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The Oconee Lake Murders: 10 Facts About The Unsolved Case

The Oconee Lake Murders were a series of brutal murders of an elderly couple in Putnam County, Georgia, the United States. 88-year-old Russell Dermond and his 87-year-old wife Shirley Wilcox were the victims of the brutal killings. The decapitated body of Russell was found in their home while his head and wife were not found.

However, the body of Shirley was found by fishermen a week later floating in Lake Oconee. The body was clearly been weighted down using concrete blocks. Russell was a native of Hackensack, New Jersey, and had served in World War II in the US Navy.

He married Shirley on 15^th December 1950 and had four children and nine grandchildren. However, his oldest son, Mark was murdered in 2000 in Atlanta as he was trying to purchase crack cocaine. Russell was a successful businessperson who owned several fast-food joints before retiring.

The elderly couple was last seen alive on 1^st May 2014 as they were running some errands in Eatonton. They were supposed to attend a party for the 2014 Kentucky Derby but the couple never showed up raising some alarm. On 6^th May, one of their neighbors went to check on them only to find the door unlocked and the decapitated body of Russell.

Police thought that Shirley had been kidnapped and hoped to find her alive but that was not the case. Their murders remain unsolved as investigators never had any clue about what might have led to this incident. Here are the 10 Facts About The Unsolved Case Oconee Lake Murders:

1. An Elderly Couple Were Victims of These Murders

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The Oconee Lake Murders shocked residents of the gated community in the Great Waters Reynolds area because of the victims involved. An elderly couple was involved in these murders.

88-year-old Russell Joseph Dermonds and his wife, 87-year-old Shirley Wilcox were brutally murdered. It was highly unexpected that such an elderly couple could be targeted and murdered in a brutal way.

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2. Russell Had Served In The US Navy in World War II

The history of Russell Dermond was stunning as he was a serviceman before he retired. A native of Hackensack, Russell had served in the United States Navy during World War II.

He was a renowned person who later married his wife on 15^th December 1950. The couple had four children and nine grandchildren.

3. The Couple’s Oldest Son Was Murdered in a Drug-Related Incident

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Russell and Shirley were a happy family who lived with their children who had their children later. However, they lost their oldest son in a brutal murder incident.

Mark Russell, the oldest son of Russell and Shirley was murdered in Atlanta. He was murdered when he tried to make a purchase of crack cocaine. His murder was ruled out to have any connection with the brutal murders of his parents.

4. Russell Was a Successful Entrepreneur

After retiring from the United States Service, Russell started working in the fast food industry. He was a successful entrepreneur who owned several Hardee locations in Atlanta.

In 1994, Russell retired and decided to stay away from the city and live in a quiet place. The couple moved to the gated community in Great Waters Reynolds at Lake Oconee.

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5. The Dermonds Were Supposed to Attend a Party Which They Never Showed Up

On 1^st May 2014, Russell and his wife were last seen as he was running some errands in Eatonton. Later that day, alongside his wife, they spoke with his son Brad over the phone.

The couple was expected to attend the 2014 Kentucky Derby party the following weekend which they never showed. Their absence raised concerns to their neighbors who never expected them to miss out on the event.

6. Russell’s Decapitated Body was Found by A Concerned Neighbor

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On 6^th May 2014, a concerned neighbor wanted to check on the Dermonds and know why they missed out on the party. On arrival at their premises, the neighbor found the door open and decided to enter the house.

The decapitated body of Russell Dermond was found lying on the floor of his two-car garage. It was lying in a small pool of blood meaning the perpetrators might have tried to clean up the scene.

7. The Head of Russell Was Missing

Investigations began immediately after the neighbor found the decapitated body of Russell. Police arrived at the scene and started searching for the head of Russell which was missing.

However, they found some gunpowder on the body of Russell. Police believed that the perpetrators never wanted the investigators to find the bullet used to kill Russell making them decapitate the body and take the head.

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8. Shirley Wilcox Was Missing Making Police Think She Was Kidnapped

The head of Russell was not the only thing that was missing from the house. Shirley Wilcox Was also missing from the house after the police tried finding out her whereabouts. After failing to find Shirley, the police initially had the suspicion that she might have been kidnapped.

9. The Body of Shirley was Found on Lake Oconee Ten Days Later

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The thoughts of police officers that Shirley Wilcox had been kidnapped were proven wrong ten days later after the discovery of the decapitated body. A group of fishermen discovered the body of Shirley Wilcox floating on Oconee Lake.

The body had been weighted down using concrete blocks but it came afloat after ten days. An autopsy on the body showed that she had from two to three strikes from a blunt object on her head which caused deep wounds.

10. Investigators Gave Up on Investigations as Their Leads were not Helpful

Investigators initially pursued a number of potential leads in an effort to identify the murderer(s) and their motivation for killing the Dermonds. The leads ultimately never gave hope of getting the perpetrators, and as time went on, they became less frequent.

Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills stated that he is confident that numerous people were involved in the murders of Russell and Shirley. However, the perpetrators and their motives are still unknown.

There were early thoughts that the murders of the Dermond might have been motivated by a robbery, but nothing was stolen from their home. The surviving family members of Russell and Shirley are still hoping to get justice for their parents.

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