The Lakefront MYSTERY That Has Baffled Investigators for Years | Georgia Cases

A retired couple’s quiet life at Georgia’s Lake Oconee ends in a double murder that leaves investigators searching for answers more than a decade later. In another Georgia case, a young woman’s remains go unidentified for 16 years—while investigators say someone she trusted continued living under her name. In today’s episode of Southern Girl Crime Stories, we cover the unsolved 2014 murders of Russell and Shirley Dermond and the 2007 murder of Nicole Alston. 🔎 Featured Cases: 🕵 Russell and Shirley Dermond — Lake Oconee, Georgia After Russell and Shirley Dermond missed a neighborhood gathering and stopped answering calls, a concerned neighbor went to their home in the gated Great Waters community on May 6, 2014. Inside the garage, the neighbor discovered 88-year-old Russell’s body. He had been decapitated, and his 87-year-old wife, Shirley, was missing. There were no signs of forced entry, and valuables remained in the home. Ten days later, fishermen found Shirley’s body in Lake Oconee. She had suffered fatal blunt-force injuries and had been weighted down with concrete blocks. Investigators have considered whether those responsible traveled by boat, bypassing the community’s guarded entrance. No clear motive has been established. Advanced testing in 2024 detected DNA that did not belong to either victim, offering investigators another potential avenue for comparison. The murders remain unsolved in the account covered in this episode. 🕵 Nicole Alston — Troup County / Palmetto, Georgia On December 6, 2007, deputies discovered human remains inside a burning bag near Hogansville in Troup County, Georgia. For 16 years, the victim was known only as the Troup County Jane Doe. In December 2023, forensic genetic genealogy finally identified her as 24-year-old Nicole Alston. Nicole had moved from New York to Georgia with her girlfriend, Angel Marie Thompson, in 2006. Her mother said Nicole’s final phone call home described abuse and a desperate wish to return to her f