A perfect mob hit, a murderous drug dealer or a ravenous alligator? Police still baffled by beheading of husband, 88, and murder of his wife, 87, at their $1 million home

  • Russell Dermond's decapitated body was discovered in his garage on May 7
  • His wife, Shirley Dermond was found dead in a nearby lake two weeks later
  • She had been killed by a blow to the head and dumped in the water
  • Police still have no motive and no leads and have offered a reward to anyone with information

By James Nye

Published: 16:38 EST, 13 June 2014 | Updated: 16:38 EST, 13 June 2014

The unsolved beheading of a retiree and the killing of his elderly wife has so rattled their gated, lakeside Georgia community that neighbors are casting about for even outlandish explanations. Was it a mob hit? A drug dealer? A hungry alligator?

The peaceful neighborhood where the couple was found dead at the beginning of May hadn't seen as much as a burglary in recent memory.

Then, in early May, concerned friends found the headless body of Russell Dermond, 88, in the garage of his home on Lake Oconee.

The FBI has offered a reward of up to $20,000 as part of its search for missing Shirley Dermond whose 88-year-old husband was found beheaded
Mystery: No-one has been able to think of why anyone would want to harm Shirley and Russell. Nothing was taken, their cellphones and car keys were left behind. Police have ruled out a mob hit and that Russell was in witness protection. And their family they can't believe it is linked to the drug murder of son, Mark, in 2000

Tragic find: Shirley Dermond's body was found in a lake after searching for her since May 7, when her husband Russell was found murdered in their $1 million home

Shirley Dermond, 87, was originally thought to have been abducted until her body was found a few weeks later in the lake. Russell Dermond's head has still not been found.

Even though law enforcement thinks the Dermonds likely knew the person or people who attacked them, their advanced age, the beheading after he was killed, and the fact that it all happened in a seemingly secure community that has a manned guardhouse has left neighbors rattled, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.

'It is the prime topic of conversation around,' said Ron Bridgeman, senior editor of The Eatonton Messenger, a weekly newspaper. 'It has consumed hours and hours and hours of our time.'

Despite interviewing hundreds of people and looking through reams of records, Sills has been frustrated by the lack of obvious motive and is hoping for a breakthrough.

 

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And for the first time in his 18 years as sheriff and four decades in law enforcement, he's asked the public to donate to a reward fund.

He believes someone knows something and while they may not feel compelled by a sense of what's right and wrong, he said: 'I've found that almost all of them will respond to enough money, and we intend to offer enough money out there to spark that mercenary side of somebody.'

Sills says he can't even remember so much as a burglary in the Dermonds' community during his tenure as sheriff.

The surrounding county sees occasional domestic violence or drug-related killings but the last time there was a 'whodunit' murder, where they didn't immediately know who the killer was, was about five years ago, when a body was found beaten beyond recognition with no identification, Sills said.

But they made arrests in that case within a week.

Russell Dermond's decapitated body was found at their exclusive lake-front home last Tuesday, but his wife of 62 years Shirley has vanished in a suspected abduction

Gruesome: Russell Dermond's decapitated body was found at the couple's exclusive lake-front home on May 7

Discovery: Officers dredge a lake during the search for Shirley Dermond. Her body was found by a fisherman

Discovery: Officers dredge a lake during the search for Shirley Dermond. Her body was found by a fisherman

In quiet downtown Eatonton, about a dozen miles from the gated community of Great Waters where the Dermonds lived, antique shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants fill historic store fronts that have plaques outside saying what the building was originally — cotton warehouse, bank, grocery, barber shop.

And people there are talking about the mystery, said Karen Bridgeman, Ron Bridgeman's wife and the newspaper's managing editor. 'There are as many different theories as there are people in the county.'

Some of the most common are that the Dermonds, originally from New Jersey, had organized crime ties and were victims of a mob hit or that their deaths are related to the killing of their oldest son in 2000 in a drug deal gone bad.

The craziest tip authorities got was that it was likely a female alligator seeking food for her young, the sheriff said.

Sills is tired of all the theories and speculation. He has investigated the Dermonds' lives in depth and has determined that they worked hard, paid their taxes, went to church.

There's no indication of any illegal activity or association with unsavory characters, he said. There's no indication that anything was taken from the home.

He simply can't figure out who would want the Dermonds dead.

Russell Dermond had a corporate job and moved around until finally ending up in the Atlanta area. After he retired, he got into the fast food business, buying a number of chain restaurants.

When he retired for a second time, he and his wife moved south to Lake Oconee. He played golf regularly until a few years ago and still liked to take walks, the sheriff said.

Shirley Dermond was an avid bridge player, rarely missing the twice-weekly meetings of her club.

Concern: The alarm was raised when the couple failed to turn up to a Kentucky Derby party

Concern: The alarm was raised when the couple failed to turn up to a Kentucky Derby party

They lived a remarkably simple life, Sills said. Russell Dermond only had two credit cards and put everything on those to rack up rewards points.

He didn't even have an ATM card as he never carried cash, the sheriff said.

They were regulars at the Lake Oconee Community Church, missing services only when they went to visit their children in other states, Pastor David Key said.

They were social and clearly had money but didn't flaunt it, he said.

'They were just a nice, unassuming couple,' Key said.

The Dermonds had three sons and a daughter. Their oldest son had a serious drug problem and was shot to death while trying to buy drugs in a rough neighborhood in Atlanta in 2000, Sills said.

The Dermonds' oldest living son, Keith, did not return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The other two children could not be reached. But Sills said he's questioned all three at length and talks to at least one of them almost every day.

They've been extremely cooperative, answering his inquiries quickly and getting him any information he needs, Sills said.

Sills believes the Dermonds likely were at least acquainted with the person or people who killed them because there was no sign of forced entry and no sign of a struggle.

While he's not positive the killer or killers arrived and left by boat to reach the secluded cove where the couple's home sits, he's certain a boat was used to dispose of Shirley Dermond's body, which was found in the lake about five and a half miles from their home.

As he puts the pieces together slowly and hopes for some sort of a break, Sills said he remains undaunted.

'They've done a good job concealing themselves,' he said of the killers. 'We've got to do a better job of finding them.'

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serial killer??????

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They moved around alot which could be a clue but could be nothing, might be worth visiting the old neighbourhoods and asking around

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Sons left their drug debts in their parents name, simple answer, this is the kind of thing dealers do when the debts get too high, evil children, the silent one needs a good beating until he talks, but he doesn't want to drop his brother in it

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The oldest son had a serious drug problem and the other son won't talk. Drugs are involved. Scummy, breaking bad type drug dealers or desperate drug addicts that know the family from that oldest son. Mark my words, it will come out eventually.

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zeechen -The oldest son was killed in 2000 & if your parents had been killed would you want to talk to the press - read the damned article before commenting

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I think broken was referring to the couples "oldest living" son. as far as the press, if I had nothing to do with it, I would talk to anyone to try and find the killer or killers. p.s. don't be so rude!!

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I'd be looking at the neighbors since it is a gated community.

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Hungry alligator???

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Behead him, leave his body but take the head, beat the wife, remove & hide her body by boat, leave their valuables untouched. So the perp was overly violent with his body but less so with her, didn't take valuables so not drug related & killing was primary aim but overkill suggests it's not a mob hit. Why take her from the scene? To obfuscate? Spend time with her sexually? To extract information? I believe it's either a family member...or a member of the bridge club is younger than the usual demographic.

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...a relative? It's an unusual crime but with no established motive the family becomes the most likely perps. Anyone in the family experiencing cash flow problems?

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So far, the investigation has revealed nothing that would direct suspicion toward any of their children or family members. Or so the authorities are saying.

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Disgruntled ex housekeeper

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If they were a wealthy couple, offer their money as a reward. Quit asking the public to pay for a reward. Shoddy police work, as usual. Its as if nobody really cares anymore, as long as the paychecks keep coming.

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Where do you get the idea this is a matter of "shoddy" police work? Authorities are doing all they can. There simply isn't anything to be found. I live here. They're working very hard to solve this case.

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