In Georgia, a fisherman who used a magnet to search for metal objects in a creek discovered a .22-caliber rifle that is believed to be the same type of weapon used in the 2015 murders of Bud Runion, 69, and his wife June. The discovery of the rifle, along with other items such as a cellphone and the Runions’ credit cards and driver’s licenses, is now being used as new evidence in the case against Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns, who is expected to go to trial in August. The District Attorney of the Oconee Judicial Circuit, Tim Vaughn, stated that the new evidence makes the case even stronger.
The Runions were murdered after being lured to rural Telfair County by a fake Craigslist ad for a 1966 Mustang, a three-hour drive from their home in Atlanta. Towns was initially arrested shortly after the murders, but his first indictment was dismissed due to issues with the grand jury selection process. He was indicted for the second time in 2020, and the case was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Towns, who is facing charges for armed robbery and murder, has pleaded not guilty to the allegations. The DA mentioned that the rifle found in the creek is the same caliber as the one used in the crime, although further investigation is needed to determine if it is the murder weapon.
Prosecutors in the case are seeking the death penalty for Towns, and preparations are being made for the trial to potentially begin in August, although an exact date has not been set. The belongings recovered from the creek led investigators to obtain search warrants for a home in Telfair County, where additional evidence was discovered. However, specifics about what was found remain undisclosed. The GBI’s statement did not provide additional information, and the District Attorney declined to comment on the details of the evidence recovery.
The new evidence found in the creek, including the rifle and other items, is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming trial of Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns. The case against Towns has been ongoing for several years, with numerous legal challenges and delays. The Runions’ tragic deaths have been linked to a Craigslist scam that led them to a remote location where they were ultimately killed. Towns’ trial is anticipated to be a high-profile case due to the nature of the crime and the evidence that is continuing to come to light. The discovery of the rifle in the creek has provided investigators with crucial new leads in the case against Towns.
