Can Man’s Trash Solve a Cold Case Murder?
Will one man’s trash prove to be a prosecuting attorney’s treasure? That is what investigators are wondering after a Georgia man reeled in two very surprising catches earlier this month while out in McRae-Helena, a city located approximately 150 miles south of Atlanta.
Magnetic Fishing Unveils Shocking Discoveries
It all started on April 14, when the unidentified man went magnetic fishing, which involves a large magnet affixed to the end of a rope that is then dragged across the floor of a body of water in hopes of attracting ferromagnetic objects. While trawling the waters of Horse Creek, the man pulled in his rope to find a .22-caliber rifle, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Unexpected Finds at Horse Creek
Two days later the man returned to Horse Creek and found a bag containing driver’s licenses, credit cards and a call phone, according to the GBI. This left the man with what he could have thought to be a worthless three-day haul that included a waterlogged computer, expired credit cards, and one very outdated phone.
The Runions and the Mysterious Craigslist Encounter
Then, a closer look at the credit cards revealed that they belonged to Elby “Bud” and June Runion. That discovery transformed this haul into what some might believe to be a priceless treasure. The Runions set out to meet a man they met off Craigslist in January 2015 who agreed to sell the couple his 1966 Mustang, according to the GBI. It would be the last time the elderly couple would be seen alive.
Unraveling the Mystery Behind the Disappearance
The Runions were both fatally shot later that same month, authorities arrested Ronnie “Jay” Towns and charged him with multiple counts of murder and robbery. Towns pleaded not guilty after the original indictment, according to reports at the time. That case has slowly been making its way through the criminal system for nine years now, with the trial expected to start in August.
Crucial Breakthrough in the Investigation
It has been a case lacking in physical evidence, most notably the murder weapon, which had never been located by law enforcement. But the bullets that killed the Runions came from a .22-caliber gun according to the GBI. Officials have used this discovery to apply for and receive a search warrant for a home located near the creek, which they have already searched twice in the past week. “Investigators recovered evidence from both search warrants. The evidence will be submitted to the crime lab for further analysis,” the GBI said.