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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. Stearns was acquitted of the murder and Walker was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. 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. The Palmyra Islands are primarily unoccupied but do host a transient population mostly made up of scientists and researchers. Get your hands on this collection of 30 true crime stories. Around one of the bones was a gold wristwatch. 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. Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. Stephanie Walker Husband. Reviewed in Australia on March 24, 2022. On August 27th, Mac radioed his friend in Hawaii. They cautioned the Grahams to be careful with Roy and Stephanie. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. When I read Vincent Bugliosi's book "And the Sea Will Tell," I found it a captivating story. Divers were sent into the ocean to search for the other container. : 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. Were concerned that Muff needs to be taken care of in a dignified manner, he said, and supports Bucys proposal. Cameron Todd Willingham Accidental Fire Or Intentional Arson. 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. Complete class lesson plans for each grade from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns were tried separately for the murder of Muff Graham. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. 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. The Felon - Essays on Crime and the Criminal, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. Stearns and Walker were arrested in 1981 for murder and tried separately in federal court in San Francisco. Everybody familiar with the case regards this theory as utter hogwash. The new arrivals were Mac Graham, age 53, and his wife Eleanor, nicknamed Muff, who was slightly younger than Mac. The Grahams had planned on staying around Palmyra for about 6 months. Stephanie Walker Salary. It was believed he fled on foot after leaving the dinghy at the loading dock near the Ilikai Hotel. So the FBI put a trace on the make and model of her car and that led them to a hotel in Nevada. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. 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. California schools tried to cover up their expulsion rates. The bones and the container were sent off to the FBI lab in Washington D.C. 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. In 1981, a subsequent visitor to Palmyra Island found a human skull in the sand not far from where the Grahams' boat was said to have capsized. They were no longer romantically involved. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. , Item Weight Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. They started bartering their possessions for food with the other yacht owners in the area. 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. , CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (May 1, 2014), Language 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 US Attorneys office didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Stephanie and Buck with the murder of the Grahams. But I felt the egotism in the text was probably a true reflection of Bugliosi's personality, which made it somehow even more compelling. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. Muff was a wonderful gal, he says. 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. When Stephanie and Roy arrived they could see how the Sea Wind outshined The Iola in every way. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. Authorities would later identify them as Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns. Publisher Walker had a stroke early this year and died April 26 after several months in a nursing home, according to several friends. She has never received a formal burial. 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. To an experienced sailor, Stearns account of her navigational skill is grossly overstated to the point where reading Bugliosis book And The Sea Will Tell becomes an exercise that tests ones patience. A law school student in Hawaii had written an article about handling a bag containing the skull of one of the victims in the spring of 2009 during a classroom lecture by an FBI agent. 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. So too, there is considerable variance between Bugliosis cross-examination as revealed in the original trial transcript re Pollock and Shoemaker and his recounting this same testimony in his book. Two months after the Grahams vanished, Stearns and Walker sailed the Grahams yacht into Hawaii, 1,100 miles away; they were later sentenced to prison for stealing the yacht. . What made this case difficult was subpoenaing of witnesses who lived and traveled by boat. Forensics suggested Muff Graham had been bludgeoned to death, her body dismembered, and then burned with an acetylene torch. WebStephanie Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Sadly, Mr. Bugliosi passed away in 2015. Bucy hopes this months publication of his e-book, Final Argument, will renew interest in the case. Her attorney, Vincent Bugliosi, and Bruce Henderson wrote a book about the case, "And the Sea Will Tell." Copyright 2023 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. Discover some of the worlds most infamous killers in perfectly-illustrated detail. 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. He has already approached the San Diego Yacht Club, which declined to get involved. A theory started to develop where perhaps Stephanie and Roy had tied the Grahams up and then put them on The Iola and sank the Iola to cover up their crime. Download, The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan is unfolding before our eyes. 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 There were other boats in the harbor. Bernard Lenard spotted a 38-foot ketch with distinct lines in a Honolulu marina that looked like The Sea Wind, but it had been repainted. Buck Walker was paroled in 2007. "He took a short walk every day. Stearns was acquitted. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. But there was a problem as there was no record for a Roy Allen. Bugliosi professing his belief in Stearns innocence is duped by his client. Palmyra was privately owned by the Fullard-Leo family until 2001, when the Nature Conservancy bought it for $37 million for preservation and research purposes. In 1985, Walker was convicted, despite Partington's defense efforts. 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. Logically, if there were two boxes, it doesn't make much sense that Walker would have done something different with his body than he did with Muff's, but we'll never know. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. But none of these possibilities are looked at, and in fairness they should be. 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 He plans to contact sailors up and down the West Coast in hopes of generating interest in the idea. Bugliosis careful analysis of the tides revealed Stearns was lying about her activities purportedly occurring on the 30th and 31st of August 1974. The Mac and Muff Graham murders frustrated authorities until a container holding human remains washed up onshore. But Walker is close. 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 Buck was taken back into custody when he exited the hotel. Where is Mac Graham? He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. 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. Mac Graham then took out his .357 Magnum handgun and assured the two men he could take care of himself and wasnt afraid of Roy. Sanders had a run-in with Roy where he tried to give him some advice regarding his boat and suggested he and Stephanie set sail for Samoa for more supplies. By late August, the rest of the vessels had left Palmyra atoll, leaving only the Sea Wind and Iola in residence. True Crime Stories: 48 Terrifying True Crime Murder Cases (List of Twelve Collection), Killer Moms: 16 Bizarre True Crime Stories of Murderous Moms. He was tried for escape and sentenced to five years in prison. Mac Grahams remains have never been found. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. I just finished this after reading And the Sea Will Tell (a 2nd time last week). 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. She had moved to Seattle, and since has died. Buck Walker was paroled from federal prison in 2007. , ISBN-10 They had thought that Palmyra would be deserted. Stephanie ended up being acquitted of all charges. Because no bodies were found, Walker and Stearns were initially prosecuted only for the yacht theft and convicted in August 1975. It had a top-notch navigational system and plenty of supplies on board. Walker receives an annual salary that ranges between $46,796, as per NBC News It is really foolish to go to sea without being prepared with adequate supplies. Stearns and Walker took over the Graham's ritzy yacht, theSea Wind, and sailed it back to Hawaii. It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. Paroling authorities do not like it when a convicted offender denies responsibility for a crime, Partington said. Graham and her husband, Malcolm Mac Graham, had disappeared on Aug. 29, 1974, after sailing about 970 miles south from Hawaii to the Palmyra atoll. The author makes some fair points but doesn't address any other possibilities in the deaths of Mac and Muff Graham. The duo has been together since 2004. Vincent Bugliosi, Stephanie Stearns's attorney, wrote a book about the murders calledAnd The Sea Will Tell. 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. | Try Prime for unlimited fast, free shipping, Previous page of related Sponsored Products. The Iola was a cramped boat and soon Roy moved into a makeshift tent onshore while Stephanie remained on the boat. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. 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. The married couple were yachting around the Pacific on their impressive sailboat called theSea Wind, and they had unfortunately chosen the wrong island to camp on. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns. [3] Prior to his death, Walker had been living in a trailer home in Willits, California. Part 1 aired on February 24, and Part 2 was aired two days later. Some factors, such as Walker's age, 69, and alleged poor health, might lead to a parole, he said. 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. Sharron was taking a walk down the beach and discovered an aluminum container that contained human remains washed up on shore. To learn more, click here. We have provided a download link below to Firefox 2 installer. Although Walker never testified, the defense claimed that he and Stearns were attempting to return the Sea Wind to Hawaii with the Iola in tow, but the Iola ran aground on the reef as they exited the lagoon and had to be abandoned. The author does a reasonable job of analyzing & proving that Stephanie Stearns was definitely involved in the brutal murder of Muff Graham. Please try again. The two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. 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. Her husbands body, presumed to have been dumped at sea, has never been found. Both were charged with murdering Eleanor Muff Graham of San Diego, who disappeared along with her husband, Malcolm, from Palmyra atoll in August, 1974. "It was a very high-profile case at the time," said Partington, who called Walker a "very bright guy, very sociable." 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. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. 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. Partington added: "It's a terribly sad story. 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. The trip to Palmyra atoll typically takes about a week, but the Iola got lost and the journey took Stearns and Walker nearly three weeks. Final Argument is so bad, in so many ways, that's it's hard to know where to start a review. They showed up at 6:30 PM but the Grahams weren't there. To allow the menu buttons to display, add whiteestate.org to IE's trusted sites. Stephanie Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. As of 2014, Muffs remains are still in FBI custody, 28 years after Stephanies acquittal and Bucks conviction for her murder. 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. I was intrigued by this author's assertion that the supposed ignorance of the prosecutorial and defense lawyers of long distance yacht travel resulted in the female defendant, Stephanie Sterns, fooling everyone into believing she had no part of the murders of Mac and Muff Graham. Let's teach children to be unafraid. Instead, Stephanie and Buck were charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, which was a pretty open and shut case. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. But Walker's former attorney, Earle Partington of Honolulu, warned against putting too much faith in that date. Perhaps he murdered them at different times and different places around the island. 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. 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. Her son, Dorian Graham Muncey, 58, Macs nephew, said he was shocked to learn his aunts bones were being passed around in a law class. The night before Sanders and Wolf were to leave Palmyra they had cocktails with the Grahams aboard the Sea Wind. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. The young couple had nearly run out of all their supplies. 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. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. He had been living in a trailer home in Willits, Calif., where he moved not long after his early parole in 2007 from a federal prison in Victorville, Calif. After his release, Walker self-published an 895-page book in which he maintained his innocence and spelled out his own version of events on Palmyra, a remote Pacific island some 1,000 miles south of Honolulu that has a thriving ecosystem largely untouched by humans. Teach important lessons with our PowerPoint-enhanced stories of the pioneers! They are part of one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. If youre traveling south from Hawaii the Palmyra Islands are approximately 1000 miles due south. 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. Stearns, whose defense attorney was Vincent Bugliosi, was acquitted. 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. For the most part he does this by omitting critical testimony that proves the lie such as Stearns patently absurd account of her sailing method re leisure sailing, or her improbable account of the Iolas supposed approach to Palmyra. 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. Each faith-building lesson integrates heart-warming Adventist pioneer stories along with Scripture and Ellen Whites writings. 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. Walker was found guilty in 1985. 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. Stearns received a two-year sentence for the theft and Walker a 10-year sentence for the theft to run concurrently with his 5-year sentence for selling ecstasy. Bucy puts forward his idea of what happened on Palmyra and there may be some justification for his theory. Although authorities strongly suspected the couple had murdered the Grahams, no bodies were found. On January 21, 1981, a South African couple Robert and Sharron Jordan were visiting the Palmyra Islands. Stearns and Walker were convicted in 1977 of the theft of the Sea Wind, theft of certain personal property of the Grahams aboard the Sea Wind, and transportation of stolen property in interstate commerce. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. 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. However, the 31-year-old weatherwoman has remained tight-lipped about her husband. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. 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. Several years ago I happened upon "And The Sea Will Tell", a book written by VINCENT BUGLIOSI and BRUCE HENDER-SON. They found nothing, but sharks. 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. In 1974, a wealthy couple from San Diego, California, Malcolm "Mac" Graham III, 43, and Eleanor LaVerne "Muff" Graham, 40, sailed their 38-foot ketch, Sea Wind, to Palmyra Atoll 1,200 miles south of Honolulu hoping to find it deserted and to spend a year or more there. The separate murder trials were transferred to San Francisco because of publicity in Hawaii. 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." Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. They then spent the next two days searching for the Grahams but found no trace of them. His landlord, P. Parker, said he largely kept to himself and enjoyed reading, listening to audiobooks and scouring the Internet for research. There are 38 fully-developed lessons on 10 important topics that Adventist school students face in their daily lives. You Cant Fool A Legally Educated Sailor, Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2021. He also made regular radio calls to his friend back in Hawaii to check-in and updated him on his discoveries. The Grahams had spent more than two years planning the trip and provisioning the Sea Wind, also expecting to stay at Palmyra about two years. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Stephanie Walker Salary. She made the dock and took off running with the Coast Guard officer giving chase. Stephanie indicated no saying that they had drowned or at least that is what she thought. 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.