Who wanted the Dermonds dead?
That question has plagued Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills since the 2014 murders of Shirley Dermond, 87, and her husband Russell Dermond, 88.
Russell's decapitated body was discovered May 6, 2014 inside the garage of the couple’s lakefront home in Eatonton; his head was never located. Fishermen found Shirley's body in the lake nearly 10 days later; it was near a dam about five miles from the home.
“The killers are still out there,” said Sills, who has never had a cold case in his files during his long career in law enforcement.
Former WXIA investigative reporter Jessica Noll is taking a look back at the case on a new episode of the VAULT Studios podcast she co-hosts, “True Crime Chronicles." The episode will be released on Monday
You can download and subscribe to True Crime Chronicles on any podcast platform, including Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and Apple Podcasts.
“Mrs. Dermond, the injuries she sustained, almost certainly should have left some physical evidence that wasn’t present at the home. So, she might not have been murdered there. Or neither he," Sills said. "All we know is Mr. Dermond’s head was removed there. There’s physical evidence of that."
For Sills, it’s not just a cold case, it’s personal. He won’t give up finding who committed what he calls the “heinous” and “unjustified” murders on his lake, on his watch.
Anyone with information about the case should call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (706) 485-8557.