Who Decapitated a Hardee’s Franchise Owner and Killed His Wife — While Family Was Still Haunted by Son’s Prior Murder?

Shocking Mystery: Unsolved Murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond Years After Son’s Death

A tragic and perplexing case still haunts investigators and the community years after the brutal murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond. The couple, well into their 80s, met a gruesome end in their Georgia home in 2014, leaving authorities scrambling to uncover the truth behind the heinous crime.

Russell Dermond, 88, was tragically found decapitated in the garage of the couple’s secluded gated lake home, while his wife Shirley, 87, was later discovered floating in Lake Oconee, weighed down by concrete blocks. The killer’s identity remains a mystery, even with new DNA evidence recovered from an article of Russell’s clothing.

The series of events leading to the discovery of the Dermonds’ bodies unfolded with chilling speed. On May 1, 2014, the couple was last seen running errands, and concerns were raised when they failed to show up at a planned Kentucky Derby party on May 3. Neighbors, worried about their well-being, went to their home and made the gruesome discovery of Russell’s headless body inside their residence, with Shirley missing.

Authorities investigating the crime scene found no signs of forced entry or theft, leading them to believe that the attack was targeted rather than random. Despite the lack of clear leads, investigators have been tirelessly working on the case, hoping to bring closure to the Dermond family and justice for the slain couple.

Gunshot residue found on Russell’s collar suggested that he was shot before being decapitated, and it is believed that his head was purposely removed to hinder ballistics testing. Shirley’s autopsy revealed that she died from blunt-force trauma, although the specific weapon used could not be identified, leaving many questions unanswered.

In a glimmer of hope for progress in the case, in 2024, a potential breakthrough emerged when unknown DNA was discovered on Russell’s clothing. Private labs analysed the sample, and if it does not match anyone in the national DNA database, investigators plan to explore advanced genealogical techniques to identify the source.

Sheriff Howard Sills, leading the investigation, has urged anyone with information to come forward, highlighting the intentional nature of the attack and stressing that the killings were not random. The community, still reeling from the tragedy, remains hopeful that justice will be served and the perpetrator brought to justice.

As the investigation into the unsolved murders of Shirley and Russell Dermond continues, the family, friends, and the local community hold onto the hope that answers will soon be forthcoming. The Dermonds, a beloved and respected couple in their lake community, deserve justice, and those responsible for their deaths must be held accountable for their heinous crimes.