Stephanie Stearns Their boats were anchored in a lagoon near each other, and the couples inevitably came into conflict. Both were charged with murdering Eleanor Muff Graham of San Diego, who disappeared along with her husband, Malcolm, from Palmyra atoll in August, 1974. After WWII the Palmyra Islands are mostly used as a stopover point for sailors traveling to Samoa. It also sparked a TV miniseries by the same name starring James Brolin and Rachel Ward. The boat is wooden and they have it covered in berglass to prevent it from leaking. Jurors announced they were deadlocked 6-6 before noon Friday, but were told by U.S. District Judge Samuel King to keep deliberating. He was incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Victorville, in California. Walker never acknowledged committing the murder, self-publishing an 895-word novel he called the true story of an island tragedy.. Walker has a date of Aug. 28 for his "projected" release from federal prison, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Web site. When he was released in 2007, he took up residence in a San Francisco motel for several years before moving to a 22-foot trailer in Willits, a small town about three hours from San Francisco. And the Sea Will Tell is a true crime book by Vincent Bugliosi and Bruce Henderson. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. Her attorney, Vincent Bugliosi, and Bruce Henderson wrote a book about the case, "And the Sea Will Tell." Buck There may be some prejudice of the author against Bugliosi. There were other boats in the harbor. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. You'll never find him." And the Sea Will Tell Her broken and bleached bones were spilling out of a half-buried metal chest that apparently had washed ashore. The US Attorneys office didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Stephanie and Buck with the murder of the Grahams. Each faith-building lesson integrates heart-warming Adventist pioneer stories along with Scripture and Ellen Whites writings. One photo showed Stephanie standing on the Sea Wind taking a picture of Buck sailing the Iola. . Betty Fullard-Leo said the Graham case left the family shocked and disturbed. Walker pleaded guilty and charges were dropped against Stearns. learn from my experience - do not waste your money, Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2017. The duo has been together since 2004. The Grahams had a prearranged radio contact schedule established with an operator in Hawaii. On August 30, according to Stephanie Stearns, Buck Walker told her that the Grahams had invited the two of them over for dinner aboard theSea Wind. Stearns told authorities she and Walker had discovered the overturned dinghy on a beach in the lagoon and had only taken the Sea Wind to protect it from vandals. In 1981, Muff Graham's bones were found on a Palmyra beach. Walker was tried first, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for Muffs murder, thanks, in part, to the testimony of a fellow inmate to whom hed made a jailhouse confession. Muff Graham, formerly Eleanor LaVerne Eddington, had grown up here.Her mother, Rose King, and sister, Peggy Faulkner, of San Diego, were quoted in media coverage of the murders. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns. In several instances, transcripts of the trial reveal testimony that differs from that recited in Bugliosis book, Bucy contends. The bones had fallen out of an aluminum box found open on the beach. Her moronic pronouncements (all of which went unnoticed) regarding the birth of the Iola (for the most part wisely left out of Bugliosis account of the trial) are absurd to the point of zaniness. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? He asked for a cigarette. Stephanie Walker Husband. The boat is wooden and they have it covered in berglass to prevent it from leaking. HILO In 1974, Buck Duane Walker and his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, sailed in a leaky boat to Palmyra Atoll and returned to Honolulu Harbor in a beautiful yacht owned by a San Diego couple who had been vacationing on Palmyra. Wesley G. "Buck" Walker has been paroled from federal prison after serving 22 years of a life sentence for murder in a case that led to a best-selling novel and a TV miniseries. The Iola had just traveled 19 days from Hawaii with only two crew members. Unlike Stephanie when questioned Buck gave away nothing only answering questions with a yes or no. Stephanie, who was in jail, had inadvertently given the FBI more evidence to use against her and Buck. Mac and Muff Graham Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. Her husband has never been found. Paroling authorities do not like it when a convicted offender denies responsibility for a crime, Partington said. Stephanie Walker Bio, Wiki, Age, Husband Everybody familiar with the case regards this theory as utter hogwash. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. Stephanies defense was that she blamed Buck Walker for the murder. The murder was the basis of a best selling book And the Sea Will Tell, which was turned into a popular mini-series starring James Brolin. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff The trials were big news nationally and, especially, in San Diego. He died from a stroke in 2010. Stephanie Stearns There was no sign of Mac's body. The jury believed the defenses theory that it was Buck who acted alone and concealed what he did from her. Read our revised Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I would really like to see her bones interred in San Diego, said Bucy, who is endeavoring to create a fund to bring them here for a proper burial. On August 30, according to Stephanie Stearns, Buck Walker told her that the Grahams had invited the two of them over for dinner aboard the Sea Wind. Macs friend feared the worst. However, Stearns murder plot was masterful. starbulletin.com : Next, she said that they left the island in the Sea Wind towing the Iola behind them. It was interesting to read some of the activity behind the scenes; however, I still have no understanding of why Bugliosi took on this client. An example of Roy being out of his element is that he would shoot his .22 caliber handgun into the water. A sailor and wooden boat own- er for nearly fifty years, duly licensed to practice law in the State of California, former Deputy Public Defender for the County of Los Angeles and trial lawyer for over forty years. Murder charges were added only after Mrs. Grahams skeletal remains were found in a metal box on Palmyra in 1981. After this he wrote an "allegorical" novel about the events on Palmyra, in which he asserted that he was having an affair with Muff Graham, and that Mac went crazy after discovering them in the act. We pray these resources will enrich the lives of your students, develop their faith in God, help them grow in Christian character, and build their sense of identity with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. , CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (May 1, 2014), Language The one victim that we know of was Eleanor Graham, called Muff, but her husband, Malcolm "Mac" Graham III, age 43, vanished. Something went wrong. However, the organization of the book is erratic, confusing at points, & chopped full of grammatical errors & poor punctuation. Forty-fiveyears ago today, on August 30, 1974, at least one and probably two grisly murders occurred in one of the most faraway locales on planet Earth--a small Pacific atoll called Palmyra, a thousand miles south of Hawaii, which has no permanent human population. The prosecution said Stearns helped Walker in the murder in order to get the Grahams yacht and food supply and leave Palmyra. HILO Buck Duane Walker, 69, convicted of murder in 1985 in connection with the 1974 theft of a yacht south of Hawaii, could be released from federal prison in California next month. His landlord, P. Parker, said he largely kept to himself and enjoyed reading, listening to audiobooks and scouring the Internet for research. They showed up at 6:30 PM but the Grahams weren't there. Necrophilia, cannibalism, and dismemberment were all part of his routine in his attempts to satiate his morbid desires. WebStephanie Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. Walker was found guilty in 1985. The killer was Buck Duane Walker, also known as Wesley G. Walker, a tough ex-convict and noted con artist, who had also sailed to Palmyra that summer with his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns. Walker receives an annual salary that ranges between $46,796, as per NBC News On August 30, according to Stephanie Stearns, Buck Walker told her that the Grahams had invited the two of them over for dinner aboard the Sea Wind. The duo has been together since 2004. Walker told his girlfriend that they had told them they were to "make themselves at home" if they (the Grahams) weren't back yet from fishing. Buck was taken back into custody when he exited the hotel. The prosecutor needed to prove that Muff Graham did not drown and needed to show that Muff had been inside that container. As the various sailing groups are introducing themselvesRoy noticed that Mac Graham was a smoker. Mr. Walker and Miss Stearns turned up here in October 1974, sailing the Grahams's yacht, the Sea Wind, which they had partly disguised and repainted. Some of his theory is speculative. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. But Walker's former attorney, Earle Partington, says the Aug. 28 "projected" release date posted by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons means only that Walker will be considered for parole then. Bucy, who now lives in Canada, earlier had tracked down Macs sister, Mary, who was once married to the late hydroplane boat racer Bill Muncey, of La Mesa. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. It is really foolish to go to sea without being prepared with adequate supplies. Roy meanwhile was not enjoying the islands as much as Mac was. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. A writer attempted to raise funds to bury Muff back in San Diego where the Grahams were originally from. The Iola was a cramped boat and soon Roy moved into a makeshift tent onshore while Stephanie remained on the boat. It was a circumstantial case and if they lost they wouldnt be able to charge them again should their bodies ever be discovered. Stephanie and Buck were charged with the murder of Muff Graham. The pair were desperate enough to murder the Grahams and steal their boat. It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. The fate of the Grahams was unknown until Muff Graham's charred bones were found on Palmyra in 1981. The FBI holds jurisdiction over crimes on the high seas and based upon the story that Stephanie had told she was placed under arrest for interstate transportation of stolen property. True Crime Stories: 48 Terrifying True Crime Murder Cases (List of Twelve Collection), Killer Moms: 16 Bizarre True Crime Stories of Murderous Moms. However, when he dove off the pier he left his wallet behind. After Bugliosi argued that Buck Walker had committed the Palmyra murders himself without Stearns's participation or knowledge, and following her testimony at the trial, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. She made the dock and took off running with the Coast Guard officer giving chase. We also recommend using Mozillas Firefox Internet Browser for this web site. To this day no one ever has. "That's a parole consideration date," Partington said. Wesley G. "Buck" Walker, the former Big Island marijuana grower convicted in the 1974 murder of a wealthy San Diego couple on Palmyra, has died in California at age 72. THE SEAWIND MURDERS Muff and Mac Graham Murders In that first e-mail, Walker said Parker wrote, "I wonder if you would consider renting to an old man who has been wrongly convicted of murder.". Officials granted Walker release into Northern California, although the specific city was not named. Bucy contacted FBI officials in Honolulu, informed them of his plan, and they agreed not to dispose of the bones until he can interest sailors or others to take up a collection for the transfer. These presentations help teach about Ellen White, her ministry, and her writings. The murder was the basis of a best selling book And the Sea Will Tell, which was turned into a popular mini-series starring James Brolin. The jury deliberated 2 1/2 days. Paroling officials want an inmate to accept responsibility, he said. They would exchange marijuana for supplies that friends brought them. Download: English | German. Notorious atoll murderer dies after parole The Mac and Muff Graham murders frustrated authorities until a container holding human remains washed up onshore. Bugliosis book identified an older sister, Dorothy Young, of La Mesa. "I have no intention of returning to Hawai'i any time in the near future if I have any say-so," Walker wrote in a letter to Stephens Media. He said the Grahams died because of a love triangle gone wrong in his self-published 895-page book titled "Palmyra: the True Story of an Island Tragedy.". Stephanie Walker Husband. In January 1981 a South African couple visiting the atoll, found a human skull and other bones that had apparently fallen out of a World War II vintage metal box washed up on the beach after a storm. Wesley G. "Buck" Walker has been paroled from federal prison after serving 22 years of a life sentence for murder in a case that led to a best-selling novel and a TV miniseries. This act aroused suspicion; acquaintances of the Grahams easily recognized the distinctive Sea Wind despite its new paint job. Her husbands body, presumed to have been dumped at sea, has never been found. As others have said, the book doesn't seem to have been edited, so much of it reads like a stream of random thoughts, with little coherence, and the endless errors in grammar, spelling and sentence construction are distracting. Unfortunately, because of Enokis refusal to allow Bugliosis tidal data into the trial, the jury was deprived of this information. She had begun rowing to shore hoping to make it before they caught up. Bernard pointed out to authorities where the yachts appearance had been changed from taking off the nameplate and trying to paint over it and repainting parts of the boat. The next morning when the Grahams didnt return, they went out looking for them, and that is when they found the washed-up zodiac onshore. Get your hands on this collection of 48 true crime stories. I read it again quite recently and, finding that Mr. Bucy had written what was apparently a rebuttal of the findings of Bugliosi - specifically that Stephanie Stearns, rather than being innocent of the murders as was determined at her trial - was, in fact, the instigator and sadistic killer behind both deaths. No signs of Mac Grahams remains have been located. He also made regular radio calls to his friend back in Hawaii to check-in and updated him on his discoveries. Please try again. The Sea Wind had already proven itself to be a seaworthy vessel as it had already been sailing all around the world. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. For myself, after arguing on behalf of thousands of defendants as a Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender, I too now change sides, and argue on behalf of MAC and MUFF GRAHAM. It adds much needed objective, incisive analysis of Stephanie Stearns' role in the murders, which was absent from Bugliosi's books "And The Sea Will Tell," which I also read. Stephanie Walker Education. Bucy was amazed that the remains of slain sailor Eleanor Muff Graham remained unclaimed in FBI storage so long after the trial instead of receiving a proper burial, and he vowed to do something about it. After Bugliosi argued that Buck Walker had committed the Palmyra murders himself without Stearns's participation or knowledge, and following her testimony at the trial, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. He told his friend that perhaps they wanted a truce. The two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns were tried separately for the murder of Muff Graham. Try again. They also found The Iola hatch cover onshore which told agents that Roy and Stephanie had planned on scuttling The Iola as no one would go to sea without a hatch cover for their vessel. MYSTERY ON PACIFIC ATOLL LEADS TO MURDER CHARGE They are part of one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. Column: FlingGolf is catching on with San Diego in limelight, Column: Martin Luther King III helps launch Say It Now in San Diego, Column: Treasure trove of Gregory Peck memorabilia goes to auction, Column: S.D. Stephanie Walker She had a terrible premonition that she would die a horrible death. That premonition, which she had shared with others before her voyage, turned out to be terribly true. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns Paperback May 1, 2014 by Tom Bucy (Author) 37 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle $5.99 Read with Our Free App Paperback $24.95 2 Used from $22.50 6 New from $23.02 First edition published by W. W. Norton & Co. (1991), United States District Court for the Northern District of California, "Notorious atoll murderer dies after parole to Willits area", "Isle murderer Buck Duane Walker up for parole", BruceHendersonBooks.com - co-author Bruce Henderson's website, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=And_the_Sea_Will_Tell&oldid=1133317524, Non-fiction books about murders in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 05:23. But he is known to most people as Buck Duane Walker, the name he was using when he and Stearns sailed into Honolulu in 1974 aboard the disguised 37-foot ketch Sea Wind. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. : Island Search Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. It includes substantial portions of the original trial testimony that were excluded in ATSWT. What made this case difficult was subpoenaing of witnesses who lived and traveled by boat. He also used a chainsaw to cut down a coconut tree to get to the coconuts. A report by Stephens Media said Walker is in "poor health.". Some factors, such as Walker's age, 69, and alleged poor health, might lead to a parole, he said. On August 27th, Mac radioed his friend in Hawaii. The Fullard-Leo family bought Palmyra as part of a hui in the early 1900s for a fishing venture that never materialized. WebStephanie Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Were concerned that Muff needs to be taken care of in a dignified manner, he said, and supports Bucys proposal. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Wesley G. "Buck" Walker, the former Big Island marijuana grower convicted in the 1974 murder of a wealthy San Diego couple on Palmyra, has died in California at age 72. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Eager to win every point, when necessary he shaves the truth. The friction between the two materials caused a crack in the hull and it had taken on water. The book has kept interest in the case alive. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. Her manipulative skills are unusually sharp as can be observed while she was at work on Palmyra Island the summer of 1974, and in her interplay with counsel and court during her murder trial. "It's just covered in palm trees. "It was a very high-profile case at the time," said Partington, who called Walker a "very bright guy, very sociable." FINAL ARGUMENT was written in response to VINCENT BUGLIOSIS best seller AND THE SEA WILL TELL (ATSWT) which recounts the brutal murder and torture of MAC and MUFF GRAHAM on PALMYRA ISLA8ND August 29, 1974. He tried again a couple of days later and over the following weeks. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. The San Francisco medical examiner confirmed the findings of the FBI examiner. The Big Book of Serial Killers (An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers), Edmund Kemper: The True Story of The Brutal Co-ed Butcher (Real Crime by Real Killers). Please try again. The next morning they had found Grahams inflatable Zodiac boat overturned and washed up on shore in the shark-infested lagoon. The book was well-written, despite being an obvious self-aggrandizing account by its author. Reviewed in Canada on February 9, 2018. Palmyra In it, he rebuts some of the trial analyses put forth in Bugliosis 1991 book, And the Sea Will Tell, later the subject of a TV miniseries. They then spent the next two days searching for the Grahams but found no trace of them. MYSTERY ON PACIFIC ATOLL LEADS TO MURDER CHARGE I believe that Walker, and possibly Sterns are guilty, but other possibilities are a murder suicide (husband shoots wife and then himself), or that they really did drown, someone finding a body on the beach at some time later and burying it in a trunk. Instead, Stephanie and Buck were charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, which was a pretty open and shut case. You'll receive an email with an opt-in link to complete your subscription. They arrived from Palmyra Island, 1,100 miles south of Honolulu, later claiming they abandoned their own boat and took the Grahams' after the couple mysteriously disappeared. Duane Buck Walker was convicted in 1985 for the grisly murder in 1974 of a San Diego woman on an island paradise on Palmyra atoll about 1,200 miles from Honolulu. On January 21, 1981, a South African couple Robert and Sharron Jordan were visiting the Palmyra Islands. If you think there should be more material, feel free to help us develop more! With no bodies as evidence of murder, Walker and Stearns were convicted only of theft. Discover more of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more. Mr. Walker and Miss Stearns turned up here in October 1974, sailing the Grahams's yacht, the Sea Wind, which they had partly disguised and repainted. Please try again. In October 1974 the Lennards who had taken the letter from Muff to mail were back in Hawaii. Buck Walker kill the wealthy In one of the mothers letters, she wrote that she was afraid for Mac and Muff and that they should leave Palmyra before something bad happened to them. This was the Grahams home port and several of Muffs family are interred in this area.. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Final Argument: An Inquiry into