And the Sea Will Tell
Encyclopedia
And the Sea Will Tell is a true crime
book by Vincent Bugliosi
and Bruce B. Henderson
. The nonfiction book, a New York Times #1 hardcover bestseller and still in print as a trade paperback, recounts a double murder on Palmyra Atoll
and the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of Duane ("Buck") Walker, and the acquittal of his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, whom Bugliosi and Leonard Weinglass
defended. The book was published in 1991 and adapted into a CBS television mini-series starring James Brolin
, Rachel Ward
, Hart Bochner
and Deidre Hall
that same year. Richard Crenna
played Bugliosi, who acted as narrator. The story is told from the perspective of Stearns, with additional facts corroborated by other witnesses.
, Malcolm "Mac" Graham III, 43, and Eleanor LaVerne ("Muff") Graham, 41, sailed to Palmyra – 1200 miles south of Honolulu – hoping to find it deserted and to pass an idyllic year or more there. The wealthy Grahams overcame their disappointment at finding other "yachties" already on Palmyra, including two male Canadian scientists the conservative couple mistook for hippies before realizing the two men were amiable and intelligent, and stayed. The two scientists would later be called for deposition
s at the murder
trial
.
Also on Palmyra
were Buck Walker (aka Wesley G. Walker) and Stephanie Stearns (referred to as "Jennifer Jenkins" in the book), who had sailed there together from Hawaii
on Stearns' sailing vessel Iola, a deteriorating, patched-together wooden sloop
that lacked a reliable auxilary engine. In contrast, the Grahams' ship, the Sea Wind, was a beautifully finished, impeccably outfitted ketch
, with an onboard machine shop equipped with a lathe
and acetylene
welding
torch
. Walker was an ex-convict fleeing a drug possession charge and had come up the idea of growing canabis on Palmyra to support themselves. The Grahams were a happily-married couple touring the world as Mr. Graham ran his business remotely. The Grahams had brought more than a year's supply of food for their voyage, but Walker and Stearns quickly consumed their own meager supplies and resorted to harvesting the island's few coconuts, often by chopping down the entire tree, leaving a scar on the island habitat. As Buck's method of farming became unsustainable, they were forced to plan a voyage in the rickety Iola against prevailing winds and currents to Fanning
on Tabuaeran, a nearby atoll in Kiribati
, to restock—a voyage that was somewhere between difficult and impossible without a working auxiliary engine. Walker, who was prone to sea-sickness
, spent most of the trip below-decks, leaving Stearns to sailor
the sloop
alone.
According to Stearns, the Grahams disappeared sometime between August 28 and August 30, 1974, and the young couple found the Grahams' Zodiac dinghy
upside down. On September 11, 1974, after days of searching and waiting for the Grahams to return to their boat, Stearns said she and Walker scuttled the Iola and sailed for Hawaii on the Sea Wind. Once in Hawaii, the couple had the Sea Wind repainted and renamed it, which according to boating superstition brings bad luck. This act aroused suspicion; acquaintances of the Grahams easily recognized the distinctive Sea Wind despite its new paint job. Stearns was arrested in the lower level of the Hawaii Yacht Club, but Buck Walker was able to escape and avoid capture by using a motorized dinghy to race up the "400 row" of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. It was believed he fled on foot after leaving the dinghy at the loading dock near the Ilikai Hotel
. Stearns was arrested for the theft of the Sea Wind. Eventually Walker was caught in California and in separate trials, both he and Stearns were finally convicted and served time.
Early one morning in 1981, another visitor to Palmyra, sailor Sharon Jordan, from Johannesburg, South Africa, found Muff Graham's skull and other skeletal remains in the surf near a large metal container. The remains showed signs of dismemberment and burning (possibly by Mac Graham's acetylene welding torch), and the body appeared to have been concealed underwater in the container. Mac Graham's remains have yet to be found.
, in California, where he practiced his hand at writing fictional novels. He 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. Prior to his death, Walker had been living in a trailer home in Willits, California
. Walker (writing as Wesley G. Walker), claimed in a novel about that case that he had been seduced by Mrs. Graham and, in the midst of love-making, had been caught by Mr. Graham, who shot his wife and attempted to shoot Walker. He also claimed that he and Stearns were attempting to return the Sea Wind to Hawai'i with the Iola in tow, but the Iola ran aground on the reef as they exited the lagoon and had to be abandoned. During the voyage back to Hawai'i, a large swordfish
damaged the Sea Wind's hull below the waterline, necessitating the repair and subsequent repainting and renaming.
Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
in San Francisco
, after Bugliosi persuaded the court that publicity about the murders in Hawaii prevented the empaneling of an impartial jury there. Stearns was acquitted of the murder of Muff Graham and resumed her life in California in the telecommunications industry.
True crime
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
book by Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi
Vincent Bugliosi is an American attorney and author, best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders. His most recent books are Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy , The Prosecution of George W...
and Bruce B. Henderson
Bruce B. Henderson
Bruce Henderson , also known as Bruce B. Henderson, is an American writer and the author of more than 20 nonfiction books. He is a member of the Authors Guild and American Society of Journalists and Authors, and has taught writing courses at USC School of Journalism and Stanford University...
. The nonfiction book, a New York Times #1 hardcover bestseller and still in print as a trade paperback, recounts a double murder on Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll
Palmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
and the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of Duane ("Buck") Walker, and the acquittal of his girlfriend, Stephanie Stearns, whom Bugliosi and Leonard Weinglass
Leonard Weinglass
Leonard Irving Weinglass was a U.S. criminal defense lawyer and constitutional law advocate. Weinglass graduated from Yale Law School in 1958, then served as a Captain, Judge Advocate, United States Air Force from 1959 to 1961. He was admitted to the bar in the states of New Jersey, New York,...
defended. The book was published in 1991 and adapted into a CBS television mini-series starring James Brolin
James Brolin
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
, Rachel Ward
Rachel Ward
Rachel Claire Ward, AM is a British actress, columnist, film director, and screenwriter who has primarily pursued her career in Australia.-Early life:...
, Hart Bochner
Hart Bochner
Hart Matthew Bochner is a Canadian film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.-Life and career:Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ruth , a concert pianist, and actor Lloyd Bochner...
and Deidre Hall
Deidre Hall
Deidre Ann Hall is a dramatic American actress best known for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans on NBC's daytime drama Days of our Lives, which she played for over 29 years, and is to return to the role this summer. The character is considered an icon to the soap, and has been experienced some of...
that same year. Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
played Bugliosi, who acted as narrator. The story is told from the perspective of Stearns, with additional facts corroborated by other witnesses.
The killings
In 1974, a yachting couple from San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, Malcolm "Mac" Graham III, 43, and Eleanor LaVerne ("Muff") Graham, 41, sailed to Palmyra – 1200 miles south of Honolulu – hoping to find it deserted and to pass an idyllic year or more there. The wealthy Grahams overcame their disappointment at finding other "yachties" already on Palmyra, including two male Canadian scientists the conservative couple mistook for hippies before realizing the two men were amiable and intelligent, and stayed. The two scientists would later be called for deposition
Deposition
Deposition or Depose may refer to:* Deposition , taking testimony outside of court* Deposition , molecules settling out of a solution...
s at the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
trial
Trial
A trial is, in the most general sense, a test, usually a test to see whether something does or does not meet a given standard.It may refer to:*Trial , the presentation of information in a formal setting, usually a court...
.
Also on Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
were Buck Walker (aka Wesley G. Walker) and Stephanie Stearns (referred to as "Jennifer Jenkins" in the book), who had sailed there together from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
on Stearns' sailing vessel Iola, a deteriorating, patched-together wooden sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
that lacked a reliable auxilary engine. In contrast, the Grahams' ship, the Sea Wind, was a beautifully finished, impeccably outfitted ketch
Ketch
A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
, with an onboard machine shop equipped with a lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
and acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
torch
Torch
A torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
. Walker was an ex-convict fleeing a drug possession charge and had come up the idea of growing canabis on Palmyra to support themselves. The Grahams were a happily-married couple touring the world as Mr. Graham ran his business remotely. The Grahams had brought more than a year's supply of food for their voyage, but Walker and Stearns quickly consumed their own meager supplies and resorted to harvesting the island's few coconuts, often by chopping down the entire tree, leaving a scar on the island habitat. As Buck's method of farming became unsustainable, they were forced to plan a voyage in the rickety Iola against prevailing winds and currents to Fanning
Tabuaeran
Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island or Fanning Atoll is one of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean, and part of Kiribati. It is an atoll located at...
on Tabuaeran, a nearby atoll in Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, to restock—a voyage that was somewhere between difficult and impossible without a working auxiliary engine. Walker, who was prone to sea-sickness
Sea-sickness
Seasickness is a form of motion sickness characterized by a feeling of nausea and, in extreme cases, vertigo, experienced after spending time on a craft on water. It is typically brought on by the rocking motion of the craft. Some people are particularly vulnerable to the condition with minor...
, spent most of the trip below-decks, leaving Stearns to sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
alone.
According to Stearns, the Grahams disappeared sometime between August 28 and August 30, 1974, and the young couple found the Grahams' Zodiac dinghy
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
upside down. On September 11, 1974, after days of searching and waiting for the Grahams to return to their boat, Stearns said she and Walker scuttled the Iola and sailed for Hawaii on the Sea Wind. Once in Hawaii, the couple had the Sea Wind repainted and renamed it, which according to boating superstition brings bad luck. This act aroused suspicion; acquaintances of the Grahams easily recognized the distinctive Sea Wind despite its new paint job. Stearns was arrested in the lower level of the Hawaii Yacht Club, but Buck Walker was able to escape and avoid capture by using a motorized dinghy to race up the "400 row" of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. It was believed he fled on foot after leaving the dinghy at the loading dock near the Ilikai Hotel
The Ilikai
The Ilikai is a landmark oceanfront high rise hotel and condominium at the western end of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i. When it opened in 1964, the Ilikai was the first luxury high rise hotel in Hawai'i....
. Stearns was arrested for the theft of the Sea Wind. Eventually Walker was caught in California and in separate trials, both he and Stearns were finally convicted and served time.
Early one morning in 1981, another visitor to Palmyra, sailor Sharon Jordan, from Johannesburg, South Africa, found Muff Graham's skull and other skeletal remains in the surf near a large metal container. The remains showed signs of dismemberment and burning (possibly by Mac Graham's acetylene welding torch), and the body appeared to have been concealed underwater in the container. Mac Graham's remains have yet to be found.
Trial and punishment
Buck Walker was tried and convicted of Muff Graham's murder. Walker was incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, VictorvilleUnited States Penitentiary, Victorville
The United States Penitentiary, Victorville is a high-security federal prison for men in the United States. Part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Victorville, USP Victorville is located in Victorville, California, on the grounds of the former George Air Force Base.-Construction:USP Victorville...
, in California, where he practiced his hand at writing fictional novels. He 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. Prior to his death, Walker had been living in a trailer home in Willits, California
Willits, California
Willits is a city in Mendocino County, California, United States. Willits is located north-northwest of Ukiah, at an elevation of 1391 feet . The population was 4,888 at the 2010 census, down from 5,073 at the 2000 census. Willits is at the center of Mendocino County and its redwood forests...
. Walker (writing as Wesley G. Walker), claimed in a novel about that case that he had been seduced by Mrs. Graham and, in the midst of love-making, had been caught by Mr. Graham, who shot his wife and attempted to shoot Walker. He also claimed that he and Stearns were attempting to return the Sea Wind to Hawai'i with the Iola in tow, but the Iola ran aground on the reef as they exited the lagoon and had to be abandoned. During the voyage back to Hawai'i, a large swordfish
Swordfish
Swordfish , also known as broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood...
damaged the Sea Wind's hull below the waterline, necessitating the repair and subsequent repainting and renaming.
Stearns was tried separately in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, after Bugliosi persuaded the court that publicity about the murders in Hawaii prevented the empaneling of an impartial jury there. Stearns was acquitted of the murder of Muff Graham and resumed her life in California in the telecommunications industry.