Hi, crime junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. Every now and then, there are

crime stories that really stick with you. And sometimes it's because the victim reminds you of

someone you know, like a parent or a grandparent. But other times it's because the specific details

of the crimes are so horrific that you can't stop thinking about what the victims' last moments

must have been like. Today's episode focuses on a story that contains both of these.

Victims that remind me of my own grandparents and a crime so gruesome that it keeps me up at night.

This is the story of the Lake Ocani murders.

Russell and Shirley Dermann were an elderly couple that lived along scenic Lake Ocani in the

middle of Putnam County, Georgia. Now this is about an hour east of Atlanta and it's a pretty

affluent area. The Dermanns were enjoying basically a cozy post-retirement lifestyle in their

four-bedroom home that was valued around a million dollars. The two were both originally from

New Jersey and they'd been married for over 60 years. Russell had actually served in the US Navy

during World War II, but following his return state side, he'd become an executive for a

clock manufacturer. Shirley meanwhile took the role of Housewife and took charge raising their

four kids. But in the late 1980s, they relocated their family to Georgia for Russell's quote,

semi-retirement. What's semi-retirement? Because that kind of sounds awesome.

What do you want to say?

Tom Harris.

like City on the northern outskirts of Atlanta,

and Russell began managing a chain of hearties

fast food restaurants.

And a couple of their kids actually helped manage the restaurants,

...