Police looking for man in connection to Georgia couple who disappeared after arranging meeting on Craigslist Elrey “Bud” and June Runion disappeared after setting up a meeting on Craigslist to buy a car. (Courtesy of Cobb County Police Department) Authorities in Georgia are looking for a man in connection to the disappearance of an elderly couple who went missing last week, according to news reports. Police say 28-year-old Ronnie “Jay” Adrian Towns was the last person to have phone contact with 69-year-old Elrey “Bud” Runion and his 66-year-old wife, June Runion, who were last heard from on Thursday, according to news reports. “We interviewed Mr. Towns early on in the investigation and the info he provided did not corroborate with our investigation,” said Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson, according to CBS affiliate WMAZ. On Thursday, the Runions told relatives they were headed from their home in Marietta, Ga., to Telfair County, three hours to the south. There, they planned to meet with the seller of a Ford Mustang who had contacted them on Craigslist, according to police. The Runions were supposed to return home Thursday evening, but they haven’t been seen or heard from since, according to police. Family members grew concerned when the pair didn’t show up to babysit their grandchildren the following day, according to ABC affiliate WSB. “He was excited about the car,” Stephanie Bishop, one of the couple’s daughters, said of her father. “He had one when he got back from Vietnam.” [MORE READING: Terrifying video catches armed robber forcing a woman into her trunk at a drive-through ATM] 10924733_842142865824892_5270621707417015215_n (Courtesy of “Find Bud & June Runion” Facebook page) Bishop told the station her father had recently posted an advertisement on Craigslist seeking a 1966 Mustang and a seller responded and even included a photo. The couple left home in a champagne-colored 2003 GMC Envoy around 2 p.m., according to police. Family members said that Bud Runion, a military veteran, was not naive about personal safety, and that the couple left with their cellphones and chargers, though he had turned off his iCloud settings. Investigators have linked the number the couple called to set up the meeting to a disposable cellphone, according to police. Telfair County authorities said that a search of local hotels and hospitals turned up nothing, and that they still can’t confirm whether the couple is in the county, according to news reports. Authorities declined to comment about whether the couple’s bank accounts have been accessed or whether the Mustang’s owner was a legitimate seller, according to WSB. “We’re going to search until we find them,” Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson told CBS affiliate WMAZ. “If they’re in Telfair County, we’ll find them.” A Facebook page that includes photos and investigation updates has garnered more than 42,000 likes. Family members told WSB that they are very worried but focused on the task of locating their loved ones. “If someone has taken them, we have forgiven that person, because God tells us to love and forgive,” another of the couple’s daughters, Virgina Owens, told the station. “We are worried that someone might have done something bad and taken advantage of them,” added a third daughter, Brittany Patterson.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:12:46 +0000