A couple are found deceased in their camper in a pull off On a September afternoon in 1969, the tranquil landscape of Adamant, Vermont, became the backdrop for a brutal and still-unsolved crime. James Hipp, a 67-year-old Caucasian male, and his wife, Iola, were discovered deceased in their camper on September 19, 1969, though their deaths were estimated to have occurred a week earlier, on September 12th. The retired couple, hailing from Lutz, Florida, were on a month-long sightseeing trip through the Eastern United States and Canada, simply passing
through Vermont.
The couple had last been seen purchasing maple syrup in St. Johnsbury before heading west. It is believed that they stopped for lunch at a rest stop along Route 2, between Montpelier and St. Johnsbury. It was there, in the middle of their meal, that they were violently attacked. The medical examiner's report would later state that James Hipp died from multiple blunt force impacts to the head. The scene inside their small camper was one of incredible violence, a stark contrast to the peaceful journey they had meticulously documented in a daily log.
Following the murders, a witness reported seeing the Hipps' car and camper being driven erratically northward to Calais. The witness pulled over to offer assistance and got a look at the driver, who was not James Hipp. The person seen driving the vehicle was described as a white male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 150 pounds, with light-brown hair that was long but not 'hippie long.' This individual, who appeared to be alone, managed to get the vehicle moving again and drove off. The Hipps' car was later found abandoned, stripped of its wheels, at a rest stop.
Despite an intensive investigation by the Vermont State Police, no arrests have ever been made in the double homicide of James and Iola Hipp. Their empty wallet was found at the scene, but the motive for the vicious attack remains unclear. The detailed log of their trip and undeveloped rolls of film found in their camper provided investigators with a glimpse into their final weeks, but offered no clues as to who their attacker might have been. The case remains an open and unsolved homicide, a grim chapter in Vermont's history.
