1972 Unsolved Durham Family Murders in Boone, N.C.

[docyabut2]

10 hours ago, FeetToTheFire said:

Thanks to everyone for their contributions over the weekend. I’ve also had to go back through and read several of these articles and threads to refresh my memory on important details and timelines. There’s so much more to cover, but I thought I’d start by addressing the key points that everyone has mentioned thus far: 

 

1. The evening of the murders was marked by a severe snowstorm. According to local accounts, the snow began to fall around 3pm that afternoon and it continued well into the evening. Having lived in Boone for many years, this is the kind of event that makes locals take precautionary measures - leaving your car at the bottom of your driveway, pulling out jars of canned food from the basement, and having candles, matches, and kerosene lamps on hand in case the power goes out. To this end, I am surprised that the App State library stayed open as late as it did that evening. Some accounts place the son-in-law, Troy Hall, at the library around 8pm, although I believe this witness was a friend, and the book he had checked out was actually much earlier in the afternoon. There was also a local basketball game, which I believe Bobby Joe was planning to attend with friends, but did not. I believe the game was cancelled due to the poor weather conditions. 

 

2. There have been a number of theories to circulate over the years. One, with variations, suggests that it was the son-in-law, Troy Hall, who had a strained relationship with the Durham family and allegedly may have been involved in either using or distributing drugs, or both. A related theory suggests that the daughter, Ginny, was aware of/indirectly involved/directly involved in planning and orchestrating the crime. She did receive a sizable inheritance, $107,585, according to a local newspaper report. It is true that four individuals - Jerry Cassada, Dean Chandler, Dewey Coffey, and Eugene Garren were arrested a few months after the crime under the auspices of the crime being related to an odometer roll-back scheme that stretched across western North Carolina. Two of the four were released early on, the other two were indicted, but not convicted due to a lack of evidence. Still other theories point to organized crime - the nature of the killings, the execution style and the military knots used, as well as the fact that the Green Berets were in town giving a ski demonstration, which Bryce Durham attended as part of the local Rotary Club. I have also loosely heard of some Mafia-related theories, once again circling back around to drugs/illegal or stolen cars/horse racing and gambling, etc. These are the most commonly cited theories that I’m aware of, from a general perspective. 

 

3. The crime scene: someone asked specifically about the blood that was found on the living room carpet when investigators arrived. I believe that Virginia Durham had sustained injuries across her face, including her nose, and that the blood found at the scene belong to her. Each of the victims, I believe, had bruising on their face and Mr. Durham suffered a blow from a blunt force object. The formal cause of death was listed as “asphyxiation due to strangulation and possible drowning.” I also believe that at least one set of partial prints were recovered from the house, and that investigators continue to run these through a database each year, but have never recovered a match. One would assume that the SBI took fingerprints from their prime suspects, including Troy Hall, Jerry Cassada, Dean Chandler, Dewey Coffey, and Eugene Garren. So if none of their prints matched this partial, it begs the question, who else might have been at the home that evening? 

  A criminal psychologist said  in this case, said the killers were very comfortable in the home and there was no fighting back:( there was no defense wounds on the victims bodies or skin under their nails fighting back:(

Edited September 13, 2021 by docyabut2

[FeetToTheFire]

Can you please share your source about the criminal psychologist who consulted on the crime scene? A local journalist from the Watauga Democrat conducted several interviews with former SBI agents, all of whom indicated that Virginia Durham suffered bruising to her face and nose, and that Mr. Durham suffered from a blunt force trauma blow. That was not the cause of death according to the medical examiner, but these injuries were secondary. I’m not sure it indicates whether they fought back, but simply that they sustained injuries that were not fatal prior to the time of death. 

[docyabut2]

23 hours ago, FeetToTheFire said:

Can you please share your source about the criminal psychologist who consulted on the crime scene? A local journalist from the Watauga Democrat conducted several interviews with former SBI agents, all of whom indicated that Virginia Durham suffered bruising to her face and nose, and that Mr. Durham suffered from a blunt force trauma blow. That was not the cause of death according to the medical examiner, but these injuries were secondary. I’m not sure it indicates whether they fought back, but simply that they sustained injuries that were not fatal prior to the time of death. 

 A criminal psychologist said  in this case, said the killers were very comfortable in the home and there was no fighting ,

its on the links here but won`t come through.   

[jmccr8]

I came across this bit about Buster

[docyabut2]

9 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

I came across this bit about Buster

that should be on another thread ")

[jmccr8]

3 minutes ago, docyabut2 said:

that should be on another thread ")

Hi Docyabut

Absolutely, not sure what happened there but will add it to the right thread.

[NCHillbilly]

Posted on the original thread before l found this one. I see you have posted the GoWilkes link that l shared way back when. I felt it held invaluable evidence since relatives were recounting their observations and experiences at the funeral. I'm glad to see renewed interest in this triple homicide that still haunts me to this day. I can't go to Boone without thinking about it. 

[Myles]

Is Troy or Ginny still alive?

[+susieice]

1 hour ago, Myles said:

Is Troy or Ginny still alive?

Ginny is but Troy isn't.