Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - #3

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Thats interesting in that link I gave it has in all the articles that the jewelery was expensive ? expensive looking ?

snipped

No, it wasn't expensive jewelry. That kind of American Indian/Mexican jewelry was VERY popular back then and could be bought anywhere. I had turquoise and coral rings of that design in the 70s and they were very inexpensive.
 
Personally, I think they were both shot and turned over onto their backs to be searched and so the murderer could take id, money, drugs, what have you.

I don't think there was a lot of thought into posing the bodies in a particular way. I think there was forethought in the killing, but I'm not sure how much. This wasn't an accident. I think they weren't hidden or buried because the killer knew they were travelling.

The killer knew they weren't from the area. There was no reason to hide the bodies because there was nothing to trace the bodies back to him/her.

I think it looks professional, or in the very least, someone who had seen The Godfather films. Small time hoods often take after what they see on TV and movies, after all.

But that's all just my opinion. Can you tell me why you think it's posed?

Youshouldve...
I think the neighbor that heard the noise got the time wrong, because of being asleep...
If there was all that much noise, and gun shots, why wasn't the sheriff called or that neighbor investigate the next morning?

The Killer had to get out of the Van to turn the couple over to shoot them in the neck....that takes time and leaves evidence.

Notice the gun shot to the girls neck, NO blood, meaning she was already dead when shot in the neck.
Could the blood stop running through a body in a matter of a minute or two of falling and being rolled over?

The males neck does have a little blood running from the wound, which means his heart was likely still beating.
 
Mystery Lover do you have myself (and some others ) on ignore ?
Have we p'oed you off because of the postings on another thread about ideas ?
I asked some specific questions indeed I even pointed to the fact that it looked like John doe was perhaps in fact made to watch Jane Doe get shot
I asked some questions but you seem not to want to answer ?
I am unsure why ? perhaps you could tell me what I have done to irk you?
 
Mystery Lover do you have myself (and some others ) on ignore ?
Have we p'oed you off because of the postings on another thread about ideas ?
I asked some specific questions indeed I even pointed to the fact that it looked like John doe was perhaps in fact made to watch Jane Doe get shot
I asked some questions but you seem not to want to answer ?

I am unsure why ? perhaps you could tell me what I have done to irk you?

Jane.. Sorry, I don't have anyone on ignore, sorry I made you feel ignored...at times I have no answer to the questions, and leave the questions for others to answer..
I am posting in between things during a very busy work schedule and don't mean to be rude...

You have had some very good suggestions...especially about the female on the Graphic Picture thread....You write some very good common sense posts... let's keep this case alive until we find who these 2 beautiful young people were and why this case didn't progress after the murder weapon was found.
 
Youshouldve...
I think the neighbor that heard the noise got the time wrong, because of being asleep...
If there was all that much noise, and gun shots, why wasn't the sheriff called or that neighbor investigate the next morning?

The Killer had to get out of the Van to turn the couple over to shoot them in the neck....that takes time and leaves evidence.

Notice the gun shot to the girls neck, NO blood, meaning she was already dead when shot in the neck.
Could the blood stop running through a body in a matter of a minute or two of falling and being rolled over?

The males neck does have a little blood running from the wound, which means his heart was likely still beating.

That was me that posted about the neighbors hearing the gunshots, car doors, etc. You replied to the wrong post about that. I asked the exact same question - why didn't neighbors call LE about the car doors, screeching brakes and gunshots? No matter what the time was, they still should have called police. They didn't pinpoint the time, just said it was between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

The only reason I don't respond to some of the posts is because of the issue of LE. I admit, there were several mistakes made back then but the current LE is working to solve this. I don't think anyone who is on the LE force now was working this case back then so I don't know what happened or why Lonnie Henry was let go. The only current person working the case who was involved in it when it happened, to my knowledge, is Sumter County Coroner Verna Moore. I just don't want to keep dissing LE because of her. I'm not trying to ignore anyone either, but I stay away from those posts regarding LE because I truly don't know what happened in the original investigation. For now, I just want to concentrate on identifying these 2 kids.

I know how JaneInOz feels though because apart from this thread, my other posts and messages left for "friends" on WS are ignored and it's not a nice feeling.
 
MaryB and JaneI,
I'm very sorry IF I made you guys feel left-out, it was not my intention, I'm not here to upset anyone.
At times I do not answer questions, as I have no answers, just an opinion like everyone else..
I do like reading your thoughts, opinions and research on this case.
I only read about this sad case about a month ago, for the first time, and was very disturbed with what I read.
I believe there is people still in the Sheriffs dept that was an investigator in 1976.....correct me if I'm wrong...

I was especially sadden to hear Vera was not re-elected...let's hope we hear something about the DNA soon.

QUOTE:
That thought haunts Sumter County Coroner Verna Moore and drives her to continue trying to find the answers she needs to solve this puzzle that dates back to Sunday, Aug. 9, 1976.

"I have not given up on this case,'' said Moore, who was deputy coroner back then. ''The reason I am haunted is, I cannot understand how two young people disappeared from somewhere and that their parents would not be looking for them. This does not make sense to me. Somebody somewhere is missing a son or a daughter.''

The case also bothers Sumter County Sheriff Tommy Mims, who was an investigator with the sheriff's office at the time.
 
That was me that posted about the neighbors hearing the gunshots, car doors, etc. You replied to the wrong post about that. I asked the exact same question - why didn't neighbors call LE about the car doors, screeching brakes and gunshots? No matter what the time was, they still should have called police. They didn't pinpoint the time, just said it was between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

The only reason I don't respond to some of the posts is because of the issue of LE. I admit, there were several mistakes made back then but the current LE is working to solve this. I don't think anyone who is on the LE force now was working this case back then so I don't know what happened or why Lonnie Henry was let go. The only current person working the case who was involved in it when it happened, to my knowledge, is Sumter County Coroner Verna Moore. I just don't want to keep dissing LE because of her. I'm not trying to ignore anyone either, but I stay away from those posts regarding LE because I truly don't know what happened in the original investigation. For now, I just want to concentrate on identifying these 2 kids.

I know how JaneInOz feels though because apart from this thread, my other posts and messages left for "friends" on WS are ignored and it's not a nice feeling......

MaryB,
I know what you are saying, but I can't force myself to overlook the fact that LE are public servants paid by the taxpayers to protect the innocent as well as prosecute the guilty...and do their job to the best of their ability or step down.
isn't there a chain of command to make sure investigations and arrest are handled properly?

I can't overlook questions as to, why did the chain of command 'drop the ball' after the murder weapon was found?

Quote: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”

With todays technology, I can only hope, we find the identities of these two people and answers to some of our questions.

Quote: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. .....~Eldridge Cleaver ~
 
I agree they could have been shot somewhere else because of the lack of blood, however, I wonder sometimes that we don't have the whole report. Maybe there was plenty of blood there. You wouldn't be able to see it in those black and white pictures. Jacques heart didn't necessarily have to still be beating to get the trickle from his wound. In moving the body, in turning it over, could cause enough force to eject blood through the vein and through the wound. I think they could have both been dead when they got there, but I think it was more likely they were killed there. After all, the neighbor heard gunshots.

Which, by the way, I don't know about you guys, but I've heard what I perceive to be gunshots late at night and I don't call the cops. 1) It's late and I'm tired... could be all in my head and 2) could easily be a car backfiring or any number of other things that would make a sound that I could interpret into a gunshot.

Now, yes, the shots in the neck would have guaranteed death, but why the neck and not the head? Why shoot them once in the back, once in the neck?

I think they were being followed from the fruit stand. I think someone saw them, maybe even talked to them, knew they were from out of town. I think that someone saw something he wanted. And when they left the fruit stand, he followed them. Or perhaps offered them a ride, shooting them in the van, taking what he wanted, moving them to the embankment, shooting them in the neck and driving off. There would have had to been another person, though, for that to take place. One person can't move two dead weight bodies nearly as quickly as two strong people. I'm a nurse, I pick up paralyzed people all the time. I always have to have help.

They don't look posed. They look placed.

I've been reading about the Dirty War. I think it's quite interesting and the similarities are eerie, but I personally think there isn't enough evidence to make a conclusion one way or another. Not just yet.
 
Thats great Mystery Lover (alls good then) thanks for replying

Youshoudlhave.... - placed not poised - placed carefully

obviously wanting them to be found.

As a warning ? perhaps ?

But it backfired.
 
I agree they could have been shot somewhere else because of the lack of blood, however,
I wonder sometimes that we don't have the whole report.
Maybe there was plenty of blood there. You wouldn't be able to see it in those black and white pictures. Jacques heart didn't necessarily have to still be beating to get the trickle from his wound. In moving the body, in turning it over, could cause enough force to eject blood through the vein and through the wound.
I think they could have both been dead when they got there, but I think it was more likely they were killed there.
After all, the neighbor heard gunshots.

Which, by the way, I don't know about you guys, but I've heard what I perceive to be gunshots late at night and I don't call the cops. 1) It's late and I'm tired... could be all in my head and 2) could easily be a car backfiring or any number of other things that would make a sound that I could interpret into a gunshot.

Now, yes, the shots in the neck would have guaranteed death, but why the neck and not the head?
Why shoot them once in the back, once in the neck?

I think they were being followed from the fruit stand. I think someone saw them, maybe even talked to them, knew they were from out of town.
I think that someone saw something he wanted.

And when they left the fruit stand, he followed them. Or perhaps offered them a ride, shooting them in the van, taking what he wanted, moving them to the embankment, shooting them in the neck and driving off.

There would have had to been another person, though, for that to take place.
One person can't move two dead weight bodies nearly as quickly as two strong people.
I'm a nurse, I pick up paralyzed people all the time. I always have to have help.

They don't look posed. They look placed.

I've been reading about the Dirty War. I think it's quite interesting and the similarities are eerie, but I personally think there isn't enough evidence to make a conclusion one way or another. Not just yet.....

Youshould...PLACED is the word I should have used...Yes, they look placed.

Has anyone heard IF the neighbors heard 2 shots or 6 shots that Sunday night in August?

I agree, why the neck instead of the back of the head? I suspect a criminal profiler would have the answer to this.
I also agree, it would have been hard for one person driving to do, alone.

Did anyone ever see the front and back of the T-shirt the male was wearing when shot ? It would have showed blood and bullet holes, if he was wearing it when shot...

I suspect there was 2 men, one driving and one shooter.
It's a possibility the shooter was younger, not much older than the couple and the driver was older, possibly in his 60's....imo

The killers definitely knew 'something about the couple' and wanted something they had/or owned...
 
Jane, it's not obvious whether they wanted the couple found or not. I think what's obvious is that they dropped them off and got the heck out of there. Like I said, the killers probably knew they where drifters, not from the area, and that there wasn't a lot of evidence to connect them together.

To be honest, either we're not getting honest answers or all of the answers from LE, or I think LE was covering up something. I don't know what, but something's foul in the state of Denmark.
 
Jane, it's not obvious whether they wanted the couple found or not. I think what's obvious is that they dropped them off and got the heck out of there. Like I said, the killers probably knew they where drifters, not from the area, and that there wasn't a lot of evidence to connect them together.

To be honest, either we're not getting honest answers or all of the answers from LE, or I think LE was covering up something. I don't know what, but something's foul in the state of Denmark.


Why isnt it obvious ?

Maybe its not obvious to you but in my opinion I think its obvious that whoever killed them wanted them killed otherwise they would have buried them or hidden them out of view.

If it was a Kill and Dump as such a body being flung out of a car/ute/truck both would not have ended up like they did - so placed..I don't think they were posed.

I do think they were shot in the back and then whilst The male watched on whilst he was still barely alive they finished off the girl with a shot to the throat and the blast pushed her head up and back.

He was turned toward her looking and they then finished him off.

I dont believe they were hitchhiking or drifters, as many reports have stated they were very well kept and groomed and neat and well manicured, not usually something that hitchhikers or drifters have.
Reports have stated they were staying someone the night before as they were freshly washed
Maybe they were shot in the back somewhere else and put at the side of the road and finished off ?
 
I dont believe they were hitchhiking or drifters, as many reports have stated they were very well kept and groomed and neat and well manicured, not usually something that hitchhikers or drifters have.
Reports have stated they were staying someone the night before as they were freshly washed
Maybe they were shot in the back somewhere else and put at the side of the road and finished off ?

If they had been staying at the KOA, then they probably would have showered there, as these places usually have showering facilities & did even back then. As I pointed out in another post, I stayed in lots of KOAs around the country with my parents in the 70s.
 
Why isnt it obvious ?

I do think they were shot in the back and then whilst The male watched on whilst he was still barely alive they finished off the girl with a shot to the throat and the blast pushed her head up and back.

He was turned toward her looking and they then finished him off.

I dont believe they were hitchhiking or drifters, as many reports have stated they were very well kept and groomed and neat and well manicured, not usually something that hitchhikers or drifters have.

Reports have stated they were staying someone the night before as they were freshly washed
Maybe they were shot in the back somewhere else and put at the side of the road and finished off ?....

JaneI...I totally agree...
The females shoes tell me, they were not hitchhikers. The couple slept somewhere that Saturday night, that had a bathroom and put on clean cloths.

It seems the male was alive enough to see the female being shot.

IF they were first shot in the back, the killer would have been behind then, like in the back seat of the vehicle.
That tells me the couple was driving or one killer was driving and the other shot the couple....

I still think the couple could have been at the Fruit Stand or gone back to the KOA when running into these killers or 'targeted' by these killers.
Where would the couple been on a Sunday evening/night in the Santee/Sumter area in 1976?... Sunday nights are quite...

I suspect they where at the same place they slept Saturday night, eating fruit or icecream....when the killer approached them.

Possibly even shot in the back elsewhere (not in a vehicle) and finished-off after being placed on Locklear Road..

The couple had something, saw something or owned something that the killers wanted bad enough to commit murder.

Think about this: If 2 men was involved in the kidnapping and murder, thats why L. Henry's lie detector test said HE didn't do the shooting, but was hiding things he KNEW about the murders..
 
Jane, it's not obvious whether they wanted the couple found or not. I think what's obvious is that they dropped them off and got the heck out of there.

Like I said, the killers probably knew they where drifters, not from the area, and that there wasn't a lot of evidence to connect them together.

To be honest, either we're not getting honest answers or all of the answers from LE,

or I think LE was Covering Up something.

I don't know what, but something's foul in the state of Denmark.....

Youshouldve... Definitely! ......It's plain as the nose on my face, the good ole boys look after their own!

After 32 years and most people have died that was involved in this Cold case, there is NO reason to keep the facts and info in this case under lock and key, including autopsies, unless someone is still covering for someone alive...there was NO investigation in this case as early as a year after the murders...if so, by whom?.

Does the "Freedom of Information" act apply in this case??

I'm willing to bet a thousand dollars, someone 30 years ago, in LE, knew every answer in this case..

Common sense tells us, the LE would not have protected or not prosecuted a person like L.H., unless he KNEW 'something' that would ruin someone in authority or power, illegal activities, etc. etc...

Having the 'smoking gun' , L.H. lying to the lie detector several times, and info. bout the couple staying at the KOA and yet, no following the trail, NO investigation?

What other explanation is there to arrive at, for the incompetent /lack of doing the job and lack of handling this case by all the 'chain in command'? Cover-up!
 
People die with their eyes open all the time. I don't think this indicates he watched her die.

The way his head is turned could be coincidental, or might have something to do with the land they're laying on. Her head is turned the same way.

I do think they were picked up out of the van and shot in the throat after being planced on the ground. I don't think there's any evidence to indicate either of them were still consious when they were shot in the throat.
 
I thought her head was more turned up wards ? his is a definite looking towards her direction.
Although I see your point about the land slope.
I still think its entirely possible they could be from the Dirty War
 
It is upwards, but it's upwards and to the left.

I forgot to mention, I don't think they were hitchhiking either. They were travelling, and I think the killer knew this. I'd like to know how they got from the KOA to the fruit stand. If they had a vehicle in which they kept their belongings in, that would make sense. But no vehicle has been recovered. That may be another peice LE doesn't want us to know about, for whatever reason.

I wonder if they were staying somewhere else the night they died, walked down to the fruit stand and were offered a ride back? Does anyone remember where the fruit stand was located?
 
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