The last time I posted about Ronnie “Jay” Adrian Towns he had his murder indictment thrown out because the grand jury was not chosen at random. Around the middle of last month, Towns was re-indicted for the 2015 murder of Bud and June Runion of Marietta, Georgia.
Towns allegedly lured the Runions to their deaths by placing an ad on craigslist for a classic Mustang that didn’t exist. The Runions were believed to have been shot to death after meeting Towns. This is a common scam used by many thieves on craigslist. They’ll place an ad for a classic car hoping to lure someone with a lot of cash on them to a meeting place where the scammers will try to rob them. It doesn’t always end in murder but it has on enough occasions to make it more than a concern.
Towns was not released from custody while his indictment was being reassessed. He is also facing the death penalty for the double-murder.
If you’re buying or selling a car on craigslist or any other marketplace site or app, I always advise to always meet the other person at a local police department. Many police departments now have areas set up for craigslist-like exchanges and it goes a long way in preventing tragedies like this from happening.
Real Crime with Trench Reynolds 