Deputy: Suspect in couple's disappearance has no prior arrests

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Telfair County Sheriff's Office tells Channel 2 Action News the suspect in the disappearance of a Cobb County couple has no prior arrest record.
 
Ronnie "Jay" Towns, 28, was arrested and charged Monday with making false statements and attempted theft by deception.
 
Bud Runion, 69, and June Runion, 66, of Marietta were last seen Thursday. They were leaving for Telfair County, south of Macon, to buy a car that they found listed on Craigslist.
 
Channel 2 Action News was the first to report Monday that police found two bodies, along with the couple's SUV, in a pond in Telfair County. Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steversen said the bodies were those of a man and a woman.
 
Authorities said Towns was the last person to talk to the couple, via phone, before their disappearance.
 
Sheriff's officials said the bodies and the Runions' SUV were found within a mile radius of Towns' home.
 
The sheriff also says he and his deputies know Towns had some previous brushes with the law, but no arrests.
 
"We've heard his name before and our investigators have spoken with him before but he hasn't been arrested since I've been in office," Steverson said.

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Towns' attorney, Ashley McLaughlin, told Channel 2's Jessica Jaglois that while she was expecting Towns to have his first court appearance Tuesday it has not been scheduled.
 
The Runions' daughters told Channel 2's Liz Arts Saturday that they first became concerned when their parents did not show up to babysit their grandchildren on Friday.
 
"We are worried that someone might have done something bad and taken advantage of them," daughter Brittany Patterson said.
 
Steversen said no additional charges have been filed against Towns. He said autopsy results would be assessed in order to move forward.

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