Accused Craigslist Killer of Marietta Couple Set to Plead Guilty and Avoid Death Penalty

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Ronnie "Jay" Towns, accused of murdering Marietta couple Elrey "Bud" and June Runion in January 2015, is expected to plead guilty in court on Tuesday, which may result in a life without parole sentence instead of the death penalty. The couple had traveled 200 miles to Telfair County to purchase a 1966 Ford Mustang, but investigators allege Towns lured them under false pretenses. Their bodies were found four days after they went missing, and new evidence related to the case was discovered by a man magnet fishing in April 2023.