Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

COLD CASE: Brutal slaying of elderly couple remains unsolved

Russell and Shirley Dermond were killed in May 2014 in a case that has baffled investigators.
Russell and Shirley Dermond were killed in May 2014 in a case that has baffled investigators.
By Christian Boone
Aug 4, 2017

Howard Sills is entering his third decade as sheriff in Putnam County.

And there is one case that frustrates him more than any other: the grisly murder of Russell and Shirley Dermond more than three years ago. Russell Dermond was beheaded.

Sills called it “the absolute most confounding thing I’ve ever dealt with in my entire career.”

Read the full story at myajc.com

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About the Author

A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.

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