Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

Sumter County Does: Pamela Buckley and James Freund

James Paul Freund and PamelaMae Buckley, previously known as the Sumter County Does, Jock Doeand Jane Doe, respectively were two previously unidentified Americanhomicide victims found in Sumter County, South Carolina, on August 9,1976. They had apparently traveled through various places in theUnited States before being killed in South Carolina. This wasinferred from some of their belongings.

Each victim had been shot three timesin their upper chests and, despite previous reports, neither victimwas shot in the throat. The weapon used was believed to be a .357caliber revolver.

Sumter County Coroner Verna Moorecontinued to work on the case until her retirement in 2009. Thevictims were unidentified for forty-five years, despite the fact thattheir descriptions, sketches of their faces, dental information, andfingerprints had been distributed across the United States. Theirhomicides remain unsolved.

The male victim had been referred to as"Jock Doe", which may have originated from theFrench name "Jacques," an indication he may havebeen from French Canada. A man who claimed he had met the victimsstated that he was told by the male victim that he had left hisCanadian family with his girlfriend. The male victim had furthermorestated that his father was a well-known doctor; this supported thetheory that his family was wealthy.

It was announced on January 19, 2021,that both victims had been identified. A statement by the DNA DoeProject described the resolution of the case, and that they werewithholding additional information, including the decedents' names. A news report published later in the day elaborated that the malevictim was from Pennsylvania and the female was from Wisconsin. Itwas clarified the following day that the female was actually from thestate of Minnesota.

Discovery of the bodies

In the early morning hours of August 9,1976, the young man and woman were said to have been seen from adistance by a hermit. It was said they had been dropped off onLocklair Road, a secluded dirt road between I-95 and S.C. 341(Lynches River Road).

The victims may have had their vehiclehijacked, possibly by hitchhikers. Then, upon their exiting thevehicle, someone may have shot them both in the back.

At 6:20 a.m., a trucker named MartinDurant found the bodies and contacted Charles Graham, an employee ata nearby store. Graham, in turn, contacted the authorities.

The male victim was at first believedto be between 18 and 22 years of age, but his dentition suggestedthat he may have been older than 27. The age range was updated to bebetween 18 and 30 years after his case was entered into NamUs.

The forensic dentist who examined theman's teeth said he believed he was over 27, but that he had lookedyounger due to his clothing and build. The victim was white with anolive complexion. He had brown, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, andvery distinctive bushy eyebrows. He stood over 6 feet tall, weighedabout 150 pounds, and had had extensive, elaborate dental work thatmay have been performed outside the United States. This mightindicate a higher socioeconomic status.

X-rays of Freund's teeth, whichsuggested he was older than initially estimated.