Written by: E. George
Published April 25, 2024 @ 9:30 PM ET
TELFAIR COUNTY, Ga. – While magnet fishing in Horse Creek on April 14, 2024, an unnamed person discovered a .22 caliber rifle that was possibly used in the 2015 murders of an elderly Cobb County couple. Shortly after fishing out the firearm, they found the couple’s credit cards, driver’s licenses, and possibly their cellular phone in a bag in the area, items that will be submitted as new evidence in the upcoming murder trial.
Officials said the rifle is the same caliber used in the murders; however, they have not determined if it is the murder weapon.
In January 2015, 69-year-old Elrey “Bud” Runion and 66-year-old June Runion drove three hours from their Atlanta-area home to Telfair County to purchase Elrey’s dream car, a 1966 Ford Mustang. They had unknowingly responded to a fake Craigslist advertisement for the vehicle that lured them to the area, where they were shot and killed by the suspect.
The Runions were expected to babysit their grandchildren after their trip, and when they failed to arrive, their daughters began to worry and reported them missing. Authorities discovered the Runions’ bodies and their SUV in a Telfair County pond four days after their disappearance.
The owner of Kinnett’s Antique & Flea Market, a store located approximately five miles north of where their bodies were discovered, reported seeing the couple not long before they vanished. She explained that they had entered the store and asked for directions.
Ronnie Jay Towns became a suspect when police learned that he was the last person with whom the Runions spoke on the phone. Towns turned himself in days after their bodies were found.
Towns faced charges of murder and armed robbery; however, his first indictment was tossed due to concerns with the grand jury selection process. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed his second indictment and court proceedings in 2020.
The fact that prosecutors sought the death penalty may have also affected proceedings. Franklin Hogue, Towns’ defense attorney, told USA Today that he submitted a motion to delay the court date because prosecutors were aiming for the death penalty.
After the rifle, credit cards, and licenses were pulled from the water, police executed search warrants at a Webb Cemetery Road residence in Telfair County on April 17 and 19. They uncovered additional evidence at the home that the crime lab will analyze.
Oconee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tim Vaughn, stated, “It was a good case already, but this makes it an even better case.” According to court documents, Towns’ trial has been scheduled to begin sometime in August 2024. He has pleaded not guilty.
Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding this case to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 478-374-6988 or 1-800-597-8477. You can also submit tips at www.gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or via the See Something, Send Something mobile app.