Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - #3

[Fairy1]

Shadetree - thank you so much for the video. It really made it so real!

That being said, I wonder if the relationship between the truck driver and the gun owner was ever explored? Watching the video, I too wondered why in the HEL* the truck driver was on that road. And I began to wonder what happened to all our couple's "stuff." They were well groomed and even if they were hitch-hiking around the country, they had to have had some belongings. I wonder if they traced that truck driver's route, might they have found some personal effects discarded along the road. Did they ever find such items and put two and two together? Wonder if that truck driver is still living?

The van tire tracks may be just a coincidence. I would find it a lot easier to believe a van had reason to be on that road than a big rig. And it's true, the shoes Jane Doe was wearing were not made for walking long distances....

We need to keep in mind that the object here is to identify these beautiful young people, and not necessarily to solve their murders. It's so easy to get off track in this case....

 

[Teresa Larson]

Mr Henry could have known the truck driver. No none of your theories make sense IMO. It would be pretty hard to maneuver that big truck around those roads. I see no legitimate reason for him to even have his truck out there unless it was a grain truck. There had to be a reason for the serial number to be filed off of the gun. If he did have a girlfriend out there she more than likely would have come to pick him up at a place he parked his truck. I wonder if this was a local truck or an over the road one? That makes a difference too. Does anybody know? What I'd like to know is how a truck even made the turn on to Locklair Road OR was he coming from the opposite direction as seen in the video.

 

[shadetreePI]

I know we aren't trying to solve the murders, but you can at least entertain the thought that WHO committed the murder could help lead us to WHO are Does are.

Fairy1 & TeresaL:
Thank you.

Those are some of the same thoughts that plague me. I went back out to Locklair Road recently - in September. I drove the roads on the "other end" to see where they went. If the truck driver was an over the road driver, I think he would have entered from St. John's Church Road. The road at the end of Locklair (I can't remember the name of it right this second) was a road to nowhere. Eventually you come back out to a main road that will lead you to the interstate, but it is a long winding drive with several turns, so it didn't make sense that he would enter from that end.

Also, I wanted to see what was down those other roads. It is a poor area with no real houses, only mobile homes. I'm guessing it was undeveloped in the 70's. There was one thing I saw that I thought was interesting. If you turn to the left at the end of Locklair, there is an old baseball field several miles down that way. It looks as though at one time it was a pretty popular place. It is very dilapidated now, but still being used by the local kids and young adults. But it has the high fence, rows of bleachers - not just a cleared out area to play ball.

And another thing I noticed. On the end of Locklair where they were found, it has been used as a dumping ground. There are old tires and other miscellaneous trash. I asked Verna how well the woods there were searched for their personal belongings. I mentioned that I would like to wait until cold weather came (if that ever happens - it's been known to be warm here in December) and try my hand at rummaging thru that junk. I can easily see the Does' personal belongings getting thrown into the swamp back there. No one in their right mind would go digging thru that area in August. It is so dense and swampy - a paradise for rattlesnakes and water moccasins. It has been on my mind to try and find out who owns that land and ask them if I can poke around out there. I was warned by Verna to be very careful, as we still don't know who murdered this couple. Its probably a complete waste of time as a wallet or purse would be lucky to still exist in any recognizable form today - after all these years in those conditions. But it would be one thing I could eliminate from my cluttered mind of "what -ifs".

 

[Mysterylover]

Mr Henry could have known the truck driver.
No none of your theories make sense IMO.
It would be pretty hard to maneuver that big truck around those roads.

I see no legitimate reason for him to even have his truck out there unless it was a grain truck.
There had to be a reason for the serial number to be filed off of the gun.

If he did have a girlfriend out there she more than likely would have come to pick him up at a place he parked his truck. I wonder if this was a local truck or an over the road one? That makes a difference too. Does anybody know? What I'd like to know is how a truck even made the turn on to Lock-lair Road OR was he coming from the opposite direction as seen in the video....

Teresa L..
I agree, It's a long-shot, but Mr. Henry could have known or been kin to the truck driver. A good question to ask Lonnie while we still can...

I believe you are 'assuming' the truck was a large 16 wheel-rig, a cab pulling a long trailer,

From what I read, it only said 'truck', can you give me a 'link' that says the Truck driver was in a 16 wheeler truck and trailer. If we know the 'type' of truck he was driving that morning, then I can give a theory that does make sense..

There are many type of trucks:
IF the truck driver was driving one of the following trucks listed, he would have had plenty of reason to be in that area..
Pick-up truck, Grain, hay, fertilizer, delivery, grocery, utility, like phone and electric power, beverage, mail, concrete, dump, cattle trucks and many more...:cow:

 

[Mysterylover]

I know we aren't trying to solve the murders, but you can at least entertain the thought that WHO committed the murder could help lead us to WHO the Does are.

Shadetree, BINGO!

 

[Mysterylover]

Quote:
"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.


Bless Coroner Moore for keeping this case alive.

Hmmmm!
The sheriff had to have been very young when the murders occurred, if he is still in the sheriffs department today.. ..

IMO...young, naive people do make mistakes, sometimes allowing pressures, friendships as well as other things to cloud their decisions....

did sheriff Mims investigate these murders in 1976???...

It would be interesting to know how many times in the last 32 years he went back and back-tracked on the Time-lines, clues and re- interviewed Lonnie Henry Sr and Junior about who had that pistol that Aug. night, keeping this case active.??

QUOTE: A Murder Weapon

Authorities thought they had their best lead yet when, about four months after the slayings, police found the gun they believe was the murder weapon.

A North Carolina man suspected of driving drunk was arrested while traveling through Latta, S.C.....

Police say they found a gun that had part of its serial number filed off in the man's car.
The gun, believed to have been stolen, (by LE at the time the car was pulled-over) was sent to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for examination. SLED experts said the bullets taken from that gun matched those retrieved from the bodies.

''To this day, they still believe that was the murder weapon,' McGehee said.

Authorities said a polygraph test indicated the man was not always truthful during questioning, but they never charged him with the killings. They said they couldn't place him at the scene of the crime.

The man, who has since died, had an alibi: His wife was in a North Carolina hospital, and witnesses told police he was there visiting her.
Investigators, wanting to see for themselves if it were possible for the man to sneak away to Sumter County and speed back to the North Carolina hospital, timed the drive.

It would have taken too long, they decided.... So LE let the one suspect they had go.......
end of Quote--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry's Alibi doesn't 'hold water' in my opinion.

From my research, visitors were required to LEAVE the hospital at 8:30 pm, unless the patient was dying or having a baby...sooooo who said they saw Henry at the Hospital the entire night ?
LE surely would NOT have taken Henry's wife's word, as patents are given sleeping pills no later than 9:00 pm...

Did anyone have his vehicle while he was at the hospital? IF so who?
The person who had that .38/357 pistol after midnight that Aug. night has gotten away with 2 murders.

WHo decided a 2 hour drive was way too far? A 2 hour drive is too far from where to where??? This young couple was murdered after midnight?
What was Lonnie Jr.'s alibi that night?

Last but not least:
What happened to the Driving Drunk with a concealed weapon with the serial numbers filed OFF charge....WHY wasn't Henry jailed on a FELONY ????

 

[youshouldveknown]

I work in a hospital and oftentimes, the spouse of a patient is permitted to stay the night. This is for general med-surg, however. In ICU, there are visiting hours. In PCU, which is a step down from ICU, one family member can begin staying the night with the patient.

 

[Mysterylover]

I just looked at the web site: Missing Persons Throughout the World

http://www.mispers.com/profiles.html

I'm wondering IF they would allow pictures and descriptions of our 2 Unknown persons on this site...

 

[amethyst]

I know we aren't trying to solve the murders, but you can at least entertain the thought that WHO committed the murder could help lead us to WHO are Does are.

Fairy1 & TeresaL:
Thank you.

Those are some of the same thoughts that plague me. I went back out to Locklair Road recently - in September. I drove the roads on the "other end" to see where they went. If the truck driver was an over the road driver, I think he would have entered from St. John's Church Road. The road at the end of Locklair (I can't remember the name of it right this second) was a road to nowhere. Eventually you come back out to a main road that will lead you to the interstate, but it is a long winding drive with several turns, so it didn't make sense that he would enter from that end.

Also, I wanted to see what was down those other roads. It is a poor area with no real houses, only mobile homes. I'm guessing it was undeveloped in the 70's. There was one thing I saw that I thought was interesting. If you turn to the left at the end of Locklair, there is an old baseball field several miles down that way. It looks as though at one time it was a pretty popular place. It is very dilapidated now, but still being used by the local kids and young adults. But it has the high fence, rows of bleachers - not just a cleared out area to play ball.

And another thing I noticed. On the end of Locklair where they were found, it has been used as a dumping ground. There are old tires and other miscellaneous trash. I asked Verna how well the woods there were searched for their personal belongings. I mentioned that I would like to wait until cold weather came (if that ever happens - it's been known to be warm here in December) and try my hand at rummaging thru that junk. I can easily see the Does' personal belongings getting thrown into the swamp back there. No one in their right mind would go digging thru that area in August. It is so dense and swampy - a paradise for rattlesnakes and water moccasins. It has been on my mind to try and find out who owns that land and ask them if I can poke around out there. I was warned by Verna to be very careful, as we still don't know who murdered this couple. Its probably a complete waste of time as a wallet or purse would be lucky to still exist in any recognizable form today - after all these years in those conditions. But it would be one thing I could eliminate from my cluttered mind of "what -ifs".

If you do go out there please take others with you and let everyone know where you are. Verna is right, you just don't know who might have a vested interest in the outcome of your search. Good luck if you go.

 

[superunknown]

FWIW, according to Mrs Moore, the truck driver was unfamiliar with the area and pulled off the interstate to SLEEP and got lost on the side roads. He stumbled upon the couple on the side of the road in the early AM hours. They had not been there very long when he found them. He was completely vetted as a suspect by authorities.

One of my theories is that this couple gave a ride to a 'friendly' hitchhiker or someone they met in a local bar or restaurant. This person knew they were outsiders and this was a crime of opportunity, a chance to rob them and take their vehicle. I believe robbery was the motive as the female was unmolested when she was found.

I also believe that whoever did this probably had a military background and therefore knew how to shoot to kill. The Vietnam war had only ended a short time before this crime occurred and there were many young men wandering the country who had returned from there with problems. I believe the shooter KNEW that area but perhaps was not living there at the time this happened-- or, maybe, he didn't and just ordered them to drive until he found a deserted spot.

It's also important to note that the authorities in Sumter have worked tirelessly over the years to get this case attention. It was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in the 1990s and they have tried to get it as much publicity as possible.

 

[Mysterylover]

FWIW, according to Mrs Moore, the truck driver was unfamiliar with the area and pulled off the interstate to SLEEP and got lost on the side roads. He stumbled upon the couple on the side of the road in the early AM hours. They had not been there very long when he found them. He was completely vetted as a suspect by authorities.

One of my theories is that this couple gave a ride to a 'friendly' hitchhiker or someone they met in a local bar or restaurant. This person knew they were outsiders and this was a crime of opportunity, a chance to rob them and take their vehicle. I believe robbery was the motive as the female was unmolested when she was found.

I also believe that whoever did this probably had a military background and therefore knew how to shoot to kill. The Vietnam war had only ended a short time before this crime occurred and there were many young men wandering the country who had returned from there with problems. I believe the shooter KNEW that area but perhaps was not living there at the time this happened-- or, maybe, he didn't and just ordered them to drive until he found a deserted spot.

It's also important to note that the authorities in Sumter have worked tirelessly over the years to get this case attention. It was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in the 1990s and they have tried to get it as much publicity as possible.

rmf...You've made some good points, but how did the Vietnam Vet get Mr. Henry's pistol, murder the couple and then give it back to Henry?

It's very possible the couple met this person somewhere, like the fruit stand, camping area or where they got ice cream or gas and gave this guy a ride, possibly after dark or the murderer gave them a ride, robbing them and later throwing out their belongings.

The Question remains, Whoever had Mr. Henry's pistol that Aug. night brutally murdered that young couple....it's as simple as that...what are the ODDS someone would be caught with a murder weapon in their possession and know NOTHING about the crime????

 

[MaryLiz]

Since the gun belonged to Lonnie Henry Sr. I still think he was protecting someone who he knew had the gun. It could have been a son, a nephew, a brother, a friend...any number of people who knew or were related to LH could have had that gun. It's just a possible scenario brought up by rmf that whoever that was could have been a Vietnam vet. There were certainly a lot of vets from that war who had just come home. We know the gun belonged to LH and it just makes sense to me that this crime was committed by someone he knew, either someone very close to him or someone he knew even remotely. Just the fact that LH tried to file the serial # off the gun tells me the crime was more than likely committed by someone he knew.

Just my :twocents:

 

[Mysterylover]

Since the gun belonged to Lonnie Henry Sr. I still think he was protecting someone who he knew had the gun. It could have been a son, a nephew, a brother, a friend...any number of people who knew or were related to LH could have had that gun. It's just a possible scenario brought up by rmf that whoever that was could have been a Vietnam vet. There were certainly a lot of vets from that war who had just come home.
We know the gun belonged to LH and it just makes sense to me that this crime was committed by someone he knew, either someone very close to him or someone he knew even remotely.

Just the fact that LH tried to file the serial # off the gun tells me the crime was more than likely committed by someone he knew.

Just my :twocents:

MaryBeth, He had to know a crime had been committed, why else, decide to file the serial numbers off the pistol, making that gun a 'Felony' to carry.
No innocent person does things like that..

 

[Fairy1]

MaryBeth, He had to know a crime had been committed, why else, decide to file the serial numbers off the pistol, making that gun a 'Felony' to carry.
No innocent person does things like that..

You are right LT - dang that stupid gun! It's a totally missed opportunity that may never be recaptured. Focusing on the gun, they do need to look at the folks closest to Lonnie Sr. - anyone he would have been inclined to protect or who would have been in a position to "borrow" the gun without his knowledge...

 

[MaryLiz]

MaryBeth, He had to know a crime had been committed, why else, decide to file the serial numbers off the pistol, making that gun a 'Felony' to carry.
No innocent person does things like that..

Letsthink, I agree. That was the point I was trying to make. LH knew the murders had been committed with his gun and I believe someone close to him was responsible and he refused to give up any names, probably just by playing dumb and saying he didn't know how his gun could have committed those murders, that he was in the hospital visiting his wife and he had no idea who could have had his gun.

One of the reasons I tend to think LH didn't actually commit the murders himself was because he was so whacked out at the time. He had accidentally killed a co-worker at work by running over him, his son had drowned and he obviously was drinking heavily. I can't imagine someone in that condition shooting those 2 as cleanly as they were shot. It was like an execution style killing and whoever did it seems to have had training in shooting a gun and knew what they were doing. I don't entirely know Lonnie Henry's background but given all that he went through I always picture him as being crocked pretty much all the time as it was said he was a chronic alcoholic.

But again, I do think he knew those murders had been committed with his gun and not because LE told him, but because he was covering for someone.

 

[Fairy1]

Letsthink, I agree. That was the point I was trying to make. LH knew the murders had been committed with his gun and I believe someone close to him was responsible and he refused to give up any names, probably just by playing dumb and saying he didn't know how his gun could have committed those murders, that he was in the hospital visiting his wife and he had no idea who could have had his gun.

One of the reasons I tend to think LH didn't actually commit the murders himself was because he was so whacked out at the time. He had accidentally killed a co-worker at work by running over him, his son had drowned and he obviously was drinking heavily. I can't imagine someone in that condition shooting those 2 as cleanly as they were shot. It was like an execution style killing and whoever did it seems to have had training in shooting a gun and knew what they were doing. I don't entirely know Lonnie Henry's background but given all that he went through I always picture him as being crocked pretty much all the time as it was said he was a chronic alcoholic.

But again, I do think he knew those murders had been committed with his gun and not because LE told him, but because he was covering for someone.

Agreed MaryBeth. But I can't help but wonder, even if we do discover WHO murdered these beautiful kids, will we ever know their names?

 

[MaryLiz]

Agreed MaryBeth. But I can't help but wonder, even if we do discover WHO murdered these beautiful kids, will we ever know their names?

Good question, Fairy1...Sadly, I sometimes think we won't ever find out either one; who they were or who killed them.

 

[youshouldveknown]

One thing you learn around these forums is that a lot of times, hitch hikers don't always give their real names. Apparently, some don't give them at all.

If they were hitch hiking, or picked up a hitch hiker, there's a chance they didn't exchange names.

IMO, I think they were robbed. And I think the killer didn't know their names. If he swiped a wallet and purse, perhaps there were ID's inside, but they're probably long gone by now.

 

[Fairy1]

One thing you learn around these forums is that a lot of times, hitch hikers don't always give their real names. Apparently, some don't give them at all.

If they were hitch hiking, or picked up a hitch hiker, there's a chance they didn't exchange names.

IMO, I think they were robbed. And I think the killer didn't know their names. If he swiped a wallet and purse, perhaps there were ID's inside, but they're probably long gone by now.

So true. So....we're back to relying on their families searching for them, and it seems they are not...

 

[Mysterylover]

Guys, You're all thinking smart, keep it up!

Has anyone asked for the autopsy reports on our 2 victims?
In most all states it's available to the public....

Did the coroner think to get a 'liver temp' reading? That would narrow the time of deaths.

It would be very 'telling' to know if the fruit the couple had eaten was 'still' in their stomach.
Fruit digestion takes 1 3/4 hrs to 2 3/4 hours which would put them at the fruit stand or eating ice cream less than 3 hours before the murders occurring around 12:30 -1:00 midnight.

http://www.unani.com/digestion_time_of_foods.htm

Another point about being shot in the chest..
If they were shot in the vehicle, or standing outside the vehicle, most any killer would aim for their chest, if they meant to kill them..

By the killer getting out of the vehicle to shoot them under the chin, if that occurred, would likely be done by someone who was familiar with pistols like: a hunter, LE, War veteran, drug dealer or someone that watched a lot of movies. From looking at the couples pictures, the male shows no signs of being shot under the chin, imo...

I still feel it would be productive to the case, to question Lonnie Jr. while hooked up to a polygraph.
He just may remember things like, where 'someone' got rid of the couples possessions.

It's human nature for killers to mention details of their crimes as time passes and a lot of time did pass in this case. I've found Liquor loosens tongues.
With Lonnie Sr. drinking heavily I'd bet a thousand dollars he mentioned things about this case to his wife, son or brother...over the following months or years.