Your browser's security settings are preventing some features from appearing. The two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Column: Did the DOJ just say Donald Trump can be held accountable for Jan. 6? WebFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns at Amazon.com. , Item Weight I absolutely LOVED this book! After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. The skeleton was identified as Muff Graham, and she died in very grisly fashion--hit over the head, dismembered, and her face burned with a welding torch. This was the Grahams home port and several of Muffs family are interred in this area.. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. The box had been wired shut. The Iola wasnt really meant for this sea journey. Walker was found guilty in 1985. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. Stephanies Miranda rights were read to her, but she didnt heed the warning about her right to remain silent and begins to repeat what she told Bernard Lennard. But the one body was enough: Walker and Stearns were arrested in Arizona for murder. Macs friend in Hawaii would get their mothers letters and would read the Grahams responses during his weekly radio contact. : The friction between the two materials caused a crack in the hull and it had taken on water. The jury believed the defenses theory that it was Buck who acted alone and concealed what he did from her. Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. WebStephanie Walker Photo Stephanie Walker Salary. It had a top-notch navigational system and plenty of supplies on board. Muff gave her letter to one of the other boat owners, Bernard and Evelyn Lennard, as they were leaving the islands to go back to Hawaii and would mail it for her. In May, they sailed to Kauai, and prepared the boat to set sail for Palmyra atoll. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. The bones and the container were sent off to the FBI lab in Washington D.C. Originally they told authorities that their own boat, theIola, got stuck on a reef at Palmyra, but Stearns later admitted they scuttled theIola in favor of stealing theSea Wind. But Walker is close. ATSWT reviewed the supposed facts surrounding the murder of the Grahams on Palmyra, and followed STEPHANIE STEARNS (aka JENNIFER JENKINS) upon her arrest and trial for her role in the planning and participation in those murders. [4] Walker (writing as Wesley G. Walker) claimed in a book about that case that he had been seduced by Mrs. Graham and, in the midst of lovemaking, had been caught by Mr. Graham, who shot his wife and attempted to shoot Walker. Palmyra is today owned by the Nature Conservancy and is the site of some climate change research. The ex-con, Buck Duane Walke r, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, had arrived at Palmyra in their shabby, poorly stocked boat while the Grahams were anchored there. Bernard asked about the Grahams and if they were still alive. Now the island did have natural resources, such as fish, crabs, birds eggs, and coconuts, but this young couple didnt know anything about how to go about harvesting them. This includes personalizing your content. IIn October 1974, 37-year-old Buck Duane Walker and 27-year-old Stephanie Stearns sailed into Hawaii on a boat others instantly recognized as the Sea Wind. 'Buck' Walker infamous for high-profile Palmyra deaths. Stephanies defense attorney was famed Vincent Bugliosi who believed that she was innocent. WebBoat Bumpers from the sea wind still on Palmyra this image was taken in 2014. "It was a very high-profile case at the time," said Partington, who called Walker a "very bright guy, very sociable." Stearns and Walker had sailed to Palmyra aboard a leaky boat and were the only other people on the atoll besides the Grahams at the time of their disappearance in 1974. This book is brimming with unsupported and ridiculous made up scenarios. The Grahams had brought more than a year's supply of food for their voyage, but Walker and Stearns quickly consumed their own meager supplies and resorted to harvesting the island's few coconuts, often by chopping down entire trees, leaving scars on the island habitat. Having Roys picture and knowing about Roy trying to grow marijuana gave the FBI a starting point in their search. On November 8, 1974, Buck Walker resurfaced at an area restaurant. Malcolm Graham's body was never found. He found out that the soil was not amenable to growing marijuana. They had no money and about 6 months of provisions, expecting to live off the ocean for the rest. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. All of which were ignored by the prosecutor, judge, jury and reading public. I highly respect Bugliosi for his work on Manson & his criminal cult members, but it is obvious he wrote the book as a defence attorney, paid for by Stearns' rich family. She claimed that they had been invited over to the Sea Wind for dinner one night, but the Grahams were not there. Supposedly Walker killed him in self defense after Mac killed his wife. Were concerned that Muff needs to be taken care of in a dignified manner, he said, and supports Bucys proposal. 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. Macs friend tried to get authorities involved, but they declined to investigate at the time so he had a friend fly over Palmyra to see if he could spot The Sea Wind. The skull was identified as belonging to a caucasian woman in her late 40s early 50s. Like Roy and Stephanie, they were surprised to see so many people. Stephanie Walker Salary. They also showed that the zodiac wouldnt have worked if it had been found the way Stephanie and Buck said it was. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. He had a rougher appearance and gave off an aura of being dangerous. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. Stephanies defense was that she blamed Buck Walker for the murder. Unfortunately, her remains are still in FBI custody. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Reviewed in Australia on January 26, 2017. 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. The motive according to prosecutors was theft and desperation since their boat was not seaworthy and they were running out of provisions. They are part of one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. Stephanie Walker Education. Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. 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. 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. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. In 1981, Muff Graham's bones were found on a Palmyra beach. However, when he dove off the pier he left his wallet behind. Most of those that knew and loved her are gone and she has been shamefully abandoned by the sailing community. The yellow container was similar to the two missing containers that FBI agents had found in the abandoned Navy warehouse years earlier. WebStephanie Walker Photo Stephanie Walker Salary. 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. He felt that something had happened to Mac and Muff Graham and that Roy and Stephanie were behind it. Stearns and Walker took over the Graham's ritzy yacht, theSea Wind, and sailed it back to Hawaii. Part 1 aired on February 24, and Part 2 was aired two days later. 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. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. Sadly, Mr. Bugliosi passed away in 2015. Other impressions of the young couple were that Roy didnt really fit the image of someone who sailed or even had a lot of experience sailing. Some factors, such as Walker's age, 69, and alleged poor health, might lead to a parole, he said. Authorities would later identify them as Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns. Bucy hopes this months publication of his e-book, Final Argument, will renew interest in the case. On September 11, 1974, after days of searching and waiting for the Grahams to return to their boat, Stearns said she and Walker scuttled the Iola and sailed for Hawaii on the Sea Wind. 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. Their plans for the bountiful marijuana crop finally faded as the seedlings they had planted had been eaten up by the island insects. A woman acquitted on charges that she helped her boyfriend murder a yachtswoman on a remote Pacific atoll in 1974 says her faith in the American judicial system has been reinstated.. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. The ex-con, Buck Duane Walker, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, had arrived at Palmyra in their shabby, poorly stocked boat while the Grahams were anchored there. Defense lawyers said Walker was solely responsible for the murder and hid it from Stearns, who testified she thought the Grahams had drowned on a fishing trip, and joined Walker on a search that found the Grahams overturned dinghy but no sign of the couple. So the FBI put a trace on the make and model of her car and that led them to a hotel in Nevada. Partington doubts that authorities will release Walker, because he recently published a book claiming to be innocent. The two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. The night before Sanders and Wolf were to leave Palmyra they had cocktails with the Grahams aboard the Sea Wind. The Iola owners also had very few provisions along with them. The Iola had just traveled 19 days from Hawaii with only two crew members. Bucy puts forward his idea of what happened on Palmyra and there may be some justification for his theory. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. Your browser's security settings are preventing some features from appearing. Next, she said that they left the island in the Sea Wind towing the Iola behind them. Roy also noticed a Coast Guard boat in the harbor coming towards them. The Iola was a cramped boat and soon Roy moved into a makeshift tent onshore while Stephanie remained on the boat. The FBI flew to Palmyra to try to verify if, in fact, the bones were one of the Grahams. True Crime Stories: 48 Terrifying True Crime Murder Cases (List of Twelve Collection), Killer Moms: 16 Bizarre True Crime Stories of Murderous Moms. Everybody familiar with the case regards this theory as utter hogwash. Alas, poor Muff, her bones at the time of publishing, languish in the care of the FBI, forty years after her torture and murder by Stearns and Walker, still not at rest, forlorn and forgotten. If released, Walker would normally be returned to the place he was tried, Honolulu. It also sparked a TV miniseries by the same name starring James Brolin and Rachel Ward. The zodiac was overturned on the beach as it is not designed that way to overturn. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. and Macs messenger, Curtis Shoemaker. On January 21, 1981, a South African couple Robert and Sharron Jordan were visiting the Palmyra Islands. In 1985, Walker was convicted, despite Partington's defense efforts. . WebFind helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns at Amazon.com. A careful reading of FINAL ARGUMENT answers these, and many more questions that should have been asked, but were not. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. She has never received a formal burial. It was believed he fled on foot after leaving the dinghy at the loading dock near the Ilikai Hotel. 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. Muff wasnt really all that thrilled with living off the Palmyra Island, to begin with, and Roy and Stephanies presence added to the disillusionment. The Grahams, however, felt bad and tried to include them inviting them aboard their boat on July 5, 1974. Island Search Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. Dental records confirmed that it was Muff Graham. While researching the case of a San Diego sailing couple brutally murdered on Palmyra Island in 1974, retired L.A. deputy public defender Tom Bucy, made a surprising discovery. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. 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. I worked my way through the last half of the book by skimming repetitious portions of the court transcripts. This act aroused suspicion; acquaintances of the Grahams easily recognized the distinctive Sea Wind despite its new paint job. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. When I read Vincent Bugliosi's book "And the Sea Will Tell," I found it a captivating story. In June 1974, they set sail with their three dogs for the Palmyra atoll planning to spend two years there. Ive not been able to find any information on how she lived out her life since being acquitted in the 80s. Buck Walker was paroled from federal prison in 2007. She told the agents she and Roy arrived right before dinner, but no one was aboard. Suffering from terminal cancer, he was paroled in 2007 and has since died. Walker lived off his Social Security check and paid $400 a month in rent. She made the dock and took off running with the Coast Guard officer giving chase. Mac Grahams remains have 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. : However, Stearns murder plot was masterful. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. He also used a chainsaw to cut down a coconut tree to get to the coconuts. Buck Walker was not as fortunate as Stephanie and was found guilty and received a life sentence. Walker never acknowledged committing the murder, self-publishing an 895-word novel he called the true story of an island tragedy.. The FBI took Roys photo to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) who recognized the picture as that of Buck Walker whom the DEA was also searching for. "I don't think he's likely to be paroled," Partington said. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Juris Doctor degree from the San Fernando Valley College of Law. Stearns was acquitted of the murder and Walker was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. I just finished this after reading And the Sea Will Tell (a 2nd time last week). When they arrived at the atoll, they had already eaten most of the provisions meant to last six months and had to be towed into the atoll with a broken motor. They showed up at 6:30 PM but the Grahams weren't there. Walker receives an annual salary that ranges between $46,796, as per NBC News [2], Walker was released on parole in September 2007 at the age of 69, after serving 22 years of a life sentence, and died of a stroke on April 26, 2010 at the age of 72. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. [5], Malcolm Graham's body has never been found.[6]. Roy and Stephanie then tried to take their boat back to Hawaii, but it got stuck on the reef so they decided to take the abandoned Sea Wind instead. So the couple made themselves at home until the Grahams returned and they decided to spend the night upon the Sea Wind when the Grahams failed to do so. It was a circumstantial case and if they lost they wouldnt be able to charge them again should their bodies ever be discovered. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. The jury deliberated 2 1/2 days. Bugliosis careful analysis of the tides revealed Stearns was lying about her activities purportedly occurring on the 30th and 31st of August 1974. This revealed that it had been lying against a hard surface, such as a container. Do you love reading true crime? Conservatives are terrified of the past. Please join me at my new blog, The Garden of Memory. No signs of Mac Grahams remains have been located. The court found for Bugliosi, ruling that this was his protected opinion. After WWII the Palmyra Islands are mostly used as a stopover point for sailors traveling to Samoa. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. In that wallet was a drivers license with Roy Allens name on it. 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). Around one of the bones was a gold wristwatch. Unfortunately, because of Enokis refusal to allow Bugliosis tidal data into the trial, the jury was deprived of this information. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. Including serial killers, cannibals, and mass murderers. 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. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. He told his friend that perhaps they wanted a truce. Buck and Stephanies trials were held separately in San Francisco due to the publicity the Graham case had in the media. Stearns claims to have studied mathematics, yet in her supposed log she cannot engage in simple addition. It became a 1991 miniseries of the same name starring James Brolin as Graham. 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 : 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. Once in Hawaii, the couple had the Sea Wind repainted and also renamed it, which according to boating superstition brings bad luck. Download: English | German. The Grahams had a prearranged radio contact schedule established with an operator in Hawaii. The Sea Wind thieves were tried for murder. The Grahams were a happily married couple touring the world, and Mr. Graham ran his business remotely. Other factors, especially a recent, self-published 895-page book in which Walker still denies he killed the Grahams, work against his release, Partington said. WebBoat Bumpers from the sea wind still on Palmyra this image was taken in 2014. It is considered an incorporated territory of the United States and is under its sovereignty since 1911. Then known as Buck Duane Walker, the former Big Island marijuana farmer was convicted in the 1974 murder of a San Diego couple on Palmyra, a remote Pacific island just north of the equator and about 1,100 miles south of Honolulu. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. Stearns, who sobbed as she read entries from her 1974 log to the jury about the Grahams disappearance, denied there was any feud. Unable to add item to List. In October, the Sea Wind was recognized in a Honolulu yacht harbor with Stearns and Walker now its crew. "It's just covered in palm trees. The separate murder trials were transferred to San Francisco because of publicity in Hawaii. Walker and Stearns tried unsuccessfully to grow vegetables and were forced to subsist on coconuts and fish. They found other sailors already there, including two male Canadian scientists, but nonetheless stayed. , ISBN-10 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 August 28, 1974, during the last radio contact anyone had from the Grahams, Mac told the radio operator there is a dinghy coming over to the boat, I guess theyve made a truce. After a brief pause the radio operator said, I heard a womans voice, and there was laughter, then Mac said, I better find out whats happening. Mac signed off at that point. This was the last time anyone heard from the Grahams. 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. Island Search Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. 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. The federal system generally does not parole aging offenders until they reach 70 at the earliest, he said. As Walker's method of farming became unsustainable, he and Stearns were forced to plan a voyage in the rickety Iola, against prevailing winds and currents, to Fanning (Tabuaeran), a nearby atoll in Kiribati, to restock a voyage close to impossible without a working auxiliary engine. They had thought that Palmyra would be deserted. To learn more, click here. Walker was convicted in 1985. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. Buck Walker was paroled in 2007. When King asked jurors to consider whether further deliberation would be unproductive, the verdict to acquit was returned less than an hour later. Muff was a wonderful gal, he says. The pair were desperate enough to murder the Grahams and steal their boat. Final Argument is so bad, in so many ways, that's it's hard to know where to start a review. Both were found guilty. So you have the boat that Bernard recognizes as the Sea Wind, but had been painted over and a person on deck who didnt own the yacht. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Walker died in 2010. Stephanie did testify on her own behalf and was able to give her version of events. San Diego sailors Malcolm Mac Graham III, 43, and his wife Eleanor Muff LaVerne Graham, 41, sailed the 37.5-foot ketch Sea Wind into Palmyra in July. He took half the pack of cigarettes when Mac handed it over to him to take only one. Betty Fullard-Leo said the Graham case left the family shocked and disturbed. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. Since there was no activity on the boat the Coast Guard posted a lookout to see if anyone showed up. 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. Stephanie Walker Husband. I keep waiting--in vain--for it to pop up on Netflix. Walker and Graham were both convicted for the theft of the boat. He tried again a couple of days later and over the following weeks. Months passed with no word or sighting of the Grahams. While Walker was represented by a public defender, Stearns, from a well-to-do family, was defended by high-profile attorney Vincent Bugliosi, Charles Mansons prosecutor. Officials granted Walker release into Northern California, although the specific city was not named. There are evidently makeshift memorials to the Grahams on the island, which is private property and illegal to trespass upon, but naturally being so remote it's difficult to police. Experts refer to this as coffin wear and it is not seen when something is buried on a soft surface, such as sand or dirt only on hard surfaces. As of 2014, Muffs remains are still in FBI custody, 28 years after Stephanies acquittal and Bucks conviction for her murder. Each faith-building lesson integrates heart-warming Adventist pioneer stories along with Scripture and Ellen Whites writings. (Most egregious were her August 5th log remarks about drooling and dreaming anticipating possession of the SEA WIND on execution of the Grahams.) The strange goings-on at Palmyra Atoll were remarkable enough to spawn a legend about the island being unlucky, and today you'll still hear Pacific travelers talk about the "Palmyra curse." Stephanie received 2 years. 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. Try again. 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.". Walker earns an annual salary ranging between $ 45,000 $ 110,500. Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights. [3] Prior to his death, Walker had been living in a trailer home in Willits, California. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! 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. , CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (May 1, 2014), Language He was happy sitting there listening to books on tape," she said, adding Walker contacted her by e-mail through a Craigslist ad for a rental. 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. An FBI agent from the Hawaiian field office was assigned and met with Bernard and the Coast Guard at the yacht harbor. IIn October 1974, 37-year-old Buck Duane Walker and 27-year-old Stephanie Stearns sailed into Hawaii on a boat others instantly recognized as the Sea Wind. Something went wrong. Roy changed direction and headed to the nearest dock where he jumped off and Stephanie started to row back to The Sea Wind. During the years following the Grahams disappearance, Palmyra atoll visitors had maintained a stack of newspaper clippings about the incident in a jungle shack. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. 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.