The murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond | Ep 230

Summary

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Crime and Coffee Couple, Ep. 230

The Murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond

Hosts: Allison and Mike
Release Date: February 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, married hosts Allison and Mike delve into the tragic and still-unsolved murders of 88-year-old Russell Dermond and his 87-year-old wife, Shirley, in rural Georgia’s affluent Lake Oconee community. Known for balancing humor and empathy, the hosts provide an in-depth look at the couple’s golden years, the shocking crime, theories, and lingering questions—while keeping the conversation both poignant and relatable for listeners.

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Casual Banter & Introduction

(Begins at 01:03)

• Allison and Mike open with their signature light-hearted, affectionate banter and discuss relatable domestic woes (showering with broken hot water, messy home repairs, family holiday tales).
  • “Yeah, the hot water line's leaking ... It's been a pain.” — Mike (01:45)
  • “I was so sick to my stomach. We had no bathrooms available. I had to rush to the gas station to be sick.” — Allison (02:27)
• Their banter also touches on aging, family dynamics, and even a humorous midnight incident involving mysterious smells—underscoring their authenticity and long partnership.
  • “It smelled so bad. It woke me up, and I yelled out, why would she fart?” — Allison (07:03)
  • “And for any male listeners that found Allison attractive. Well, welcome to the party. Here, this is what you get.” — Mike (07:47)

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Case Introduction: The Dermond Murders

(Begins at 08:33)

• Allison transitions to the case with heartfelt empathy for vulnerable populations, setting the tone for a respectful exploration of the victims’ lives and tragic deaths.
  • “There’s just something about animals, babies, and the elderly ... so precious and innocent ... when something harmful happens ... it just breaks my heart.” — Allison (08:33)

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The Victims: Russell & Shirley Dermond

(Details begin at 10:24)

• The couple, married since 1950, were described as loving, active retirees. They owned Hardee’s fast food locations in Atlanta before retiring to a beautiful, gated lakeside community.
• Their five-bedroom, lakefront “dream home” was valued at $2.75 million in 2025 (sold post-murders for only $650,000).
  • “They owned ... a five bedroom, six bathroom, 5,800 square foot lakefront home ... on Lake Oconee.” — Allison (11:24)
  • “According to their son Brad, his parents were the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet.” — Allison (14:11)

Personal Details:

• Russell: Navy WWII veteran, avid golfer; Shirley: artist, writer, gardener, and bridge player.
• Deep family ties: three sons, one daughter, nine grandchildren.
• Tragedy already struck: their son Mark had been murdered in a 2000 drug deal.

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Timeline of Events & Discovery

(Case details unfold from 15:50 through ~27:23)

Last Known Movements:

• May 1, 2014: Russell seen running errands (bank, Publix grocery, picking up Shirley’s prescription).
• Last contact made with son Brad (routine check-ins).

Disappearance & Discovery:

• May 3: Missed a planned Kentucky Derby party—uncharacteristic, caused concern.
• May 6 (09:58): Neighbors Peggy and her husband checked the house, found an unclaimed newspaper and entered through the unlocked door. Russell was found decapitated in the garage; Shirley was missing.
  • “They found Russell’s headless body lying on the ground ... Peggy immediately picked up the phone and frantically dialed 911.” — Allison (16:36)

Crime Scene Details:

• The home was tidy, peaceful, and showed no sign of forced entry or struggle.
• Russell’s body: Found on the garage floor, decapitated, with evidence of a struggle (cuts, bruising); towels placed to contain blood.
• Shirley’s crossword puzzle left unfinished; clues hint at a morning or midday attack.
  • “Her unfinished crossword puzzle sat folded over on the kitchen table with a pencil on top.” — Allison (23:10)
• Russell’s head was missing, believed discarded in the lake to conceal ballistic evidence (gunshot residue found on his shirt).

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The Search for Shirley & Autopsy Findings

(27:23–33:14)

Search:

• Massive search involving drag hooks, search dogs, FBI, and pontoon boats.
• May 16, 2014: Two fishermen discovered Shirley’s bloated body five miles away in Lake Oconee, weighted with cinder blocks tied by parachute cord.
  • “They spotted what they initially believed was a buoy ... realized it was a body.” — Allison (30:12)
• The method of weighting was “amateur”—her body floated regardless.

Autopsy Findings:

• Shirley was killed by blunt force trauma (likely a hammer) to the head, not drowning.
• Russell's autopsy: Decapitation (clean cut through C5 vertebrae) listed as cause of death, but Sheriff Sills believes it was a gunshot and the decapitation was postmortem to hide ballistic evidence.
  • “Sheriff Sills believes that Russell’s cause of death ... was from a gunshot wound to the head ... took the time ... to conceal ballistic evidence.” — Allison (29:27)

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Investigation, Theories, and Troubling Questions

(33:14–42:04)

Immediate Obstacles:

• Security cameras in the neighborhood were inoperable due to recent lightning damage.
• No sign of theft: valuables, cash, credit cards, and jewelry were left untouched.

Theories & Motives Explored:

• Robbery/extortion attempt: Sills believes the perpetrators expected a ransom or cash, but the couple either couldn’t or wouldn’t comply.
  • “Sills began to believe that the Dermonds died in ... a botched robbery extortion.” — Allison (35:45)
• No evidence points to family involvement; children had airtight alibis and passed polygraphs.
• Outside possibilities: organized crime (mob), revenge connected to son’s history, a maintenance worker, or an opportunistic killer using the lake as access.
  • “There have been several theories ... New Jersey mob, a drug dealer seeking revenge ... nothing ever panned out ... no fingerprints, no foreign DNA, no eyewitnesses.” — Allison (37:52)
• The incomplete professionalism of the crime points away from professional killers.

Family & Community Grief:

• The Dermonds’ children struggle with “bittersweet” memories, the horror of the crime, and the frustration over lack of resolution.
  • “Losing parents at the same time ... is devastating. ... The pain and the fear that they endured ... I can’t imagine.” — Allison (42:04)

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New Developments & Hopes for Justice

(~42:59–50:00)

• The case is more than a decade old, but Sheriff Sills keeps it active.
• In 2024, a previously unknown DNA sample was recovered from Russell's clothing and submitted for genealogical analysis; so far, no CODIS match.
  • “In 2024 ... Russell’s clothing was further tested ... an unknown DNA sample ... thus far this sample has not been a match to anyone.” — Allison (43:17)
  • “We can only hope ... genealogical techniques ... will lead to this person or people.” — Allison (46:04)
• $45,000 reward remains for information leading to arrest.
• Hosts urge listeners to contact authorities if they have information: Putnam Co. Sheriff’s office, 706-485-8557.

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Hosts' Reflections, Practical Advice, and Closing Thoughts

(Throughout; especially 46:51–49:59)

• Expressions of sympathy and anger for the family and victims.
• Practical home security advice—install cameras, ensure alarms and systems are functional.
  • "I'm a security camera guy ... put a couple of those around your house ... it'll scan intelligently ... you need some cameras around your house." — Mike (48:30)
• Resentment for unsolved mysteries: “It’s so frustrating that somebody did this ... and they’re not caught.” — Allison (49:09)
• Emphasize the randomness and vulnerability felt in affluent, “safe” communities.
• Existential reflection: “My heart breaks for Shirley and Russell and their family ... these people are still out there.” — Allison (49:59)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On retirement dreams vs. vulnerability:
  “During retirement, this is a time that might be referred to as our golden years ... [but] it just breaks my heart.” — Allison (08:33)

• On the scene’s normality/jarring contrast:
  “The gruesome scene in the garage was a stark contrast to the tidiness of the inside ... an elderly couple that took pride in their home.” — Allison (22:06)

• On lingering pain and hope:
  “They’re left to only imagine the horrors of [their] parents’ last moments ... the image of Russell clutching hairs in his hands ... I can't imagine ...” — Allison (42:59)
  "I'm just so mad and angry. I can't imagine how this family feels." — Mike (45:50)

• On security:
  “Get your freaking security cameras working, people.” — Mike (33:46) “Have security cameras. I’m a security camera guy ... I have alerts on all our cameras ... so at least I can get up and do something about it.” — Mike (47:47)

• On unsolved mysteries:
  "Unsolved cases drive me absolutely insane ... it's so frustrating that somebody did this ... and they're not caught." — Allison (49:09)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:03 – 08:33: Hosts’ friendly banter and transition to the case.
• 08:33 – 10:24: Empathetic case introduction.
• 10:24 – 15:50: Background on the Dermonds’ lives.
• 15:50 – 27:23: Timeline of disappearance, discovery of Russell, and crime scene description.
• 27:23 – 33:14: Search for Shirley, autopsy results for both.
• 33:14 – 42:04: Theories, suspects, investigative obstacles.
• 42:59 – 46:51: Family trauma, new DNA evidence, genealogical developments.
• 46:51 – 49:59: Reflections, security tips, and emotional closure.
• 49:59 – end: Hopes for resolution, gratitude to listeners, podcast outro.

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Final Thoughts

The murder of Russell and Shirley Dermond is a heartbreaking and enigmatic case, one that the hosts treat with a balance of warmth, respectful curiosity, and communal resolve. While the investigation has hit roadblocks, the discovery of new DNA evidence and the continued pursuit by law enforcement, family, and those like Allison and Mike keep hope alive that answers—and justice—may still be found.

If you have information on this case, contact the Putnam County Sheriff's office at 706-485-8557.

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For more episodes:
Crime and Coffee Couple

Transcript

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[Alison]

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode with the crime and coffee couple. My name's Alison.

[Mike]

And my name's Mike.

[Alison]

Hello, Mike.

[Mike]

Hey, my beautiful, gorgeous queen. How are you?

[Alison]

I'm just fine. How are you?

[Mike]

Wow. You are just more beautiful by the day. I mean, a little older, but more beautiful by the day, I'd say.

[Alison]

Well, I was getting ready to sit down and do this and I'm in the chair and I'm like, I don't really know what I look like right now. So I pulled my phone out and I looked and I was like, ugh. Okay, well, here we are. So sorry, folks. Yeah, this is what you're getting today.

[Mike]

Yeah. And also sorry for me, I haven't showered in a couple days. We've still having that hot water issue. I don't know if we mentioned it.

[Alison]

On last week's show, either the bonus listeners or regular, I'm not sure, but there's a leak of our son's, like, of course it's in my room. Of course.

[Mike]

Yeah, the hot water line's leaking, so to take a shower. I don't know, it's. It's been a pain and luckily I'm going to try to get out to a hotel today for business stuff. It's all business.

[Alison]

He's leaving his family so that he could go to a nice peaceful hotel room, take a hot shower.

[Mike]

I haven't officially booked it yet. I might just go tomorrow morning.

[Alison]

Well, that'd be fine by me because I was saying, oh, this is very reminiscent of when we had our new flooring put down and it was the depths of hell. Dust everywhere. The kids were supposed to be out of the house while I was at work. My mom did not take them out of the house. It was awful. Our cat was so dusty.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Our.

[Alison]

My mom was dry heaving cat was.

[Mike]

Dusty and my mom was dry. He. That's terrible.

[Alison]

I was so sick to my stomach. We had no bathrooms available. I had to rush to the gas station to be sick.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Alison]

And he's telling me about a charcuterie board that he had at this lovely restaurant. I said, do not tell me about your charcuterie.

[Mike]

Why don't we remind our friends about the last hurricane that came through? And when we lost power and had to run the whole house off of a generator. Where were you? I was in Boston with your girlfriend, so.

[Alison]

But that was a pre planned trip.

[Mike]

It was. Yeah, so was mine. So I guess we're equal then, aren't we? Oh, that's so funny. Things are funny. Funny things are funny when Allison does it. Things are bad when Mike does it. That's. That's a life we leave. That's all right. Right?

[Alison]

We were reminiscing about our trip to Chicago over the holidays and just how crazy it was. And by the way, Mike's parents listen to our podcast. Hello, Grammy and Grammy Papa.

[Mike]

If he's there, we'll see.

[Alison]

We love you. We were like, oh, my gosh, this house is insane. We're sitting on the couch one evening. Mike's dad is falling asleep on the couch. Mike's mom is in the bedroom with the TV frickin blasting.

[Mike]

And just so you know, if you can picture this, my dad falls asleep on the couch. If you're watching this on YouTube, just check out YouTube real quick. He looks like this.

[Alison]

His head is tilted back, his mouth is wide open.

[Mike]

And you think that he's like, dead. He actually. I send Snapchats of him all the time because he looks like he's dead.

[Alison]

And so his mom's in the other room, which is very close by in the bedroom. And the TV is blaring because she can't hear very well. It's in Spanish. She doesn't recognize that it's in Spanish. She cannot understand Spanish. So she's watching a show, not realizing. And then Mike's dad sits up in the middle of his sleep and starts talking in his sleep about his baseball fantasy camp when he was part of the White Sox fantasy camp.

[Mike]

Yeah, he just came up out of nowhere, like, oh, yeah, back my first fantasy camp. I. And he like fell back asleep. We're just like, whoa.

[Alison]

I'm in the kitchen. Mike's on the couch. We're staring at each other, and I'm like, what the hell?

[Mike]

We got two tickets to the nut house. Well, four tickets with our whole family. It was interesting. I mean, we love our family. You, luckily, you love my family, too, which is great.

[Alison]

Oh, I consider your family my family.

[Mike]

Yeah. That's why it's so funny. It's like we're talking about our own parents.

[Alison]

Oh. And we would say this to Mike's mom's face and Mike's dad's face.

[Mike]

Oh, gladly.

[Alison]

Yeah.

[Mike]

And then later, the next, she actually, my mom had me come in because she was listening to the tv. She's like, michael, is this in Spanish or English? I'm like, you have it, like, at super loud levels and you can't tell me if you hear English or Spanish. I'm like, it's English. You're good, mom. You're good. Keep on going. And then real quick, did you want to just kind of refer. You know, these are some of our best, closest friends. Everybody listening.

[Alison]

I know you're not going to talk about what happened, and you don't have.

[Mike]

To say the exact event that happened.

[Alison]

You are not going to talk about this.

[Mike]

These are. You asked. We always talk about what we're going to talk about on the show before, but I didn't mention this on purpose because I want to put you on the spot.

[Alison]

I assumed you would know better.

[Mike]

Yeah, no, I don't. And I just think I want to take advantage of a silly situation. So I got into bed last night and it was late because I was working on some new stuff on the podcast. You guys might notice we have a cold open in the video podcast now.

[Alison]

And it was like one in the morning, which I had already been in bed for hours at this point.

[Mike]

Yeah. So I get into bed and I'm scrolling just like usual. I scroll on my phone for like 10 minutes, and right as I'm shutting it off, I actually, honestly, I was a little afraid of you because I heard you, like, rumbling. I was like, oh, crap. I got to shut off my phone and make sure she doesn't think I'm awake. It's basically like living with your mother, which is.

[Alison]

I feel the same way. When I've been in bed for a while and I'm reading, I expect you're going to come in and be like, why are you still.

[Mike]

Are you kidding?

[Alison]

I'm not even joking. I get scared.

[Mike]

Okay, well, good. Yeah, keep it up. So I walk in and, you know, I'm watching my Phone. I shut it off right away because she moves. And then. And then. So she. It turns out she woke herself up. I'll let her say why she woke herself up, but at the same time, she was angry at me for waking her up with a natural body occurrence.

[Alison]

Okay, he is gaslighting me. All of you, I'm going to tell you this.

[Mike]

There's definitely gaslighting involved here. Okay. So there. And it's not the gaslighting you're thinking of. So I look at her. Oh, and we also have a wind tunnel in our room. So it's just like. There's music machines and like, white noise.

[Alison]

Like it's white noise.

[Mike]

Yeah. And there's all sorts of. So it's like. It basically sounds like this in our room. And so she's just like. And I can hear something because she always gets angry and frustrated. I know she's mad at me for doing this thing. And I was. I didn't know what she was mad at yet. And then it comes over, and I was just like, oh, man. I thought one of the cats took a huge dump in our bed, but the cats don't sleep in our room. I thought I was looking around, I was looking in the bed. I was feeling around. I was like, oh, my God. And it just wouldn't stop.

[Alison]

It smelled so bad. It woke me up, and I yelled out, why would she fart?

[Mike]

I didn't hear any of this.

[Alison]

It wouldn't go away. I was dying to stench. I was convinced as well that one of the cats pooped in the room, which they don't do that. But sometimes when our. Our black cat is afraid, he hides in Mike's closet.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Alison]

So I thought maybe he. He did.

[Mike]

I had seen both cats before I went to sleep, so I knew they weren't in there, but I thought it was from before, but I'm like, but it just start. Oh, and she's angry at me when she should be. You know, when you're pointing a finger at somebody, you got three of them pointing right back or four of them pointing right back at you.

[Alison]

So I don't know, maybe the Japanese food that I ate for dinner didn't sit well. But I. I am convinced you are lying to me, and it was you.

[Mike]

There's a lot of in there. That thing, if anything it's going to come out of. It's going to be you. So I apologize to our listeners if you're gagging and throwing up.

[Alison]

Oh, my God, it was awful.

[Mike]

And for any male listeners that found Allison. Attractive. Well, welcome to the party. Here, this is what you get.

[Alison]

So, you know, this is real life.

[Mike]

Or a female listener. Sorry.

[Alison]

Stuff happens.

[Mike]

Yeah, it does. It does.

[Alison]

It happens.

[Mike]

And I'm going to. It's going to take a while, but I'm going to love you again.

[Alison]

And I always say I have ibs, so I will. Even if I'm miserable, I will never divorce you because I cann start dating someone new and be like, I have to run to the bathroom.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's like your whole life is going to be talking about finding bathrooms.

[Alison]

Well, that's where I reference this van Life videos that I watch. And the people are like, yeah, we can only pee in the van. And I'm like, that would. It would never work for me. Yeah, because it could be. I could be fine one second and then running to the bathroom or sleeping.

[Mike]

One second and then waking yourself up from putrid smells.

[Alison]

You guys, I'm so sorry for this. This is so embarrassing.

[Mike]

I feel sorry for me. That's what I'm trying to get at. I have to live with this. So.

[Alison]

All right, on that note, shall we dive? Horrific cup of coffee. This is a terribly sad and tragic case. In my mind. There's just something about animals, babies, and the elderly that I find to be just so precious and innocent. And when something harmful happens to any of that population, it just breaks my heart. So that's just a little segue into this case. So this is a listener suggestion from Miag and Stephanie. And this is the murders of Russell and Shirley Durmand. So after many decades of hard work and determination, you know, we're aging, but through maybe five decades, we've been busting our tails to work and support a family and a household. And then our natural thoughts begin to focus on the idea of retirement. And during retirement, this is a time that might be referred to as our golden years, a time that we are no longer tied to our alarm clock. We don't necessarily know if it's Monday or Sunday because it doesn't really matter to me.

[Mike]

That kind of sounds a little sad. I always want to have something to wake up for.

[Alison]

The way that I see it is when I retire because I can't imagine. There has never been a time in my life that I wasn't working because I worked for my parents company when I was in eighth grade, they would pay me to help them. And then I transitioned to working in college and then my career. So there's never been a time in my life other than the 12 weeks that I was on maternity leave with both of our kids that I haven't been working. So I don't think I'd be very good at retirement, but I'd want to do something.

[Mike]

Well, good news. We're gonna be doing this podcast for the rest of our lives.

[Alison]

I hope so. And also traveling. But it would be nice to just not have to stress so much about like corporate America.

[Mike]

Oh, for sure. I mean, for my corporate people listening. I love my job, but I mean, I would love to do this podcast full time. That's the goal.

[Alison]

I mean, most people would admit that that's the truth. So really what we could think of though is that A, will have enough money to enjoy our retirement and B, will in good health in order to do so. So in 2014, Russell and Shirley Derman were enjoying their retirement. They were living in a gorgeous one million dollar home within a gated neighborhood along Lake oconee near Eatonton, Georgia. This is a location about 80 miles southeast of Atlanta.

[Mike]

Wow. And a million dollar home in Georgia in like southeast of Atlanta an hour. That's a nice home.

[Alison]

Yeah, it's a beautiful area and it's known as Georgia's lake country. And it's home of nearly of water with Lake Aon and Lake Sinclair combined.

[Mike]

Oh, it sounds like a dream.

[Alison]

Yeah. I thought of you as I was researching this because we vacationed several times in Georgia, we live in Florida, so it's, you know, maybe a eight hour drive. We can get up there and it's beautiful. There's mountains in Georgia, lakes. We've done both. So the town of Eatonton, which was established in 1808, is surrounded by farms, churches and historic Victorian homes and rural roads that lead to this gorgeous lake country. You know, encourage visitors to stop along these tiny little roadside stands that sell pecans, peaches, boiled peanuts. You know, we're in the heart of the south here, so. Although rural Putnam county has a population of 21,353back in 2015, during the summer months though, these numbers would more than double as vacationers flock to this beautiful Lakeside communities. So 88 year old Russell Durmond and his 87 year old wife Shirley Durmond had moved away from Atlanta around the turn of the century to retire to the great waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee. This is a subdivision where they were living, they owned, according to Zillow. Currently it's a five bedroom, six bathroom, 5,800 square foot lakefront home and a wooded Culdesac at 147 Carolyn Drive. And it overlooked a cove in a golfing neighborhood on Lake Oconee. So there's many homes within the neighborhood that are not lakefront. Theirs was on the lake, which made it that much more desirable. So the estimated value of the home at the end of 2025 was 2.75 million, according to Zillow. A little less on some other sites.

[Mike]

Man. Yeah. And what did they do for a living?

[Alison]

I'll tell you. So I will say though, that back in 2015, this house sold for 650,000.

[Mike]

Probably because of what happened.

[Alison]

Probably. So In May of 2014, the couple who were each from New Jersey had gotten married back in December15 of 1950. They were only about 7 and 12 months from celebrating their 64th wedding anniversary. There is something near and dear in my heart for the elderly.

[Mike]

You absolutely love old folks.

[Alison]

I've always connected with my grandparents. I worked in a Hospital for 21 years. I love a sweet married couple. I have met countless of them and I would just ask them, please tell me your secrets. The love and respect after 70 years of marriage is just something that would seriously bring tears to my eyes when I'd be having these conversations. So throughout their marriage, Russell had been in the Navy, he served in World War II. The couple ended up having three sons and one daughter together. This is Mark, Keith, Brad and Leslie. They had nine grandchildren together. So sadly though, on August 30, 2000, their son Mark, he died on his 47th birthday. He In a drug deal gone wrong when he was shot and killed while attempting to purchase crack cocaine near the Atlanta University Center. So after he was shot three times in the neck and torso, 28 year old Chatak Hanet was arrested. So just very tragic. You know, you work so hard and you have these beautiful children and then to think that your, your adult child is grip gripped with drug addiction.

[Mike]

Yeah, it really sucks. I mean, odds are when you have have that many kids, you know something's going to happen. You're just kind of playing the odds and addiction or something like that. Unfortunately.

[Alison]

Terribly sad. So Russell and Shirley were a religious couple and they put their family above all else. Although Brad and Keith lived in Florida and Leslie lived in North Carolina. During the summer of 2014, just like every other summer, their grandchildren were scheduled to come to Lake Oconee. They would attend summer camp nearby and then they would visit their grandparents. According to their son Brad, his parents were the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet. So after working in the fast food industry, you were asking what they did for a living and owning several Hardee's locations in Atlanta.

[Mike]

Hardee's.

[Alison]

Hardee's, yes. Shirley and Russell retired from Roswell, Georgia in 1994. So despite the retirement, the couple remained very active. And that's what I would want my retirement to look like. I'd want to be part of, of, you know, activities and, you know, socializing and traveling.

[Mike]

A lot of pickleball. A lot of pickleball.

[Alison]

That would be wonderful. So Russell was an avid golfer and Shirley was an artist. She was a writer. She loved gardening, playing bridge with her friends. She was known to always complete a crossword puzzle in the morning over breakfast, which is so cute.

[Mike]

You just picture her working on it. Oh, it's so cute.

[Alison]

And of course, they spent a lot of time with their grandchildren and their family. So their home on Carolyn Drive gave them total privacy. There's tons and tons of trees here. You're not looking at your next door neighbor's house, you're surrounded by trees, and then there's this beautiful lake in your backyard. So they had stunning views of the lake. And since the area was quiet and gated, it gave them a sense of safety that was real because this was virtually a crime free area. So the last time the Germans were ever seen was on Thursday, May 1, 2014, when Russell headed out to run some errands. This was very typical. It was before dinner and he was just getting some stuff done. So at 2:15pm he pulled up to the Lake Aoni branch of People's Bank. He was transferring money for an upcoming insurance expense. And from here he headed over to Publix. At 2:30pm he was picking up some groceries. He was also grabbing a prescription for his wife from the pharmacy there because she had this upcoming cataract surgery scheduled. So once home, Russell chatted with her son Brad, as they did most days of the week. You know, when you're, you have elderly parents, you worry about their safety. You want to check in, make sure they're okay. So when Russell and Shirley hadn't shown up for a planned Kentucky Derby party that was being held two days after they were last seen. This is Saturday, May 3, 2014. Neighbors started to grow concerned. So when they still hadn't seen movement from their house three days later, they decided to walk over and check on the elderly couple on Tuesday, May 6th at 9:58am so on that warm spring morning, 72 year old Margaret or Peggy Wynn and her husband approached the dermen screen porch and they noticed an unclaimed newspaper sitting in the Driveway. So right off the bat that's, you know, not typical because we know that Shirley grabs the paper, she sits at the breakfast table and works on her crossword puzzles. So Peggy walked up the few steps that were situated between two green bushes and she entered the couple's home through their unlocked front door. And obviously she probably knocked and rang the doorbell and no one answered, so she tried the door. So as she and her husband made their way through the home, it was very quiet. There was absolutely no sign of Shirley or Russell. So when they reached the garage though I will tell you, this is a horrifying scene. They found Russell's headless body lying on the ground. Peggy immediately picked up the phone and she frantically dialed 911 and she said to the dispatcher, yes, hello, I have an emergency. I think I have somebody dead. And she went on to explain that they went over to their neighbors to check on them because they hadn't seen them. They'd been missing for somewhere around four days. They only found Russell's body while Shirley was nowhere to be found. So deputies Daryl Turk and Barrick Wood responded to the home at 10:09am and contacted dispatch for backup because they know they're coming to a scene of something. I will tell you. Before their arrival, for whatever reason, police initially thought maybe they were dealing with a suicide. So Chief Deputy Blank, Lieutenant John Murphy and Sheriff Sills, they all followed shortly behind and they approached the white two car garage. So at 10:15am when Sheriff Sills briefly searched the home, he came upon the decapitated body of 88 year old Russell Durmond. And he was lying on the garage floor behind a cream colored Lincoln Town Car and a light blue Lexus suv. So Russell's faded red T shirt had been partially pulled up and it was exposing his belly button down to the waistband of his blue and white striped boxer shorts. His boxer shorts were covered in dried blood and his headless remains were positioned on top of his bunched up robe. This is just so horrifying, so sad that someone did this to this 88 year old man.

[Mike]

I mean I can't even imagine. It's just such a terrible situation.

[Alison]

So there were several different colored towels that were lined up at the garage door along the area where the door would close and meet the ground. And it was pretty obvious that these towels were there to keep the blood from seeping out from under the garage door and thus alerting neighbors. So the towels were next to the left side of Russell's body and above the area where his head once was now. There was just a pool of congealed blood and bodily fluids there. So along the right side of Russell's body were additional towels that appeared to have been used to soak up excess blood from the extensive injuries that he suffered. However, rather than the killer actually doing anything in cleaning the blood, they literally just further spread it around the garage. So while Russell's loafer style slippers had been haphazardly tossed to the side of his body, his bare feet were splotchy in appearance with blood stains that left a dull trail of blood that smeared from the door to his body. His hands were bruised. They were bloodied. There was a deep gash that had been inflicted to his left index finger. And although his wife was not there, there were fine strands of hair tangled within the blood. And it's likely that he fought whoever was attacking them to protect his beloved wife of, you know, what did I say it was? 60 some odd years of marriage.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's admirable. I mean, you know, he's an old guy, probably didn't stand much of a chance, but you got to go down fighting, right?

[Alison]

So Russell's driver's license listed him at 5 foot 5 and 175 pounds, which matched the height and the weight of the victim that was lying on the garage floor. Of course, investigators are assuming this is Russell, but, you know, they have to be 100. Sure.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Alison]

So this is just such a sick and tragic fact. But because his head was nowhere to be found, authorities were unable to match the 88 year old's gray hair and brown eyes to his description.

[Mike]

Sure.

[Alison]

So the gruesome scene in the garage was a stark contrast to the tidiness of the inside of the Derman's immaculate home. This was an elderly couple that took pride in their home, and they kept it so tidy.

[Mike]

I'm sure they paid like cleaners and stuff and had, you know, just always up to.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right.

[Alison]

I always think of my grandma's home. She always kept it so tidy. And she was like 93 years old.

[Mike]

I mean, their house was huge. 5,200, whatever square feet that's. That's gigantic. You need help.

[Alison]

So there was no sign of forced entry or a struggle. Obviously, we know that the door was left unlocked because that's how Peggy and her husband had gotten in. Nothing seemed at all out of place. Jewelry and medications seemed where the couple had likely left them. The prescriptions that we know Russell had picked up from the pharmacy five days earlier on Thursday, when they he was last seen Were sitting there on the kitchen counter next to several fame framed photos of the grandchildren, as well as a small vase that held a single white flower. Their laptop was open. It was sitting on the dining room table. There was an open case that held a pair of glasses. And Shirley's unfinished crossword puzzle sat folded over on the kitchen table with a pencil on top.

[Mike]

That's exactly how I picture it. You know, you take the paper and you fold it over. You have the crossword right there and you're working on it all day.

[Alison]

So while I was doing this research, I was picturing the scene of the house as well as what Russell was found wearing. You know, he's wearing a red t shirt, boxer shorts, and a robe. His slippers are nearby. I'm trying to picture, did this happen at night before bed, or did this happen midday in the morning? What happened here?

[Mike]

Crossword tells me in the morning.

[Alison]

That's what I'm thinking too. So there was a calendar sitting near the phone with Shirley's upcoming cataract surgery noted, as well as a thank you card from one of their grandchildren. A Netflix movie rental return was sitting on the counter near a jewelry bag that had been undisturbed. It had a gray beaded necklace sitting on top.

[Mike]

Oh, wow. Netflix movie rental. Real quick for those kids out there. Like, you used to have to send it back in the mail, like back and forth. Yeah, that's crazy.

[Alison]

Yes. So this is in 2014. I don't remember what time we stopped doing that.

[Mike]

I don't know.

[Alison]

I think we were still living in Illinois. So once inside the couple's bedroom, police found the bed that was unmade with the comforter pulled down and over the bench that was positioned at the foot of the bed. And meanwhile, throw pillows were tossed to the side. So in my mind, I'm thinking this is an extremely tidy couple who probably made the bed routinely Right after they got up in the morning, maybe they went and had their breakfast and worked on their crossword puzzle. But I have no doubt in my mind that Russell and Shirley made their bed every single morning.

[Mike]

Because they're your spirit animal, basically. Like you make your bed first thing all the time.

[Alison]

I do it just to me, it's. It puts the room together. In our house is one level. So you see our room very often. It's not like we have two floors that are separating this. So that's just another piece where I'm trying to picture, did this happen at night or in the morning?

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[Mike]

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[Alison]

So clothing was placed on a chair with shoes underneath, and a pair of khaki shorts, a green polo shirt and dark gym shoes were also in the bedroom. The dresser, which had been recently dusted, held a cell phone and a framed wedding photo. Shirley's slippers had been placed under a pink ottoman in the master bathroom, and on her vanity were two black purses, cash, perfume, makeup and brushes. And since Shirley was missing, Sheriff Sills called on his team to search the lake with the county's patrol boat using drag hooks. Another team was sent to the nearby woods because like I said, their house was surrounded by woods and trees and they had search dogs in tow. Although it has never been found, Sheriff Sills believes that Russell's head was likely discarded in Lake Oconee. So after she was reported missing, the FBI offered a twenty thousand dollar reward for Shirley. And soon after, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, they launched a specialty equipped pontoon boat in order to search the lake. So when the GBI State Crime Lab performed an autopsy on Russell's mildly decomposed body on Thursday, May 8, Dr. Sandra Thomas noted postmortem decapitation at the base of the neck with a clean cut through the C5 vertebral body and the spinal cord. She determined that his cause of death was from craniocerebral trauma from a single clean cut that transected the cervical vertebral body. Easy for me to say.

[Mike]

Yeah, I, I definitely don't understand any of that.

[Alison]

So she's saying, based on the information that she has, that it was his decapitation that is what killed him. So obviously his manner of death was a homicide. Based on the fingerprints that were on file from Russell's time that was served in the US Navy, a positive identification was made. Sarah? Sheriff Sills believes that Russell's cause of death, even though the medical examiner said it was from the decapitation, the sheriff believes that it was from a gunshot wound to the head. And this is because gunshot residue was found on the collar of Russell's shirt. And they believe that whoever did this took the time to do such a horrible thing and decapitate him in order to conceal the ballistic evidence. Because when a bullet is recovered, it can pinpoint a killer. So it's likely that the gunshot wound is what killed Russell.

[Mike]

Jeez.

[Alison]

So deputies were exceptionally concerned for Shirley's witness. Well, being believing that she could have been abducted, maybe she was being held somewhere for ransom or whatever. So not only was her car at the house, but as, as well as her purse and her cell phone was there as well. So 10 days after Russell's body was found, two men were out fishing. Because of course, this is lake country, there are a lot of people out and about on their boats puttering around, fishing. So these guys were about five miles from the Durman's home near the Green county shore of Lake oconee. This is May 16th. So at about 2:24pm they spotted what they initially believed was a buoy that was floating in the water. Until they got closer to the object and realized that it was likely A body. So when they dialed 91 1, Dennis Higgs told the dispatcher that he saw what he appeared to be a body that was floating in the water against a tree. And he indicated that he did not want to get any closer. He wanted police to come out. So when Lieutenant Luke arrived at the scene via patrol boat, he came upon a severely bloated and badly decomposed body. By 3pm the rescue team had pulled the white female victim from the water and noted that she had two 30 pound red cinder blocks that were tied around each of her ankles over the white socks that she wore. The blocks were inside of this bluish gray mesh bag and it was held in place by a parachute cord for the purpose of weighing this woman down.

[Mike]

This is crazy, man. This is like Goodfellas stuff, like mob stuff.

[Alison]

It really is. So according to investigators, though, the way that these blocks were adhered to this female victim's body, whoever had done this had not been a professional killer because the way that they had been utilized on what ended up being Shirley's body would not have worked. And it didn't work because she was found floating on the surface.

[Mike]

Sure.

[Alison]

So the female victim recovered from the water wore army green capri pants with soggy tissues that were inside the pockets, a brown and tan floral short sleeve shirt, and laced size 8 white easy spirit shoes with orthopedic inserts. Her appearance was consistent with Shirley Durman, who stood at 5 foot 2. So unlike Russell, Shirley was dressed and wearing shoes at the time that she was killed. So using dental records, Shirley was positively identified while her autopsy was performed by Dr. Jonathan Eiden Stats the following day on May 17th. So he noted that she had been struck at least twice in the head with a circular weapon, likely a hammer. And this caused a skull fracture as well as hemorrhaging in her brain. And her manner of death was homicide, while her cause of death was blunt impact injury to the head. So despite an exhaustive investigation that involved hundreds of interviews, there was absolutely not a single suspect. There was no clear motive whatsoever.

[Mike]

I mean, this has got to be somebody in the family that's looking for some money once their death happens. Some kind of inheritance. Gotta be.

[Alison]

So when Sil searched Shirley and Russell's financial records, he poured over eight years worth of records, and he noted that their expenditures were real, remarkably routine. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Sadly, the community security cameras within the neighborhood where Russell and Shirley lived were not functioning because they had been damaged during a lightning storm only a few weeks before their murders.

[Mike]

Now, I am biased. But man, get your freaking security cameras working, people.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

This.

[Mike]

And I guarantee you right after this happened, they made sure to spend a ton of money on security cameras. That's how it works in this industry, unfortunately.

[Alison]

And you know, we're talking about a subdivision that, that has multi million dollar homes. Like fix your damn cameras. So Sheriff Sills is confident that both Russell and Shirley's murders were not committed at their home. He also believes that it was not a random crime. So since Shirley had been struck in the head at least twice, physical evidence would have been left behind that was not found at their home. And though investigators believe that Russell's head was removed in the garage, based on the blood that was there, they do not think that he was actually killed there because odds are he was shot and that's why he was decapitated. There was no blood spatter that indicated that he had been shot in the house. So because Shirley's remains were found in the water and they lived on this lake, both murders could have potentially happened out on the water on a boat. So up until that point, the neighborhood where they lived, like I had said, was virtually crime free. And it could have been reached by car, foot or boat. Although there was a guardhouse that was situated at the front of the neighborhood, there was obviously no way to prevent someone from trolling up to the homes via the lake.

[Mike]

Sure.

[Alison]

So based on the investigation, Cells believes that the couple were killed sometime between 4:30pm on Friday, May 2, at the time that the mail was delivered, somewhere between 4pm on Saturday, May 3. This is when Russell and Shirley missed their party. So as time went on, Sills began to believe that the Derman's died in what he referred to as a botched robbery extortion in which they were unable to deliver whatever cash or valuables a bad person or people had demanded from them.

[Mike]

All right. I'm sure a lot of their stuff is in like in bonds and you know, investment. Like not liquid as they would say. Liquid meaning like, you know, people with tons of money don't just have money.

[Alison]

Sitting in their bank account and accounts.

[Mike]

Like they might have. I mean they probably do have more than like us, you know, like a 20 grand, something like sitting in their savings just in case. But like all their big money is out in stocks and bonds.

[Alison]

Right. I always wonder like what a rich person like Elon Musk, when he opens his bank account, what numbers in there?

[Mike]

A lot of. A lot of zeros.

[Alison]

Zeros I can't even wrap my head around seeing in There money is not.

[Mike]

Even a thing to him. It does. It's not a worry. It's not. There's no bank account. It's just kind of like you kind of magic. You go like, I want a jet. And then it shows up.

[Alison]

So investigators don't believe that Mark. This is Russell and Shirley's son who was murdered back. I forgot what year I had mentioned was at all connected to this because his was just, you know, a drug buy gone wrong. So their surviving sons and daughter had been nowhere near their parents home when they were murdered. They each had a solid alibi. They took polygraph tests. They passed. They were a really loving family.

[Mike]

Yeah, I mean, well, at the same time, the first, like, look at me. I said that you gotta think they're going after money. That's where it is. 99 of the time.

[Alison]

Obviously we. I thought the same thing when I was doing research. You think about the most obvious thought. Did somebody want an early inheritance? So the, you know, the. The children continue to hold out hope that their parents, killer or killers would be found. And when I say children, these are adults we're talking about. They have their own children. So In May of 2015, it emerged that there had been a mystery man that was spotted on the Derman's property around the time frame of the murders. Sills tracked him down, the sheriff and interviewed him, but no arrests were made as he deduced that it would have been physically impossible for him to have committed the murders, whatever it was. And obviously this is a case that haunts sheriff Sills. If he could get this person, he would have. So I believe whatever it is conclusion he came to meant that this person couldn't have done it.

[Mike]

It sounds like this is an open investigation, so it can't be shared. Why he's not exactly.

[Alison]

So. Sills is confident that more than one person was responsible, as it is highly unlikely that a single individual had been able to carry out the murders by themselves. So there have been several theories as to who could have been responsible for their deaths. They speculated this New Jersey mob, a drug dealer seeking revenge. You know, maybe someone that was tied to their son, that wanted to come back around and do something terrible to the family, maybe even a family member. But the, you know, like I said, the investigators are confident that their. Their children had nothing to do with this. However, nothing ever panned out due to the lack of an obvious motive. No fingerprints were found at the scene, no foreign DNA, no eyewitnesses. They've looked into other similar cases where an elderly couple was murdered. But there have been no cases that are tr. Truly very similar to this case. So at this point, investigators are only left to hope that someone will come forward with some sort of information. We all know that killers like to, you know, flap their jaws and talk about what they did. Maybe they've gone out and gotten drunk and their inhibitions are lowered and they might say something damning and they have.

[Mike]

This on their conscience too.

[Alison]

Right? It's on their conscience. And that's what they're hoping as that maybe someone's conscience will come calling and someone will come forward with some information.

[Mike]

So when you said their finances were very kept the same and so there was no big expenditure at any point or paying somebody. Okay, that's not at all. And somebody with this size of a house clearly has lots of people helping them. So you're going to have maintenance workers inside and outside the house, probably contractors. I'm sure they're very busy updating their contract kitchens and bathrooms and stuff like that. That's the problem. It could be any of these people.

[Alison]

And you know, when you're thinking about elderly people, if you're somewhere around our age, your parents are elderly and they're susceptible to scammers and you have to watch out who's popping over to your parents home, who's talking them into signing X, Y or z.

[Mike]

Well, not even scammers. Sometimes legit companies too. Like my parents just signed a solar agreement, like, and now they're on the hook for like 15 years because some dude came in like, yeah, you're getting to this is zero cost, zero up front. Now they're signed in for 15 years of the solar company. And ADT also took advantage of them and has a new doorbell in there. It's like neither of none of us knew it because they just came in and boom, took care of it.

[Alison]

Right, Exactly. So Keith Derman indicated that what he and his family have gone through in the wake of their parents murders is something that he would not wish on their worst enemy. Losing parents at the same time, in and of itself is devastating. But the fact that his parents were brutalized in such a horrific way, paired with the fact that their killer or killers is still out there, only compounds the pain that they carry. So Keith is frustrated by the fact that the security cameras within their parents very wealthy neighborhood were not functioning and how visitors license plates weren't routinely recorded and how really most anyone could have driven in undetected. Oftentimes those guard gates are just there for a show. Yeah, basically.

[Mike]

Well, like My parents place, it's like you just say like, yeah, hey. And they're like, all right.

[Alison]

Yeah, it's like, oh, that was really secure. So although according to Keith, they say that his parents, they obviously lived in a very wealthy neighborhood. They were well off, but they were not super rich compared to some of the other homes. And of course I pulled up this neighborhood and I was looking at some like, like 20 million dollar homes in this place.

[Mike]

Yeah, I mean, but there's. Okay, everybody listening to this is probably like, well, I mean, a million and a half dollar home, that's pretty rich. Like if they probably have a few million, that's, that's living a nice life.

[Alison]

But wouldn't a couple be targeted that's in one of the twenty million dollar homes.

[Mike]

Maybe they have better security. Who knows? You know, it's whoever was like the same maintenance people aren't doing all the same stuff at every single house. You know, you just had the wrong person there. They wanted to take advantage of this couple.

[Alison]

So he's even speculated, you know, maybe a serial killer was involved. Maybe there was no motive whatsoever than someone being psychotic.

[Mike]

Sure.

[Alison]

So Brad Durman is left with bittersweet memories of his parents because that, as well as all these unanswered questions in their mind, is all that remains. Because his parents were elderly. Mike and I can relate. You, you just hear the phone ring at an odd time and your heart catches in your chest.

[Mike]

Like nine o'. Clock. My mom will call and I'll, oh my God, please everything be okay. And it's just my mom and my, our niece, like, talking to us. It's like, okay, everything's good.

[Alison]

I almost feel like we live in fear constantly. And if you're new to us, my mom passed away a few months ago, so I'm reeling from grief. But he knew that, you know, being 88 and 87 years old, that a phone call could come through at any time with bad news. But never in his wildest dreams could he have been prepared for this type of call. And when he received what obviously he describes as the worst phone call of his life. Life, he had been sitting at his son's baseball game.

[Mike]

Oh my God.

[Alison]

And he's left to only imagine the horrors of his parents last moments. The pain and the fear that they endured. That image of Russell clutching hairs in his hands with his slash on his finger as he probably desperately tried to protect himself and his wife. I can't imagine the images that go through their children's heads. And it's so Sad. So despite 2026 marking 12 years since the innocent couple were brutally murdered, Sheriff Sills continues to think about Shirley and Russell's case every single day. And he can only hope that new evidence will shed light on this investigation. As years have passed and technology has evolved, the FBI has been analyzing cell phone data. While in 2024, when Russell's clothing was further tested, they did find an unknown DNA sample. So thus far this sample has not been a match to anyone within the CODIS database. So they're, you know, trying to turn their attention toward genealogical techniques. Oh, please work in order to find the source. So there is a 45, 000 reward for information that leads to their killer. And anyone with information is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's office and at 706-485-8557. And that is a tr. Excuse me, sad and tragic case of the murders of 88 year old Russell and 87 year old Shirley Durman.

[Mike]

So devastating. Especially when you said you got the call. It's like, you know, oh, did they fall? No. Your parents have been murdered.

[Alison]

Were they in a car accident together? You know, it's. It's so tragic to think that. That someone did this to this sweet elderly couple that was retired. They liked to golf, garden, work on cr. I mean, like quintessential grandparents.

[Mike]

Yeah, they did everything. I mean, seems like the right way. They were successful at their business and worked together and clearly loved each other and just such a horrible ending to their lives. And you know, I'm. I'm sorry to the. The family. You know, Brad, if you ever listen to this, the first. I was just talking about the first thing that everybody comes to mind. We weren't saying no, of course. So it's just I can't imagine what they're thinking. Like, who is this can't be random. You know, this can't just be some random dude came in on a boat and killed them.

[Alison]

I believe it's what Sheriff Sills believes in that it was that they were thinking they could extort them out of all sorts of money and realized, oh, that's not possible, but you could at.

[Mike]

Least probably get five grand or ten grand. And you know what? I don't know what kind of guy Russell was. Maybe he's like, hell no, no, you're going to have to kill me and I'm not giving you jack squat.

[Alison]

It very well could have.

[Mike]

Yeah, I don't know what kind of guy he was. If you got any kind of information, if he was like hard headed or whatever.

[Alison]

It's like, I mean, you know, usually when you're successful business people, you're pretty hard headed.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Alison]

You're pretty determined.

[Mike]

That's what made you who you are. And I give him credit. If that was the case, you know, like, you're not taking any of my money. You're gonna have to kill me. And unfortunately he did. And oh man, I'm just so mad and angry. I can't imagine how this family feels.

[Alison]

I can't imagine.

[Mike]

I want to find justice. And you have no idea.

[Alison]

That's the really hard part is that though this, now this DNA sample that was found in 2024, we can only hope, despite the fact that this person couldn't have committed any kind of felonies because they're not in the CODIS database.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Alison]

That maybe genealogical databases will lead to this person or people.

[Mike]

And I'm gonna have to do some research. I think in order to be in the genealogical database, you have to submit your DNA to other places, not just Ancestry or 23andMe, which is, I think, out of business now. But I think you have to submit, take that DNA, submit it to another place so people can find things. I don't know. I have to look into it. If anybody that, if anybody knows, leave some comments. I don't think they can just pull from Ancestry because, like, you know, wherever you might be, because that company kind of is protecting your data. So I'll have to look into it. Anybody knows, please leave some comments. Wherever you are, we appreciate it.

[Alison]

So the point is though, that this couple died. Nothing was, you know, taken. Their bank accounts were completely normal. So they, whoever did this didn't get what they came for.

[Mike]

It's insane. And also. So was there an inheritance paid out, like just out of.

[Alison]

I mean, of course this couple, I'm sure had wills.

[Mike]

Yeah. Of course, sometimes during investigations, nothing gets paid out.

[Alison]

Yeah, I don't. I, I would imagine after some time it did because I'm sure this is 12 years ago.

[Mike]

And then the, you know, you mentioned that the house was sold for what, 600 grand? Even though it's like a $2 million.

[Alison]

House now, almost 650.

[Mike]

And it's like that's because you don't know who committed this murder.

[Alison]

Is it targeted to this home?

[Mike]

Yeah, I mean, that's, it's insane to think about, but the person, somebody knows this house inside and out, or at least enough to kill somebody.

[Alison]

100. You know, you're talking about an unsolved murder, double murder. And I wouldn't feel comfortable living in that house. What if this person comes back? Or what if these people come back?

[Mike]

Well, you got to put up security cameras that alert you. And it's so important. I have alerts on all our cameras in the middle of the night. Even if it's 3am it makes a big ass sound. So I know somebody's moving around the house so at least I can get up and do something about it.

[Alison]

Yeah, it's so haunting. Sometimes on YouTube I'll watch Ring doorbell footage. And the things you see on these security cameras are so entirely terrifying. There was this one. It was like a guy dressed in a clown costume, full clown makeup, with a knife, a huge butcher knife, walking from window to window to window. Not just walking up to the windows, but actually trying to open them. And that's where it's like. Like it highlights like, you've got to protect yourselves. You've got to secure your windows, make sure your doors are locked, have security cameras.

[Mike]

I'm a. I'm a security camera guy. I sell them to big enterprises. And there's some Amazon stuff that you can buy. It's not too much, 150 bucks, 200 bucks. But like, you put a couple of those around your house and it'll scan intelligently. And it's not subscribed like the ones I use. No advertisement here, but Reolink R E O L I N K. It's super cheap and there's no subscription. You just put in an SD card. And I hate subscriptions. I hate when it's like $10 a month for the rest of your life to get your own access to the information you have. I have that all set up everywhere and I get alerts and it's amazing. So I would check them out or other companies, whatever, just get some cameras because we're in 2025, 2026. You need some cameras around your house.

[Alison]

Yeah, it's just one. These are one of the cases. Unsolved cases drive me absolutely insane. I always hated watching Unsolved Mysteries as good as that show is. But it would like. It's so frustrating that somebody did this to this beautiful elderly couple and they're not caught. They're not. They're not paying for what they did.

[Mike]

And the other thing about it, you can help find these people. Like if there's a car that's driving by our neighborhood, I have video on all of them. So, like, at least you could have something. Something to give police to help and find people.

[Alison]

Right. But Sheriff Sills believes that this Person came upon them in the lake.

[Mike]

Okay, so then you have a camera in the back. And like people that I actually have installed, some very high end people in Tampa, they have thermal cameras in the back of their house because they're on Tampa Bay. So they have thermal. So if there's a motor in a boat, they can see that motor in the boat and then the other cameras pick them up. So there's options out there.

[Alison]

So the goal is that this case will be solved despite the fact that we are coming up upon the 12 year anniversary of this. And you know, my heart breaks for Shirley and Russell and their family. I'm just so, so sorry that this happened to you and that this person or people. People are still out there.

[Mike]

Yeah. So sorry. Well, thank you guys so much for listening. If you know anything about this, please, you know, reach out to your authorities, obviously.

[Alison]

So anyway, we thank you guys so much. We hope you are having a wonderful new year. It is officially February. We got through the first month of 2026.

[Mike]

Yeah. Congrats. Congrats to us all. High five there. Yeah, we did it. It's going to be a great year. And we thank you so much for being here. Like, I can't stress enough. Just like, like, this is our, our whole club, our family. Thank you. We, we love you all, every single one of you. We love you.

[Alison]

And we try to keep it real over here at the Crime and Coffee Couple podcast. Hence the intro to this podcast episode, which I may strangle my husband if you skipped over.

[Mike]

Definitely go to the, like right before we go live. Like a good two minutes and you got to hear all about it.

[Alison]

You know, when all this happened this morning, I was like, surely he will never talk about this on the podcast.

[Mike]

There is a 50, 50 chance of whether you're going to let me happen and you're just going to be like, cut, cut, cut. Or. But you were in a good mood, so you did good. I. I'm proud of you. And you know what? We're not all perfect.

[Alison]

Don't touch my shoulder. Do not. And Mike made me a pistachio latte. You're lucky that you've done this nice thing for me.

[Mike]

I will do that every day for you. As long as it doesn't lead to what happened overnight.

[Alison]

God. Anyway, until next.

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[Alison]

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[Mike]

If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe.

[Alison]

It really does help the show to grow.

[Mike]

Thank you for listening.