While Peggy Lammers grew up in Virginia, she and her family would often visit their vacation home known as the River House, a ranch-style residence located on the shores of the Piankatank River in Deltaville.
Her parents had built it themselves in 1970 at the end of a single-lane drive on Stove Point, with only one way in and one way out.
“It’s everyone’s paradise. It’s a place where kids ride their bikes, people ride their golf carts, sail together, it’s family-friendly,” said Peggy’s sister, Anne Ferguson.
Once Peggy tied the knot with her husband, Tony, they had three children together and began bringing their own kids to the River House, continuing the family tradition.
According to Peggy’s son, Jay Lammers, she was the kind of person who “cared deeply for others” and constantly put other people’s needs above her own, especially when it came to her loved ones.
Yet, after 61-year-old Peggy visited the River House in July 2017, she was found brutally murdered inside the home, and investigators suspect she knew her killer.
She and her husband, Tony, as well as other family members, had enjoyed an extended Fourth of July weekend at the property. However, after everyone headed back to their own homes, Peggy went back to the River House on Saturday, July 8, 2017.
Throughout the weekend, she reportedly remained in touch with her relatives and intended to return to her sister’s home in Richmond on Monday, July 10.
Peggy and Tony actually resided near Cleveland, Ohio, but she’d been traveling back and forth between Ohio and Richmond while settling her late parents’ estate.
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Come Monday morning, though, she decided to stay one more night at the vacation home. Peggy continued to keep in contact with her family throughout the day, and her final text was sent at 7:13 p.m.
Her phone last pinged at 1:18 a.m. on July 11, and the police shared their belief that the device was powered off shortly afterward.
Later that Tuesday evening, Tony Lammers contacted the Middlesex County Virginia Sheriff’s Department and asked authorities to conduct a welfare check at the River House. He’d been trying to get in touch with Peggy all day, but she never got back to him.
Her daughter and sister-in-law had attempted to contact her, too, and her lack of response sparked worry among her loved ones. So, a deputy arrived at the Deltaville property at approximately 6:00 p.m. to check on her.
The deputy first noticed that Peggy’s car was parked at the residence, yet she didn’t answer the door when he knocked.
Additionally, a muddy footprint had been left on the front door of the cottage, and the screen door had been torn slightly.
When Peggy didn’t answer, the deputy walked behind the residence and realized a neighbor had been hosting a party. He asked the neighbor if Peggy was at the gathering, but she wasn’t.
The deputy then walked back over to the River House and realized a sliding glass door had been left open about two inches wide. At that point, he entered the home and found Peggy’s remains. She was barefoot and covered in blood, with a bloodied footprint near her body.
A medical examiner ultimately determined Peggy’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
Once investigators examined the scene, they saw that the items from the home’s medicine cabinet had been dumped into the bathroom sink, and dresser drawers had been left on a bed. The items inside Peggy’s purse had also been removed and scattered around the cottage, and a telescope was thrown on the floor.
The police reportedly think the scene was staged to look like the home had been rifled through. Her money and jewelry were all left behind; the only thing that was stolen was a 19-inch television, which was near the River House’s front door.
Authorities also recovered a kitchen knife in the sink, which had Peggy’s blood on it, and swabbed multiple items to collect DNA. Strangely, her body did not have any cuts.
In 2018, Major Sampson said that “everybody is a suspect” while also pointing out how “imminent danger” or “a killer running around Deltaville” was not suspected. The vacation hotspot is subject to more property crime in the off-season, but the occurrence of violent crimes is very rare.
In July of that same year, authorities announced how they’d discovered “relevant” DNA at the scene of Peggy’s murder and knew who it belonged to.
“It is fair to say we have a theory, but I am not going to divulge that. A suspect has been developed, but it takes time to disprove or prove that. I don’t believe at this point that [whoever committed the murder] was a stranger,” explained Middlesex Sheriff’s Det. Chris Gatling in 2022.
Peggy’s son, Jay, also doesn’t feel his mother was targeted by a stranger.
“It’s hard to think it was just some random act. Unfortunately, I feel that it was probably someone who knew her, and she didn’t blink an eye in letting them into the house until it was too late,” he stated.
Peggy’s sister, Anne, agreed, saying, “The fact that she was killed in the hallway indicates to me that the person knew her and knew the house. It’s unbelievable that someone could get in and get out with no one seeing anything.”
Nonetheless, no suspects have been named publicly, and the exact circumstances of Peggy’s murder are unclear over 7 years later. The once-idyllic River House has become a painful reminder of her death.
In a statement issued on the 7-year anniversary of Peggy’s murder, the FBI asked community members with information to come forward.
“We assess every tip that comes in, pursuing all actions that will advance the investigation and provide answers for Ms. Lammers’ loved ones,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Farina.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI Richmond Field Office at (804) 261-1044.
