Identified! Mystery couple murdered in South Carolina, 1976 - Pamela Buckley & James P Freund #8

[alexina]

Pam would sometimes go by the names Pamela Kennel, Eve Kennel and Eve Buckley, so I'm guessing Pamela Kennel was her married name? Correct me if my assumption is wrong. I'm not sure how she came up with "Eve", though. That information is taken from her NamUs missing person report btw.



I totally get where you're coming from, but I don't think that this particular couple was romanticized by anyone. I feel like people were/are pretty judgemental in this case, especially since it was revealed that they were both divorced. They were judged for travelling and not staying in touch with their families and friends, it was suggested at least of them was mentally ill, they were accused of drug smuggling and other illegal stuff (and there's NO evidence to suggest any criminal activity for either victim prior or after their disappearance!), James was roasted for leaving a child (or children?) behind, their families were accused for not looking hard enough for them. These are some hurtful accusations, guys. Nobody's perfect and we're all flawed in one way or another. Any less-than-perfect relationship Pam and Jim had could've been fixed if it wasn't for some *advertiser censored**hole murderer who decided it was okay to end other people's lives prematurely. Pamela, James and their loved ones were robbed of that opportunity. I hope their killer(s) go to hell in every religion.

I completely agree with you on this. We don't know much about their lives except for what can be found on internet, which we I guess agree, is not much. There are still living/alive relatives, children, cousins, siblings who can read our comments (and who know more than we do) and that is the additional reason why we should be careful with the conclusions or comments.

Since I am not a native English speaker, I was not sure what sheriff said about the possibility about them being re-interred to the new place. Did the families decide on that or that was only the proposal to the families if they would like to do so?

 

[vermontaigne]

I guess the insane amount of work just for lack of uploading a picture then.

Picture > leads > new information for investigators > new guesses on identity > guesses tested > case solved.

Yes, but keep in mind that Pamela apparently wasn't entered into NamUs until late 2019, judging by when that thread was begun. So, yeah, there has been lots of effort expended, since then, but for just over a year.

On the larger point, you are absolutely correct. And in some cases there could be more photos available that would give us better info about the person.

 

[wary]

Yes, but keep in mind that Pamela apparently wasn't entered into NamUs until late 2019, judging by when that thread was begun. So, yeah, there has been lots of effort expended, since then, but for just over a year.

On the larger point, you are absolutely correct. And in some cases there could be more photos available that would give us better info about the person.

James wasn’t even in Namus, but considering that he was 30, I’d hope that there was a better picture of him, somewhere, than his high school yearbook one. He was an only child, and divorced—it’s very sad to wonder if that IS the best picture of him that exists.

 

[UncoolNegated]

Yes, but keep in mind that Pamela apparently wasn't entered into NamUs until late 2019, judging by when that thread was begun. So, yeah, there has been lots of effort expended, since then, but for just over a year.

On the larger point, you are absolutely correct. And in some cases there could be more photos available that would give us better info about the person.

I know it was from 2019 but I still see posting a photo as quite possibly eliminating all the enormous effort of combing through her family tree. It could have been this: websleuth sees her photo and thinks it looks like the Sumter County Jane Doe > websleuths submits it for discussion with others > others bring their ideas into play > culminates in a lead for LE > DNA of Jane Doe matched to Pamela's family member without the task force first having to find someone to compare DNA to, which I understand to be lengthy. As for the first step in that, given the popularity of the Sumter County Does with amateur investigators, I really think it would have been looked at.

 

[Triss]

James wasn’t even in Namus, but considering that he was 30, I’d hope that there was a better picture of him, somewhere, than his high school yearbook one. He was an only child, and divorced—it’s very sad to wonder if that IS the best picture of him that exists.

Agreed. I was quite surprised when the couple's photos were released to the public. Pamela was 24 when she was murdered, Jimmy was 29 and the pictures that were released show them at 18-19? Weird.
Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate that we're able to see what they looked like in life. I just wish the pictures were more recent. Especially for James, since he changed so much and seeing him in his late 20s could strike someone's memory. They travelled quite a bit, so I'm sure they met a lot of people.

 

[UncoolNegated]

Agreed. I was quite surprised when the couple's photos were released to the public. Pamela was 24 when she was murdered, Jimmy was 29 and the pictures that were released show them at 18-19? Weird.
Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate that we're able to see what they looked like in life. I just wish the pictures were more recent. Especially for James, since he changed so much and seeing him in his late 20s could strike someone's memory. They travelled quite a bit, so I'm sure they met a lot of people.

I bet they just came out of High School yearbooks on Ancestry. So easy to find photos there. Many yearbooks have been uploaded.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I bet they just came out of High School yearbooks on Ancestry. So easy to find photos there. Many yearbooks have been uploaded.

Yearbooks | High School Yearbooks | Ancestry
e-yearbook.com - Yearbooks Online - Digital Yearbook Archive
High School Yearbooks Collections | Access Genealogy
Internet Archive Search: yearbooks

 

[Susikatze]

My guess would probably be odd jobs such as something agricultural or a service. It’s honestly hard to tell.

Somehow it seems it was easier to get odd jobs back then. You could walk into a hotel or any kind of farm and ask if they needed help. Many of our Does actually worked in odd jobs like working at fairs, hotels, agriculture etc...
Or they both could have saved up some money (she may have saved a lot of money from her gigs and probably she also worked before she left) and he was 30 and had a very settled life and it seems also some means (clothing, dental work, jewelry), he must have had a well paying job before he hit the road.
Really, in the 1970s, many people after personal crisis or before life changing decisions (e.g. after college) went on the road for a year to see the world. It was at least in Europe super common to save enough to be able to after graduation (at 19) travel through Europe for a year with interrail (they had very cheap all access tickets for all major European trains).
The American equivalent was either hitchhiking or traveling across America in your own car or camper. I believe they had a camper, evidence at the scene points to it.
I dont think they were drug mules or involved into anything drugs (no evidence at all).
Just a young couple or two friends hitting the road for a beautiful summer of freedom before a new chapter in their life. Tbh, i would totally do that, too, if I could.

Somehow you can sense how happy and carefree they must have been... nice and summery clothing, both were tan and she didnt care about shaving her legs because she felt so comfortable.

And how many of you still have regular contact with your ex-es? And back then, if a child was in the picture, the sole custody normally always went to the mom (unless she was incapable for some severe reason). Shared custody/regular visitation rights are a fairly modern arrangement.

 

[Susikatze]

My theory is that it may have been a carjacking, they may have slept in the car and somebody took advantage. Or they may have been up early and picked up a carjacker who pretended to hitchhike.... evidence is the car was apparently forced to a dirt road from the main street, they were shot and dumped. No personal belongings with them except for what they had on their bodies. They must have had clean clothing, money and a food supply somewhere.

Stuff like this still happens sometimes. And in the 70s it was easier for robbers to hide evidence before DNA testing came around

 

[Ray_of_hope]

There will be a book soon by the volunteer investigator Matt McDaniel and it sounds like police have leads on the murderer. I found a blog site on the 'sumter mystery couple' with a .com at the end of it by Matt McDaniel.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Doesn’t this need to be updated?
189UFSC

 

[Ajaygee11]

When they said they had a POI it made me think it was someone else than the guy who was in possession of the murder weapon. Someone they haven't mentioned before. Am I the only one who understood it that way?

No, that is what I believe, possibly a younger person that LGH (the person in possession of the alleged murder weapon) knew, that he was either trying to cover for or intimidated by. Assuming it really was the Murder Weapon (i.e. the debate about the accuracy of 1970’s ballistics tests). Also there is the fact that they Polygraphed LGH and the results indicated that he was not responsible for the murder but seamed to indicate that he might have known who was and/or who was in possession of the gun at the time (that assumes that 1970’s Polygraph Tests were accurate, which is another debate). MOO.

 

[onceuponadecember]

This is incorrect

Oops! I mixed that up. I meant Pamela Kennell or Pamela Buckley-Kennell

 

[Betty P]

My guess would probably be odd jobs such as something agricultural or a service. It’s honestly hard to tell.

It may be wrong to assume the couple were wandering around the country. Pam had been living in Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs for several years. She probably had a regular job, especially after she divorced.

The same may apply for Jim Freund. He left PA some time ago and had possibly already settled into a job in the same area. Just because his family reported last talking to him by phone on Christmas 1975 doesn't mean he was missing immediately afterwards. Back in 1975, people didn't make a lot of long distance phone calls.

My theory is that he had settled in CO. He and Pam met each other at some point and decided to take a road trip in the summer of 1976. Both were dressed and groomed well at the time they were killed. It doesn't sound like they were living on the road or hitchhiking.

It's a terrible tragedy they were killed. They didn't deserve such terrible deaths, nor did their families and friends deserve to miss many years of their loving companionship and care. May they all have peace in their lives now.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

I’m so far out of my element here. I’m gonna take a wild guess though. Thoughts?
I don’t know who else to ask.

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/un...inn-county-oregon/alert-2020-05-02-oregon.pdf

CA - CA - Danielle Bisnell, 27, Redding, 11 Dec 2019

 

[Betty P]

I read somewhere that his mother met another man and moved far away sometime in/or around 67 one year after his father passed. And he had no siblings. So I wonder if he had even been traveling that long. Unless he had aunts/uncles, cousins, friends in town that he visited or visited him pretty frequently. And what about a job? When did he last report to work. Was he on some type of special leave from work? Was he self employed or on disability or something. Surely he spoke with a relative or friend during that 8 month period and gave some type of clue as to what he was up to. Wonder when his friends last spoke to him. Surely to goodness he didn’t go 8 months without contacting anyone. He was divorced and most divorced couples don’t have the best relationships. So maybe he wasn’t missing/traveling that long but just cut off contact with her, although you would think he’d keep in touch with his ex for at least his daughters sake. Also I find it odd like others for him to be reported missing in Dec. 75 when he last spoke to his ex wife on the phone Christmas Day unless he had arrangements sometime at the end of the month to get his daughter for the day or wknd and never showed. Oh, I could ask questions about these two all day.

He probably had contact with other people after that date, he just didn't have contact with his ex-wife, the person who reported him missing. He may have already moved out of town by then, maybe living in CO.

 

[onceuponadecember]

It may be wrong to assume the couple were wandering around the country. Pam had been living in Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs for several years. She probably had a regular job, especially after she divorced.

The same may apply for Jim Freund. He left PA some time ago and had possibly already settled into a job in the same area. Just because his family reported last talking to him by phone on Christmas 1975 doesn't mean he was missing immediately afterwards. Back in 1975, people didn't make a lot of long distance phone calls.

My theory is that he had settled in CO. He and Pam met each other at some point and decided to take a road trip in the summer of 1976. Both were dressed and groomed well at the time they were killed. It doesn't sound like they were living on the road or hitchhiking.

It's a terrible tragedy they were killed. They didn't deserve such terrible deaths, nor did their families and friends deserve to miss many years of their loving companionship and care. May they all have peace in their lives now.

It looks like the rumored Christmas Call was real according to several sources, so I'll ad that to my timeline.
Also, I wonder how James and Pam were so clean and taken care of if they were on the road? Maybe they were going to different hotels or couch surfing? It stumps me

 

[Betty P]

View attachment 280750
Matthew McDaniel has spent eight years investigating the cold case out of Sumter County. He said he became interested in the case because of the nature of the murder and the fact that couple had not been identified decades later. (Jan. 22, 2021 / FOX Carolina)

It was McDaniel's suggestion to authorities to partner with the DNA Doe Project, which uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does, that helped name James and Pamela after more than 40 years.

McDaniel has no connection to either of the victims, he doesn't even have any experience in Criminal Justice.

He has a degree in Civil Engineering.

"I just like to take things apart and see how they work and I have an appetite for mysteries," McDaniel explained.

He has worked with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office over the last few years, while conducting what he calls his own investigation.

On Thursday, the Sumter County Sheriff's Office announced a break in the case.

The big break came after McDaniel told investigators they should reach out to the DNA Doe Project.

Thanks to that conversation, James and Pamela were identified by the organization.

"It really is a big relief for me personally," said McDaniel.

The Sheriff's Office did announce plans to reopen the investigation and follow up with a person of interest.

McDaniel says that he has turned over everything he has gathered on the case over the last eight years to investigators, and says he is hopeful an arrest in the case will happen in the future.
Clemson man helped investigators identify murder victims from 1976 in Sumter County

Very nice of him and all the others who worked so long to help identify this couple.

 

[Betty P]

It looks like the rumored Christmas Call was real according to several sources, so I'll ad that to my timeline.
Also, I wonder how James and Pam were so clean and taken care of if they were on the road? Maybe they were going to different hotels or couch surfing? It stumps me

People didn't really couch surf back then, unless it was with relatives or close friends. I'm guessing they were on a vacation-type of trip and were either staying in motels and/or sleeping in the back of a van, if that's what he was driving. It would be interesting to see which stock car races were happening in that region at the time. Maybe he wanted to go see another race in FL and invited her along for the trip.

Just found this

The Talladega 500 was held on August 8, 1976

08/08/1976 race: Talladega 500 (Cup) - Racing-Reference.info

Remember, 1976 was the US Bicentennial Year. It was a very big deal and there were lots of events that summer specifically to celebrate the nation's 200th birthday.

 

[onceuponadecember]

People didn't really couch surf back then, unless it was with relatives or close friends. I'm guessing they were on a vacation-type of trip and were either staying in motels and/or sleeping in the back of a van, if that's what he was driving. It would be interesting to see which stock car races were happening in that region at the time. Maybe he wanted to go see another race in FL and invited her along for the trip.

The problem with the race theory is that we can't even verify if James actually attended the race or he just thrifted the shirt from another unknown place.
IMO