listing touts the homes expansive views and mentions fresh paint, new carpet.. Such insight -- helpful as it may be down the road -- does little to narrow the field of suspects. Both her and dad, total family people. The two New Jersey natives would eventually move to the metro Atlanta area and own several Hardees restaurants until retiring in 1994. Deputies followed hundreds of leads and possible motives, but they didnt lead anywhere conclusive. "Im going to defend myself.. The neighbors, the woman and her 75-year-old husband, were no doubt the first people in the Dermond home after a crime that has puzzled and frustrated investigators from the outset. You have permission to edit this article. Joe Kovac Jr. covers crime and courts for The Telegraph with an eye for human-interest stories. 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. A few weeks back, a tip from a college professor in another state seemed plausible until Sills ran it down. His head was never found. The decapitated body of Russell Dermond (age 88) was found on May 6, 2014, in the garage of the house he owned on Lake Oconee. 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. He was determined not to let his money ruin him or his two sons, each of whom joined the Marines after high school. Follow her on Twitter @JNJournalist and like her on Facebook to keep up with her latest work. 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. The husband who found Russ slain can be heard on the recorded line in the background searching the house in vain -- apparently for Shirley. Were very, very sad. Among this self-described band of brothers, there is no doubt about Hauflers innocence. His body was discovered by neighbors in the garage of the couples home. Russell Dermonds head has never been found. Tangled within his blood, they found strands of Shirleys hair. Hes probably the nicest person I met in my entire life, said neighbor Mark OConnell, calling Haufler an honorable man.. I try to keep an open mind. 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. They were lovely people from all I know. Sills said he didnt know if he would describe the conversation as promising, but anything is a step forward at this point.. She even emailed Sills hundreds of pages of notes supporting her claim, which Sills debunked. Potential evidence was gathered. When Russells body was found in the couples garage, his finger had a severe wound, Sills said. WebChad Haufler, 45, is charged with murder after a shooting inside a home on Lake Oconee. Unless somebody comes forward and gives them a clue, what else do they have to go on?

In 2014, a successful, retired couple living on a beautiful lake in Georgia hadnt been heard from for multiple days in a row. He recalls one tipster, though, who was convinced that the killer is an al-Qaida or Islamic State operative. For a decade and a half, from about the turn of the century on, the Dermonds had called Lake Oconee home. These days, he relies on the FBI, Sills and the public to come forward and shed light on who did this to his family. Later that evening, before dinner, Brad spoke to his parents on the phone. Dermond might have been taken and held against her will until some sort of demand was made. Before joining Sills staff in 2012, he helped train police investigators in Iraq. Its two years later. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards. Submitted photo In Despite the non-stop efforts of local law enforcement, this cruel murder case has never been solved. 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