COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Nearly 10 years after a Cobb County couple were lured to their deaths, the man accused of killing them has taken a guilty plea.
Bud and June Runion traveled to Telfair County in January 2015 to purchase Bud’s dream car, a 1966 Ford Mustang, that they saw listed on Craigslist. Instead, investigators say the couple were shot to death in a robbery set up by the suspects.
Police arrested Ronnie Jay Towns for the Runions’ deaths and armed robbery that same month.
Family members told Channel 2 Action News that they first became worried about Bud and June’s safety when they didn’t arrive home to babysit their grandchildren.
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“We are worried that someone might have done something bad and taken advantage of them,” daughter Brittany Patterson said.
Four days after their disappearance, police found their bodies, along with the couple’s SUV, in a pond in Telfair County. Officials identified Towns, who was later indicted for the couple’s murder and armed robbery.
Officials interviewed Towns and learned he was the last person to talk to the couple on the phone before they disappeared.
Towns was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“We are thankful to have closure in this case, and our prayers are with both families,” Telfair County Sheriff Sim Davidson said in a statement.