The Murdered
James and Iola Hipp
Adamant, Vermont
🕊️ The Unsolved Murders of James & Iola Hipp 🕊️
In September 1969, James and Iola Hipp, a retired couple from Lutz, Florida, were nearing the end of a month long road trip through the northeastern United States and Canada, traveling with their two dogs in a camper they had lovingly prepared for the journey. On Friday, September 12, they stopped along Route 2 near Montpelier, Vermont, to have lunch at a rest area. Sometime that afternoon, investigators believe they were approached by a stranger and brutally attacked inside their camper.
Their car and trailer were later seen being driven north by an unknown young man, and days later, the Hipps’ green sedan was discovered abandoned near the Winooski River with its wheels removed. Nearly a week after the murders, local residents found their camper hidden in a wooded pull-off near Highways 46 and 47 in Adamant, Vermont. Inside, police discovered the mutilated bodies of James, 67, and Iola, 62, in a scene of shocking violence that stunned the quiet community.
Investigators recovered fingerprints, film from the couple’s camera, and Iola’s detailed travel log, which helped reconstruct their final hours, confirming they had visited the Maple Museum in St. Johnsbury and purchased gas shortly before stopping for lunch. Witnesses described the young man seen driving their vehicle after the killings as 20 to 25 years old, 5 feet 11 inches, weight 150 pounds, with long light brown hair., but despite this lead and a massive investigation by Vermont State Police, no arrests were ever made. More than five decades later, the murders of James and Iola Hipp remain one of Vermont’s most haunting unsolved cases, and their family continues to wait for justice.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit at (802) 244-8727. 🕯️💔
Sources:
https://vsp.vermont.gov/unsolved/homicide/hipp
https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/james-iola-hipp
https://www.facebook.com/VermontStatePolice/posts/the-remains-of-james-and-iola-hipp-a-retired-couple-that-was-traveling-the-east-/1243859261113195/
https://www.timesargus.com/news/1969-fear-and-violence/article_1f26644b-8000-55ec-93f5-c60d67079fcb.html
The Lost & The Taken 
Leave a comment