Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. Woman Acquitted in Island Slaying (Most egregious were her August 5th log remarks about drooling and dreaming anticipating possession of the SEA WIND on execution of the Grahams.) Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. on Mac and Muff Graham Millionaire Murders, Deadly Paradise | FULL EPISODE | The FBI Files, After Helter Skelter. An FBI agent from the Hawaiian field office was assigned and met with Bernard and the Coast Guard at the yacht harbor. Buck Walker was paroled in 2007. Divers were sent into the ocean to search for the other container. Two Coast Guard officers closed in the man who then turned and dove off the pier and started to swim away. Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. They found nothing, but sharks. 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. Enter youremail to subscribe to Dr. Munger's updates! Bugliosis careful analysis of the tides revealed Stearns was lying about her activities purportedly occurring on the 30th and 31st of August 1974. This act aroused suspicion; acquaintances of the Grahams easily recognized the distinctive Sea Wind despite its new paint job. I cannot address everything but hope my examples will show why this book is a waste of your time. 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. The FBI flew to Palmyra to try to verify if, in fact, the bones were one of the Grahams. 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. No signs of Mac Grahams remains have been located. The Sea Wind thieves were tried for murder. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Stephanie Stearns and Roy Allen introduced themselves to the impromptu welcoming committee. The fate of the Grahams was unknown until Muff Graham's charred bones were found on Palmyra in 1981. VINCENT BUGLIOSI, acclaimed prosecutor of CHARLES MANSON, now working on the other side, defended STEARNS. Stephanie Stearns Having read the clippings, the couple contacted authorities who identified the remains as those of Muff Graham. THE SEAWIND MURDERS As the various sailing groups are introducing themselvesRoy noticed that Mac Graham was a smoker. 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. Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. He was recaptured in 1981 in Arizona. 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. Woman Acquitted in Island Slaying He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. 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. , Item Weight I hope Stearns will some day pay for what she did. 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. Unable to add item to List. Paroling officials want an inmate to accept responsibility, he said. Buck Walker was tried and convicted of Muff Graham's murder. They showed up at 6:30 PM but the Grahams weren't there. She had some photos sent off to be developed while in jail and those photos were intercepted by authorities. The night before Sanders and Wolf were to leave Palmyra they had cocktails with the Grahams aboard the Sea Wind. Stephanie and Buck were charged with the murder of Muff Graham. Walker was a Big Island marijuana grower, he and Stephanie Stearns were on bail for ecstasy drug charges in 1973 and decided to flee to the South Pacific instead of serving time. Please visit our K-12 lessons and worksheets page. However, Stearns murder plot was masterful. He has already approached the San Diego Yacht Club, which declined to get involved. Stephanie Walker Husband. Investigators assumed Mac was in the other box, which for some reason never floated up. Walker earns an annual salary ranging between $ 45,000 $ 110,500. Earlier visitors had reported that tensions were high between the two couples remaining at the atoll, due in part to Walkers pit bull attacking Muff in July. 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. and Macs messenger, Curtis Shoemaker. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Final Argument: An Inquiry into Instead, Stephanie and Buck were charged with interstate transportation of stolen property, which was a pretty open and shut case. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff In October, the Sea Wind was recognized in a Honolulu yacht harbor with Stearns and Walker now its crew. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. Her husband has never been found. Walker receives an annual salary that ranges between $46,796, as per NBC News Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. 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. Notorious atoll murderer dies after parole She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. She is merely married to her beloved husband whose identity is not known. With no bodies as evidence of murder, Walker and Stearns were convicted only of theft. Walker earns an annual salary ranging between $ 45,000 $ 110,500. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. A few hours later, the vote was changed to 10-2. It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. After Stephanie completed her high school education, she received a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University. Buck Walker was not as fortunate as Stephanie and was found guilty and received a life sentence. [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. As Bucy, a graduate of San Diegos Cal Western School of Law, did research for his own book on the high-profile murder and what he believes to be Stephanie Stearns role in it, he hardly expected to discover that the Hawaii FBI still had custody of Muffs remains 28 years after Stearns acquittal. It was revealed that Buck and Stephanie had been living on the island of Palmyra as well and had known the Grahams. It includes substantial portions of the original trial testimony that were excluded in ATSWT. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! The FBI thought Buck was still in prison in Washington state when they went to serve him but soon found out that he had escaped after serving 42 months (3 years of a 10-year sentence). I keep waiting--in vain--for it to pop up on Netflix. [5], Malcolm Graham's body has never been found.[6]. Well, kind of, Video shows Memphis jailers beating Black inmate before his death. Not long after The Iola arrived another yacht arrived in the harbor,the impressive Sea Wind. Mac and Muff Graham The Grahams were upper-crust people, pretty conservative and reserved. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. Meaning it didnt get caught up on the reef and sink. In contrast, the Grahams' ketch, the Sea Wind, was beautifully finished and impeccably outfitted, with an onboard machine shop equipped with a lathe and acetylene welding torch. 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. This includes personalizing your content. "That's a parole consideration date," Partington said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Get Essential San Diego, weekday mornings. It is really foolish to go to sea without being prepared with adequate supplies. 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. Walker pleaded guilty and charges were dropped against Stearns. His 70th birthday will be Sept. 18. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. The Iola had just traveled 19 days from Hawaii with only two crew members. And the Sea Will Tell In it, he rebuts some of the trial analyses put forth in Bugliosis 1991 book, And the Sea Will Tell, later the subject of a TV miniseries. Betty Fullard-Leo said the Graham case left the family shocked and disturbed. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. The Sea Wind was equipped with auxiliary engines, stocked with abundant food and stores, and fitted with a complete tool shop. He also used a chainsaw to cut down a coconut tree to get to the coconuts. Roy just got angry at the suggestion and told him to leave. Walker, 69, earned release from the U.S. Parole Commission in part because of advancing age and poor health. Disappeared: Malcolm Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. But Walker's former attorney, Earle Partington of Honolulu, warned against putting too much faith in that date. The duo has been together since 2004. Stephanie Stearns In 1981, other visitors to Palmyra found Muff Graham's skeletal remains, which showed signs of dismemberment and burning (possibly by Mac Graham's acetylene welding torch) and appeared to have been concealed underwater in a large metal container. Macs patience with Roy was wearing thin as he did not like Roy destroying the islands natural environment. We have provided a download link below to Firefox 2 installer. In May, they sailed to Kauai, and prepared the boat to set sail for Palmyra atoll. : Besides the zodiac was with the Sea Wind when it docked in Hawaii. The Grahams, however, felt bad and tried to include them inviting them aboard their boat on July 5, 1974. 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. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. The bones and the container were sent off to the FBI lab in Washington D.C. Muff and Mac Graham Murders 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. Get your hands on this collection of 30 true crime stories. Stearns claims to have studied mathematics, yet in her supposed log she cannot engage in simple addition. The two of them were arrested and brought in for questioning. 1974 murder victim still awaits burial Meaning the wear to Muffs skull came from the hard lining of the aluminum container, not from the bottom of the harbor. Walker lived off his Social Security check and paid $400 a month in rent. Buck Dental records confirmed that it was Muff Graham. The book went to No. 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. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. Walker had a stroke early this year and died April 26 after several months in a nursing home, according to several friends. Try again. 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 Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. Jurors announced they were deadlocked 6-6 before noon Friday, but were told by U.S. District Judge Samuel King to keep deliberating. Unfortunately, because of Enokis refusal to allow Bugliosis tidal data into the trial, the jury was deprived of this information. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. However, the 31-year-old weatherwoman has remained tight-lipped about her husband. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. The nonfiction book recounts a double murder on Palmyra Atoll; the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of Duane ("Buck") Walker; and the acquittal of his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, whom Bugliosi and Leonard Weinglass defended. No one knew what happened to the owners of the yacht Sea Wind -- Malcolm and Eleanor "Muff" Graham -- until Muff Graham's bones were found on Palmyra in 1981. Who was Stephanie Stearns in and the sea will tell? The book is very repetitive and needs a good edit. Malcolm Graham's body was never found. 'Buck' Walker infamous for high-profile Palmyra deaths. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured, Hong Kong court convicts activists behind Tiananmen vigil, Election conspiracies fuel dispute over voter fraud system, Arizona governor wont proceed with execution set by court, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Hidden illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Civilians flee embattled town of Bakhmut as Ukrainian pullout looms. 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. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns were tried separately for the murder of Muff Graham. . But none of these possibilities are looked at, and in fairness they should be. 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. 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. 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. The skull also showed charring and a hole in the left eye socket which was consistent with a gunshot wound, but investigators could not say conclusively it was due to a bullet due to its deterioration. It was a circumstantial case and if they lost they wouldnt be able to charge them again should their bodies ever be discovered. When it arrived its motor had frozen up and it was barely limping along. 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. Stephanie Walker Bio, Wiki, Age, Husband She successfully convinced a jury that Walker committed the murders alone, having to hide the bodies in the aluminum boxes to conceal them from her as well as the authorities. I read it again quite recently and, finding that Mr. Bucy had written what was apparently a rebuttal of the findings of Bugliosi - specifically that Stephanie Stearns, rather than being innocent of the murders as was determined at her trial - was, in fact, the instigator and sadistic killer behind both deaths. Stearns told authorities she and Walker had discovered the overturned dinghy on a beach in the lagoon and had only taken the Sea Wind to protect it from vandals. Stearns, whose defense attorney was Vincent Bugliosi, was acquitted. 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. 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. 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. His friend decided to reach out to any yachtsmen in the Pacific by radio asking if anyone had seen The Sea Wind. While Stephanie is placed under arrest, authorities were still searching for Roy who had evaded police at the marina. Download: English | German. Palmyra is today owned by the Nature Conservancy and is the site of some climate change research. The zodiac was overturned on the beach as it is not designed that way to overturn. Time and again she is exposed as a liar and a perjurer, yet the jury forgives lie after lie all the while ignoring the honest and forthright testimony of the Pollocks (The LEONARDS in ATSWT.) The conviction in part resulted from photographs taken by Walker from the Sea Wind showing the badly damaged Iola on the open seas sailing away from the Sea Wind. 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 also found The Iola hatch cover onshore which told agents that Roy and Stephanie had planned on scuttling The Iola as no one would go to sea without a hatch cover for their vessel. The duo has been together since 2004. Buck got 10 years for his original drug conviction and 5 years for the stolen property. The Iola wasnt really meant for this sea journey. The Palmyra atoll murderer who retired to the Willits area after being paroled from federal prison in 2007 died in April. Stephanie Walker Education. 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. Conservatives are terrified of the past. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. What made this case difficult was subpoenaing of witnesses who lived and traveled by boat. By this time the Grahams had been alone for 10 days with Roy and Stephanie. Palmyra 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. Island Search Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. However, the organization of the book is erratic, confusing at points, & chopped full of grammatical errors & poor punctuation. Discover more of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more. Download, The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan is unfolding before our eyes. On July 13th Muff Graham wrote a letter to her mother. But I felt the egotism in the text was probably a true reflection of Bugliosi's personality, which made it somehow even more compelling. There was no sign of Mac's body. The next morning they had found Grahams inflatable Zodiac boat overturned and washed up on shore in the shark-infested lagoon. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. The US Attorneys office didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Stephanie and Buck with the murder of the Grahams. Murdoch has survived scandal after scandal. 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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. The author does a reasonable job of analyzing & proving that Stephanie Stearns was definitely involved in the brutal murder of Muff Graham. learn from my experience - do not waste your money, Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2017. The officers spotted him and notified the FBI. When King asked jurors to consider whether further deliberation would be unproductive, the verdict to acquit was returned less than an hour later. She had moved to Seattle, and since has died. It was a difficult case. Walker and Stearns tried unsuccessfully to grow vegetables and were forced to subsist on coconuts and fish. 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. 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. Walker and Graham were both convicted for the theft of the boat. When I read Vincent Bugliosi's book "And the Sea Will Tell," I found it a captivating story. Unfortunately, her remains are still in FBI custody. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. 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. In 1985, Walker was convicted, despite Partington's defense efforts. Dark came, no sign of them. There are 38 fully-developed lessons on 10 important topics that Adventist school students face in their daily lives. The FBI holds jurisdiction over crimes on the high seas and based upon the story that Stephanie had told she was placed under arrest for interstate transportation of stolen property. It is considered an incorporated territory of the United States and is under its sovereignty since 1911. starbulletin.com Her body was stuffed inside the metal container and weighted down to sink in the lagoon, but in 1981 it floated up. Having Roys picture and knowing about Roy trying to grow marijuana gave the FBI a starting point in their search. When Stephanie and Roy arrived they could see how the Sea Wind outshined The Iola in every way. 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. Her husbands body, presumed to have been dumped at sea, has never been found. Authorities had a difficult time tracking down the other sailors who had run-ins with Stephanie and Buck in Palmyra. However, when he dove off the pier he left his wallet behind. 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. Stearns, herself, taunts her pursuers with photographs and spurious log notes. "You just never expect anything like that to happen in a place that's so beautiful," Fullard-Leo said. Next, she said that they left the island in the Sea Wind towing the Iola behind them. By August 17th, The Sea Wind and The Iola were the only two boats left in Palmyra. Stephanie Stearns The jury deliberated 2 1/2 days. 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.