Walker died in 2010. WebStephanie Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Stephanie received 2 years. Bernard asked about the Grahams and if they were still alive. Do you love reading true crime? Teach important lessons with our PowerPoint-enhanced stories of the pioneers! The next morning they had found Grahams inflatable Zodiac boat overturned and washed up on shore in the shark-infested lagoon. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. Because no bodies were found, they were initially prosecuted only for the yacht theft and convicted in August 1975. Muff wasnt really all that thrilled with living off the Palmyra Island, to begin with, and Roy and Stephanies presence added to the disillusionment. : They purchased a beat-up 30-foot sloop in Maui and named it the Iola. 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. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Muff gave her letter to one of the other boat owners, Bernard and Evelyn Lennard, as they were leaving the islands to go back to Hawaii and would mail it for her. In September 1974, friends of the Grahams arranged for a flyover of Palmyra atoll and no vessel was spotted there. ATSWT reviewed the supposed facts surrounding the murder of the Grahams on Palmyra, and followed STEPHANIE STEARNS (aka JENNIFER JENKINS) upon her arrest and trial for her role in the planning and participation in those murders. The Iola owners also had very few provisions along with them. The trials were big news nationally and, especially, in San Diego. Roy then did something that was impolite due to resources being scarce at sea. In one of the most beautiful settings in the world, Mac and Muff Graham would disappear in the summer of 1974. According to Stearns, the Grahams disappeared sometime between August 28 and August 30, 1974, and the young couple found the Grahams' Zodiac rigid inflatable dinghy upside down. Other factors, especially a recent, self-published 895-page book in which Walker still denies he killed the Grahams, work against his release, Partington said. The Palmyra Islands are primarily unoccupied but do host a transient population mostly made up of scientists and researchers. 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. 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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. Copyright 2023 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. One photo showed Stephanie standing on the Sea Wind taking a picture of Buck sailing the Iola. Stearns was acquitted. Cameron Todd Willingham Accidental Fire Or Intentional Arson. Muff wanted to leave the area, but Mac stubbornly did not. According to trial testimony, the Iola was not considered seaworthy and would not have made it even to Fanning Island about 175 miles away, the nearest location for equipment and supplies. WebBoat Bumpers from the sea wind still on Palmyra this image was taken in 2014. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. 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. Walker never acknowledged committing the murder, self-publishing an 895-word novel he called the true story of an island tragedy.. There was a problem loading your book clubs. : 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. Publisher Having read the clippings, the couple contacted authorities who identified the remains as those of Muff Graham. Reviewed in Canada on February 9, 2018. 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. She most likely changed her name multiple times again over the years. , Item Weight The US Attorneys office didnt feel there was enough evidence to charge Stephanie and Buck with the murder of the Grahams. Stearns, who sobbed as she read entries from her 1974 log to the jury about the Grahams disappearance, denied there was any feud. A report by Stephens Media said Walker is in "poor health.". In October, the Sea Wind was recognized in a Honolulu yacht harbor with Stearns and Walker now its crew. The Iola was a wooden sailboat. This revealed that it had been lying against a hard surface, such as a container. Malcom and Eleanor Graham Extended Preparation. In June 1974, they set sail with their three dogs for the Palmyra atoll planning to spend two years there. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. WebStephanie Walker Photo Stephanie Walker Salary. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. Reviewed in Australia on May 23, 2017. Stephanie did testify on her own behalf and was able to give her version of events. Eager to win every point, when necessary he shaves the truth. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. Stearns, 39, who was convicted along with Walker of stealing the couples yacht, testified that she lied to authorities to help him escape capture but knew nothing of the murder. Stephanie Walker Education. Macs friend feared the worst. 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. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! I just finished this after reading And the Sea Will Tell (a 2nd time last week). The book was adapted into the 1991 television film And the Sea Will Tell, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace which aired on CBS as a 4-hour film. The duo has been together since 2004. No signs of Mac Grahams remains have been located. Read this book - if you read only one book about the Palmyra Murders, read Tom Bucy's "Final Argument"! Officials at Victorville and at the Bureau of Prisons regional office in Dublin, Calif., could not release Walker's health information. Now, a state hotline is trying to call them out. Murder charges were added only after Mrs. Grahams skeletal remains were found in a metal box on Palmyra in 1981. (Most egregious were her August 5th log remarks about drooling and dreaming anticipating possession of the SEA WIND on execution of the Grahams.) They found nothing, but sharks. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. The Grahams were upper-crust people, pretty conservative and reserved. They had shown Bucks picture to the waitress and she recognized him. 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. "He took a short walk every day. 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. Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2016. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. To this day no one ever has. The other sailors noticed that Roy had the name Buck tattooed on his arm. 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. Column: Did Dion Rich crash his own celebration of life? Her husbands body, presumed to have been dumped at sea, has never been found. Because no bodies were found, Walker and Stearns were initially prosecuted only for the yacht theft and convicted in August 1975. 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). Their boats were anchored in a lagoon near each other, and the couples inevitably came into conflict. Walker was convicted in 1985. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. Where is Mac Graham? So you have the boat that Bernard recognizes as the Sea Wind, but had been painted over and a person on deck who didnt own the yacht. Her moronic pronouncements (all of which went unnoticed) regarding the birth of the Iola (for the most part wisely left out of Bugliosis account of the trial) are absurd to the point of zaniness. WebStephanie Walker Photo Stephanie Walker Salary. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Stearns claims to have studied mathematics, yet in her supposed log she cannot engage in simple addition. The jury believed the defenses theory that it was Buck who acted alone and concealed what he did from her. Buck Walker was tried and convicted of Muff Graham's murder. Discover some of the worlds most infamous killers in perfectly-illustrated detail. Both were found guilty. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. When it arrived its motor had frozen up and it was barely limping along. Unable to add item to List. This book is brimming with unsupported and ridiculous made up scenarios. They signed off with plans to talk again on the same day at the same time the following week. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. Several years ago I happened upon "And The Sea Will Tell", a book written by VINCENT BUGLIOSI and BRUCE HENDER-SON. Her body was then placed in a small metal storage container that had been removed from one of the old military rescue boats on the island and then finally dumped into the lagoon. The prosecution said Stearns helped Walker in the murder in order to get the Grahams yacht and food supply and leave Palmyra. I highly respect Bugliosi for his work on Manson & his criminal cult members, but it is obvious he wrote the book as a defence attorney, paid for by Stearns' rich family. An FBI agent from the Hawaiian field office was assigned and met with Bernard and the Coast Guard at the yacht harbor. They cautioned the Grahams to be careful with Roy and Stephanie. Mac Graham started to explore Palmyra Islands abandoned docks and military base as that had been his purpose of wanting to visit Palmyra. Bucy puts forward his idea of what happened on Palmyra and there may be some justification for his theory. Bernard pointed out to authorities where the yachts appearance had been changed from taking off the nameplate and trying to paint over it and repainting parts of the boat. Its been grueling, Stephanie Stearns told reporters after hugging her tearful parents, who sat in the front row throughout the trial. Things were not going well and tensions were high. She was acquitted Friday by a federal court jury. They showed up at 6:30 PM but the Grahams weren't there. During the years following the Grahams disappearance, Palmyra atoll visitors had maintained a stack of newspaper clippings about the incident in a jungle shack. 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. In 1981, Muff Graham's bones were found on a Palmyra beach. An example of Roy being out of his element is that he would shoot his .22 caliber handgun into the water. Stephanie Walker Salary. The FBI flew to Palmyra to try to verify if, in fact, the bones were one of the Grahams. 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. On August 27th, Mac radioed his friend in Hawaii. 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. The Grahams, however, felt bad and tried to include them inviting them aboard their boat on July 5, 1974. Stephanie Stearns and Roy Allen introduced themselves to the impromptu welcoming committee. Walker subsequently escaped from a federal prison in Washington State. Murderous Minds: 30 Stories of Real-Life Murderers That Escaped the Headlines (Murd BLOODY ALPHABET: The Scariest Serial Killers Coloring Book. I purchased this book after reading Vincent Bugliosi's fascinating book, And The Sea Will Tell. Final Argument: An Inquiry into the murders of Mac and Muff Graham on Palmyra Island by Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Her boyfriend, Buck Walker, was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to life in prison. 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. : Learn more. Notorious atoll murderer dies after parole to, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Notorious atoll murderer dies after parole to Willits area, Bay Area honeymooners say snorkel boat abandoned them off Maui coast, Tahoe really does not want you to drive up this weekend, Ukiah business celebrates longtime employee with a billboard on Hwy. Complete class lesson plans for each grade from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Stearns was pretty easy to get along with so most of the conflict came from Walker. In 1985, Walker was convicted of murdering the Grahams and was sent to prison. Also on Palmyra were Wesley G. Walker (a.k.a. Wesley Walker (AKA Buck) Stephanie Stearns Buck and Stephanie They buy a boat that had sunk and was raised from the harbor in Maui. After this he wrote an "allegorical" novel about the events on Palmyra, in which he asserted that he was having an affair with Muff Graham, and that Mac went crazy after discovering them in the act. She had begun rowing to shore hoping to make it before they caught up. He had been awaiting sentencing on a drug conviction when he and Stephanie had absconded on The Iola. You'll never find him." 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. The Sea Wind was equipped with auxiliary engines, stocked with abundant food and stores, and fitted with a complete tool shop. Discover more of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more. I keep waiting--in vain--for it to pop up on Netflix. The author makes some fair points but doesn't address any other possibilities in the deaths of Mac and Muff Graham. Were they a victim of the seas or something more nefarious? He was set free Tuesday from prison in Victorville, Calif., although he wasn't up for mandatory release until 2018. Buck Duane Walker was a convicted felon and fugitive. She was acquitted. They also showed that the zodiac wouldnt have worked if it had been found the way Stephanie and Buck said it was. Now Vincent Bugliosi was known for his prosecution of Charles Manson and Mason family members of the Tate-LiBianca murders. Who was Stephanie Stearns in and the sea will tell? Bucy was amazed that the remains of slain sailor Eleanor Muff Graham remained unclaimed in FBI storage so long after the trial instead of receiving a proper burial, and he vowed to do something about it. , Paperback 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. 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. Sadly, Mr. Bugliosi passed away in 2015. Prosecutors argued that Buck Walker and Stephanie Stearns had been trapped on Palmyra with supplies running out and a boat that was not seaworthy. The pair were desperate enough to murder the Grahams and steal their boat. Everybody familiar with the case regards this theory as utter hogwash. 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. Walker and his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, were arrested in Honolulu in 1974 after they returned from Palmyra in a yacht stolen from Malcolm "Mac" Graham and his wife, Eleanor "Muff" Graham. : 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. Island Search Fearing for the Grahams the FBI agents traveled to Palmyra Islands to see if they had been stranded there. Will Dominion-Fox News lawsuit be different? Stephanie Walker Salary. 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. Walker, then known as Buck Duane Walker, and his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, were arrested in Honolulu in 1974 after returning from Palmyra aboard a yacht stolen from a well-to-do San Diego couple, Malcolm "Mac" Graham and his wife, Eleanor "Muff" Graham. Stephanie had served her time in Hawaii and moved back to California. 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. Although authorities strongly suspected the couple had murdered the Grahams, no bodies were found. 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.