Magnet fisherman stumbles across 'vital' new clue in killing of charity worker couple who'd driven 200 miles to buy their dream car off Craigslist

A man utilizing a magnet to food has unearthed important caller grounds successful the 'Craiglist Killing' case 9 years aft a beloved kindness worker mates were murdered.

Elrey 'Bud', 69, and June, 66, Runion had driven 200 miles to bargain their dream car erstwhile they vanished successful January 2015. Their bodies were later discovered astatine nan broadside of a state roadworthy aft they had been robbed and fatally shot.

Earlier this year, an unnamed individual was magnet sportfishing successful a Georgia creek erstwhile he unwittingly discovered grounds linked to nan execution case.  

The fisherman first pulled up a .22-caliber firearm from a creek adjacent nan crime segment connected April 14. 

Two days later, he recovered a container containing nan couple's drivers' licenses and in installments cards arsenic good arsenic what authorities judge to beryllium their cellphones. 

Murder suspect, Ronnie 'Jay' Towns, is group to look proceedings arsenic soon arsenic August - though nary day has been determined, according to District Attorney Tim Vaughn.

Vaughn said nan recently discovered grounds - that was dragged from Horse Creek successful agrarian Telfair County - should beryllium vital.

He said nan firearm from nan creek is nan aforesaid caliber arsenic nan weapon that killed nan Runions, though investigators are still moving to find if it is nan limb utilized successful nan crime. 

'It was a bully lawsuit already,' Vaughn said Tuesday, 'but this makes it an moreover amended case.'

Towns was indicted successful nan murders of nan aged mates who believed they were gathering him to bargain their dream car successful 2015. He was 28-years-old astatine nan time. 

Towns was arrested connected January 26, 2015, and formally charged pinch aggregate counts, including malice murder, felony execution and equipped robbery, successful Telfair County, Georgia.

According to nan indictment, Towns lured nan mates to Telfair County by replying to an online advertisement that Bud had posted seeking a classical car, moreover though Towns didn't ain specified a vehicle.

Bud had been looking for personification consenting to waste their 1966 Ford Mustang convertible arsenic he had bought nan aforesaid exemplary aft returning from nan Vietnam War decades ago.

After receiving a consequence from a imaginable seller, nan mates from Marietta, northbound of Atlanta, made nan three-hour thrust to Telfair County to cheque retired nan car. They were past seen connected January 22. 

He past allegedly  met nan mates and brandished a limb earlier he stole their phones, Mr Runion's wallet, his wife's purse and nan couple's SUV, nan Macon Telegraph reported astatine nan time.

Their SUV was recovered submerged successful a pond adjacent Towns' location respective days later, and nan couple's bodies were recovered on a adjacent ungraded road. They had been changeable successful their heads.

Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson has antecedently said that robbery appears to beryllium nan motive for nan killings. He said investigators recovered nary grounds he had nan benignant of car nan mates had been seeking.

Georgia courts threw retired Towns' first indictment complete problems pinch really nan expansive assemblage was selected — a prolonged ineligible conflict that concluded successful 2019. 

Towns was indicted for a 2nd clip successful nan killings successful 2020, and nan lawsuit was delayed again by nan COVID-19 pandemic. He pleaded not guilty.

Court proceedings person besides apt been slowed by prosecutors' determination to activity nan decease penalty, which requires other pretrial ineligible steps.

The items recovered successful nan creek besides led investigators to get warrants to hunt a Telfair County location wherever they recovered further evidence. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's connection gave nary further details. 

The retired mates recovered dormant were good known for their charitable efforts each complete nan South.

Bud and his wife, June, ran a kindness called Bud's Bicycles which helped group successful request from storm-damaged Alabama towns and impoverished pockets of West Virginia to their hometown successful suburban Atlanta.

'He said, 'You can't return money pinch you erstwhile you're gone,'' said nan couple's daughter, Brittany Patterson. 'You mightiness arsenic good walk and bask it.'

Years prior, driving done Marietta earlier Christmas Eve, Runion saw 2 young girls sorting done a Dumpster, his girl said. He fixed up 2 bicycles belonging to his ain girls and delivered them arsenic gifts.

It was nan opening of 'Bud's Bicycles,' a kindness tally loosely retired of Mount Paran Church of God successful Marietta. Runion met his wife, a teacher, astatine nan religion successful nan 1970s.

Neighbors said nan Runions built a shed successful their backyard to location nan bikes. Their donations yet expanded to see food, family and schoolhouse supplies, coats, blankets — moreover Thanksgiving turkeys.

'Basically, he had a nutrient pantry successful nan basement of their house,' Patterson said.

Charity came successful ways large and small. Patterson remembered arsenic a kid going to a doughnut shop pinch her begetter connected Saturdays.

They would often beryllium joined by a man she did not know, and her begetter would salary nan tab. Later successful life she realized nan man was homeless.

'If personification lives their life for illustration this and this happens, it really tests your faith,' said their neighbor, Tom Murphy astatine nan time.