A Couple Was Shot To Death Buying A Classic Car
Read the full story on The Auto Wire
As car enthusiasts, we like so many others look through online vehicle listings often. Perhaps you’re just perusing to see what all is out there or, like Elrey “Bud” Runion, you’re looking for something specific. The 69-year-old Vietnam veteran’s quest for a 1966 Ford Mustang like the one he had after returning from the war led him and his 66-year-old wife into a fatal trap.
Beware the check engine light tape scams.
This sort of thing is something all enthusiasts and even just normal people who are car shopping must guard against. Unfortunately, there are people out there who want to use online vehicle listings to lure in victims, robbing and murdering them once the trap is sprung.
The Runions left their suburban Atlanta home and journeyed to the southern part of Georgia back in January 2015, all to see a ’66 Mustang, says CNN. They never returned.
Just days later, their bodies with gunshot wounds to the head were found in some woods off a rural road. The SUV they drove was found underwater in a nearby lake. Even though police knew who the Runions had been communicating with about the classic Mustang, the case against that man never made it to court.
But new evidence, a rifle and bag full of the couple’s personal effects, has breathed life into the case. Hopefully there will be justice for the Runions’ surviving loved ones. No car is worth anyone’s life.
Not everyone will agree with how to be careful and protect yourself when looking at a car that’s been listed online. While you can say to meet in a public place, with a non-running classic that might not be an option.
Telling people where you’re going and who you’re meeting doesn’t stop that person from robbing and murdering you. These are uncomfortable thoughts, but we think everyone needs to think this through. While the internet allows us to find that perfect hobby car, it also gives nefarious people ways to entrap innocents.
Image via Amanda Mitchell/Facebook Marketplace
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