By Steven Symes 
We covered before how an elderly couple from Atlanta was shot dead while looking at a 1966 Mustang from Craigslist in rural southern Georgia. It serves as a tragic case and warning to car shoppers. The man charged with their murders just pled guilty, ending almost a decade of effort to bring him to justice.
Watch a thief steal a delivery truck with someone still in the back.
The couple, Bud and June Runion, did what so many others do all the time: drove three hours from their home to a rural part of Georgia to look at a car they found out about through Craigslist. Only, they didn’t ever return home, their bodies found off a remote road in January 2015.
With new evidence found in the murder case, Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns pled guilty to two counts of malice murder. He was subsequently sentenced by the court to two concurrent life without parole sentences, reports Atlanta News First.
Bud Runion posted an ad on Craigslist stating he was seeking a 1966 Ford Mustang, something that isn’t entirely unusual. Investigators believed Towns replied to the ad, telling Runion he owned just such a pony car, even though he didn’t.
Once the couple ventured to the rural area, authorities believed Towns robbed, then murdered them before dumping the bodies to hide any evidence.
The prosecution ran into several major problems. Originally, there was an issue with how the grand jury for the case was selected, leading to the court throwing out the indictment. Then the pandemic delayed progress in court.
But those delays ultimately helped. Authorities were given new evidence, a rifle and a bag full of personal items from the couple, discovered by a person who was magnet fishing. That arguably helped secure the guilty plea.
When looking at cars with private parties, you definitely have to protect yourself, especially when venturing into areas you don’t entirely know. Letting others know where you’re going, who you’re meeting with, and perhaps taking something to protect yourself are all good ideas.
Images via Remember Bud & June Runion/Facebook, Lisa N Gino Mitchell/Facebook Marketplace