He lived on a scant social security check, renting a 22-foot trailer amongst the redwoods he found on Craigslist, coming to town as needed for groceries and to visit the library. 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. Walker and Stearns tried unsuccessfully to grow vegetables and were forced to subsist on coconuts and fish. 1974 murder victim still awaits burial Several years ago I happened upon "And The Sea Will Tell", a book written by VINCENT BUGLIOSI and BRUCE HENDER-SON. He was incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Victorville, in California. 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. 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. In one of the most beautiful settings in the world, Mac and Muff Graham would disappear in the summer of 1974. Authorities would later identify them as Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. The author does a reasonable job of analyzing & proving that Stephanie Stearns was definitely involved in the brutal murder of Muff Graham. It was made into quite a good TV miniseries in 1991, but as it aired during the ground phase of the first Gulf War, almost nobody saw it. 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.". The young couple had nearly run out of all their supplies. After WWII the Palmyra Islands are mostly used as a stopover point for sailors traveling to Samoa. Macs friend in Hawaii would get their mothers letters and would read the Grahams responses during his weekly radio contact. Disappeared: Malcolm 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. He was recaptured in 1981 in Arizona. Next, she said that they left the island in the Sea Wind towing the Iola behind them. Palmyra Buck Walker was tried and convicted of Muff Graham's murder. They found nothing, but sharks. In spite of these shortcomings. Who was Stephanie Stearns in and the sea will tell? In September 1974, friends of the Grahams arranged for a flyover of Palmyra atoll and no vessel was spotted there. One photo showed Stephanie standing on the Sea Wind taking a picture of Buck sailing the Iola. Authorities found out that a woman had visited Buck the day before his escape. Walker was found guilty in 1985. Ive not been able to find any information on how she lived out her life since being acquitted in the 80s. 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. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. 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 other sailing couples had enough supplies for themselves and a little bit left over for emergencies, but not to supply a couple who didnt prepare for their trip. 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 other sailors noticed that Roy had the name Buck tattooed on his arm. Your browser's security settings are preventing some features from appearing. 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. They signed off with plans to talk again on the same day at the same time the following week. He plans to contact sailors up and down the West Coast in hopes of generating interest in the idea. Walker receives an annual salary that ranges between $46,796, as per NBC News Partington added: "It's a terribly sad story. However, Stearns murder plot was masterful. To learn more, click here. Stephanie Walker He died from a stroke in 2010. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. Everybody familiar with the case regards this theory as utter hogwash. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. California schools tried to cover up their expulsion rates. Stephanie Stearns 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. Stearns was arrested in the lower level of the Hawaii Yacht Club for the theft of the Sea Wind,[1] but Walker was able to escape and avoid capture by using a motorized dinghy to race up the "400 row" of the Ala Wai Harbor. Stephanies defense was that she blamed Buck Walker for the murder. 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. Walker lived off his Social Security check and paid $400 a month in rent. While talking to his friend he told him that Stephanie was on her way over to the Sea Wind in her dingy with what looked like a cake. The Fullard-Leo family bought Palmyra as part of a hui in the early 1900s for a fishing venture that never materialized. Read our revised Privacy Policy and Copyright Notice. Their presence was quickly wearing thin with the others that found them to be more of a nuisance. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. 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. By this time the Grahams had been alone for 10 days with Roy and Stephanie. While in prison, Walker is said to have read extensively, studied Buddhism and corresponded with a host of people enthralled by the Palmyra case. Bugliosi's book 'And the Sea Will Tell,' presenting as it did a reasonably full account of the murder of 'Mac' and 'Muff' Graham on the island of Palmyra, is a compelling read. The prosecution said Stearns helped Walker in the murder in order to get the Grahams yacht and food supply and leave Palmyra. Is he still in the other metal box? The Grahams were upper-crust people, pretty conservative and reserved. The Story of two couples who met on a | by Jean Campbell | CrimeBeat, David Meirhofer & Wayne Nance Montana Serial Killers, Jack Unterweger Celebrity Writer Serial Killer, Christian Martin Kentucky Murder Suspect. Roy just got angry at the suggestion and told him to leave. WebStephanie Walker Photo Stephanie Walker Salary. 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. To allow the menu buttons to display, add whiteestate.org to IE's trusted sites. Roy and Stephanie were not prepared for life at sea and had run out of supplies pretty quickly. Column: Did Dion Rich crash his own celebration of life? The jury believed the defenses theory that it was Buck who acted alone and concealed what he did from her. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. And the Sea Will Tell 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. Stearns and Walker were arrested in 1981 for murder and tried separately in federal court in San Francisco. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. They also showed that the zodiac wouldnt have worked if it had been found the way Stephanie and Buck said it was. Get your hands on this collection of 48 true crime stories. The trials were big news nationally and, especially, in San Diego. There may be some prejudice of the author against Bugliosi. Muff was a wonderful gal, he says. : 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. The friction between the two materials caused a crack in the hull and it had taken on water. The duo has been together since 2004. 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. 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. 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 an ex-convict fleeing a drug possession charge and had come up with the idea of growing cannabis on Palmyra to support himself. Important Note: To access all the resources on this site, use the menu buttons along the top and left side of the page. Dark came, no sign of them. 101: Thank you, Richie!, NWS: More heavy snow headed to Mendocino County mountains this weekend, Forcing Californians into mental health treatment would get easier with proposed legislation. At the time, she didnt have a criminal record compared to Buck. Walker has a date of Aug. 28 for his "projected" release from federal prison, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Web site. We have provided a download link below to Firefox 2 installer. You will then have access to all the teacher resources, using a simple drop menu structure. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights. Buck Walker) and Stephanie Stearns (referred to as "Jennifer Jenkins" in the book), who had sailed there together from Hawaii on Stearns's sailing vessel Iola, a deteriorating, patched-together wooden sloop that lacked a reliable auxiliary engine. 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. Supposedly Walker killed him in self defense after Mac killed his wife. 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. 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. "He took a short walk every day. Stephanie did testify on her own behalf and was able to give her version of events. 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. Raised in Oceanside and was once a Catholic priest and a touring pianist for dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, Reveles was 74, Ceci Moss is the new director and chief curator of the Mandeville Art Gallery at UC San Diego. The Felon - Essays on Crime and the Criminal, Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations. It recounts the murder of MAC and MUFF GRAHAM on the island of PALMYRA in August 1974, and the subsequent arrest and trials of STEPHANIE K. STEARNS and WESLEY 'BUCK' WALKER who were charged with murdering the Grahams. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Bernard immediately contacted The Coast Guard who had been aware of the search for 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 two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. She had begun rowing to shore hoping to make it before they caught up. The agent didnt feel that this would involve the FBI because perhaps the owners had sold the boat or the owners were onshore. Their plans for the bountiful marijuana crop finally faded as the seedlings they had planted had been eaten up by the island insects. Get Essential San Diego, weekday mornings. On July 13th Muff Graham wrote a letter to her mother. 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. 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. 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. However, when he dove off the pier he left his wallet behind. 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. FINAL ARGUMENT exposes lie after compounded lie, set forth as truth in Bugliosis version of the facts surrounding the murder of the Grahams on Palmyra the August of 1974. Well, kind of, Video shows Memphis jailers beating Black inmate before his death. Authorities would later identify them as Buck Duane Walker and Stephanie Stearns. Woman Acquitted in Island Slaying Both were charged with murdering Eleanor Muff Graham of San Diego, who disappeared along with her husband, Malcolm, from Palmyra atoll in August, 1974. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. The prosecutor needed to prove that Muff Graham did not drown and needed to show that Muff had been inside that container. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. He took half the pack of cigarettes when Mac handed it over to him to take only one. Shortly after the Grahams disappearance, an ex-convict and his girlfriend were arrested for stealing the Sea Wind, but they werent charged with murder until a traveling sailor stumbled across Muffs remains on the Palmyra beach in 1981. Your browser's security settings are preventing some features from appearing. he makes a very convincing set of rebuttals to the defenses laid out for Stearns. Two Coast Guard officers closed in the man who then turned and dove off the pier and started to swim away. 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." Buck Walker kill the wealthy 'Buck' Walker infamous for high-profile Palmyra deaths. "You just never expect anything like that to happen in a place that's so beautiful," Fullard-Leo said. The couple had no children, and he has been searching for close relatives. Buck Walker was not as fortunate as Stephanie and was found guilty and received a life sentence. Disappeared: Malcolm 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. What made this case difficult was subpoenaing of witnesses who lived and traveled by boat. So the FBI put a trace on the make and model of her car and that led them to a hotel in Nevada. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. They are part of one of the largest marine protected areas in the world. 1974 murder victim still awaits burial In his zeal to prove Stearns innocence, inadvertently, Bugliosi set forth clue after clue proving the guilt of Stearns and her crime partner, Buck Walker. You'll find a list of the currently available teaching aids below. Walker and Stearns concluded that the Grahams had a fishing accident. UPD: Ukiah man arrested for alleged assault at motel, Mendocino County Jail bookings: Friday, March 3, 2023, Mendocino County Jail bookings: Feb. 28, 2023, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Especially when he started talking about his plans to grow marijuana and exchange it for supplies. [3] Prior to his death, Walker had been living in a trailer home in Willits, California. Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. Enter youremail to subscribe to Dr. Munger's updates! Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Bucy hopes this months publication of his e-book, Final Argument, will renew interest in the case. She also said she lied about taking the yacht and failed to report the Grahams disappearance to authorities in order to protect Walker, who was then a fugitive on drug charges. 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. Palmyra 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. The Grahams were a happily married couple touring the world, and Mr. Graham ran his business remotely. The US Attorneys office didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Stephanie and Buck with the murder of the Grahams.
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