Man who persuaded couple to buy vintage car on Craigslist pleads guilty to murder

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) – A man will spend the rest of his life in prison after killing a couple he convinced to buy a classic car almost a decade ago.

Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns pleaded guilty to two counts of malice murder in connection with the deaths of Bud and June Runion. Towns was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences without parole.

The Runions, from Cobb County, Georgia, were robbed and shot to death in January 2015 before their bodies were found in Telfair County, Georgia.

Authorities said the couple drove three hours to Telfair County to meet someone who offered to sell Bud Runion a 1966 Mustang.

Just days later, Towns was charged with murder and armed robbery, according to law enforcement.

Law enforcement officials said Towns lured the Runions to Telfair County by responding to a Craigslist ad from 69-year-old Bud Runion looking for a classic car. Towns didn’t own a classic car.

Before the guilty plea, Georgia courts had dismissed Towns’ initial indictment because of problems with the way the grand jury was selected. Towns was charged for the second time in 2020 in connection with the murders, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the case.

In April, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said new evidence, including a .22-caliber rifle, a purse containing Runions’ driver’s licenses and credit cards, and a cellphone, were found by a magnet hunter in Horse Creek in Telfair County.

The Runions were buried on January 31, 2015.

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