A man has pleaded guilty in a cold case involving the murders of a Georgia couple nearly a decade ago, after new evidence was discovered in a creek by someone magnet fishing. The man, Ronnie Jay Towns, was found guilty of killing Bud and June Runion in 2015 and has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The breakthrough in the case came when a magnet fisher in Georgia pulled up a rifle and some belongings of the Runions in the same area where the couple was found murdered. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the .22-caliber rifle found as the same weapon used in the killings. Additionally, the magnet fisher found a bag containing the couple’s cellphone, driver’s licenses, and credit cards.
The bodies of Bud and June Runion were discovered off a county road in 2015, and investigators revealed that they had been robbed. Towns had lured the couple by responding to an online ad Bud had posted seeking a classic car, even though Towns did not own the car. The couple traveled three hours to Telfair County from Marietta to see the vehicle and never returned.
Towns’ trial was delayed multiple times due to various reasons, including a lack of jurors and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the new evidence was uncovered, Towns decided to plead guilty to the murders. Sheriff Sim Davidson expressed gratitude for the closure in the case and offered prayers for both families affected by the tragedy.
Magnet fishing has become a popular hobby in recent times, with people discovering unexpected items like safes filled with money and even a human skull padlocked to an exercise dumbbell in waterways across the country. The discovery of the rifle and belongings in the Georgia creek sheds light on the potential for this activity to assist in solving cold cases and bringing closure to families of victims.
The case of the Runion murders serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance in seeking justice and the role that ordinary citizens can play in helping solve crimes. The resolution of this cold case offers hope to other families waiting for answers and demonstrates the impact that new evidence can have in bringing perpetrators to justice.
