Body Shop Owner Disappears

[UMfan77]

Does anyone know if there has been any updates for the man (forgot his name) who owned a body shop that disappeared after receiving a call from an unknown person that needed a tow. The man was middle-aged & had a beard. His white pick-up truck was found in a lake. The drivers side window part part-way down. The man's wife stated that he never had his windows that way, either the window was all the way up or all the way down.

Missing Person flyers were posted on a bulletin board in the local Post Office. A hidden camera was placed there & someone was taped taking the flyers down. Appently, the man taking the flyers down used to be friends with the missing man. The man's wife worked at a video rental store & she found a gun in the return-video slot.

[An 80s Guy]

I don't remember this case.Mabey CD has info.

[crystaldawn]

His name was Dale Williams and as far as I can tell he is still missing:

http://www.unsolved.com/0235-Williams.html

I do think he was murdered. You can't help but suspect the former friend who Dale and his wife helped his former wife move out of the area. He was mad at Dale for assisting his ex-wife and could have wanted revenge. I wouldn't be suprised if he had an accomplice as well, possibly the person who called Dale about a tow.

[UMfan77]

Very good theory. I guess the Williams' family should not have gotten involved in something like a divorce. I wonder if the former friend has been questioned or has taken a polygraph test.

[wiseguy182]

Another case I just watched again a few days ago. There doesn't seem to be anybody else with a a motive other than the former friend. To answer your question UMfan77, the former friend was questioned at least a couple times, but said he had no involvement (not suprisingly). I do wonder why Dale agreed to pick up the motorist even though it wasn't a service that he typically offered, especially since he was so busy when she called.

[mozartpc27]

Another case that has somehowescaped much in the way of discussion. I have some thoughts, which I'll post later, but first, here is some information about possible updates:

CBI to help in bone mystery
Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO) - November 7, 2003
Author: AARON PORTER The Daily Sentinel

MONTROSE — Human bones found near Redvale remained shrouded in mystery a week after they were unearthed.

Decomposition and age made it difficult for local authorities to conclusively determine little more than the bones are human, according to Montrose County Coroner Mark Young.

Three people uncovered the skeletal remains Oct. 30 on a shelf below a cliff in Broad Canyon, the Montrose County Sheriff's Department said.

Dr. Thomas Canfield, a medical examiner, ruled Sunday the bones were human, Young said. He was unable to determine the exact age or forensic value of the bones because of decomposition and age, he said.

The bones were partially exposed to the elements, Young said. In the dry climate, bones at the surface decompose at a different rate than bones in the soil.

Young has requested the assistance of a forensic anthropologist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to determine if the bones have forensic value. Anything of forensic value would indicate a crime was committed, he said.

Local authorities are still attempting to identify the remains, Young said. He plans to employ DNA testing.

"If we can't obtain DNA, then it's going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to determine the identity of who this might be," he said.

The bones had been there at least for "several years," Young said.

They predate the disappearance of a 19-year-old man in San Miguel County a few weeks ago, Young said.

There are several unsolved missing persons cases in the area.

"I'm hoping that we can get DNA extracted, and then we would be able to rule out those different people or match one," he said.

Those cases include Dale Williams , a Nucla man who was reported missing in 1999, and Ben Gray, a local cowboy who disappeared in 1978. Young has not ruled out the bones as either of the missing men.

It was unclear Thursday if disturbance of the bones will pose an issue for the investigation. Under state law, human remains must be reported to the county coroner immediately.

The bones were unearthed Oct. 30 by Debra Waid, Herb Cooper and Kalub Marier, Undersheriff Dick Deines said.

Of course, this article is a little over 4 years old, and yet it's the most recent I can find on the matter. I guess they either couldn't get DNA or it didn't tunr out to be anybody known to be missing.

[mozartpc27]

Another article about the same incident:

Identity, age of human bones still a mystery to authorities
Daily Sentinel, The (Grand Junction, CO) - November 5, 2003
Author: AARON PORTER The Daily Sentinel

REDVALE — Human bones uncovered in western Montrose County have generated speculation of possible ties to mysterious disappearances there in the past.

Is it a Nucla man who vanished in 1999, his pickup sunk in a river? Is it a well-known cowboy whose only trace since 1978 was an address book found on Blue Mesa? Is it a sacred American Indian burial?

"There's a lot of questions. It is uncertain," said Undersheriff Dick Deines of the Montrose County Sheriff's Department.

"Until the coroner's office and a forensic pathologist determine the age of these bones, we don't know how it stands. It could have been real old bones, a disturbed grave site or something more recent. There are a lot of questions," he added.

Three people found the bones Oct. 30 while rock-hunting, Deines reported. The site lies off Highway 141, on a shelf below a cliff in Broad Canyon, he said.

Investigators and Colorado Bureau of Investigation finished collecting evidence Monday, Deines said. He was not aware Tuesday of any clothing or personal belongings found there, he said.

"I haven't been advised of anything else found at the scene that we can see as anything of any importance," he said.

The skeletal remains were dug up by Nucla residents Debra Waid, Herb Cooper and Waid's son, Kalub Marier, said Deines.

Authorities are now uncertain if the bones were exhumed legally, said Deines. Investigators are determining if the site lies on land owned by Dave Andrews or the Bureau of Land Management and if they had permission to dig, he said.

Federal law forbids unauthorized archeological activities on BLM lands, he said.

Waid apparently notified Dick Williams, whose brother is missing, about the find, said Deines. Dale Williams disappeared in May 1999.

Waid also gave Dick Williams a bone from the site, Deines said.

"I think it's highly inappropriate," said Deines.

It was Williams who alerted authorities about the remains Saturday morning, Deines said.

There's speculation the remains may belong to cowboy and local character Ben Gray, who's been missing since 1978, said Montrose County Coroner Mark Young.

It may prove difficult to determine the age, let alone identity, of the bones, Young said.

[unsolvedmysteriesfan]

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Willi..._28967850.aspx

Web References

1.
1. Telluride Daily Planet - Local news
www.telluridegateway.com/curre - [Cached]

Published on: 9/22/2000 Last Visited: 9/22/2000
Several people who have been interviewed by investigators have alleged that 43-year-old Dale Williams may have been involved in some type of wrongdoing that could have contributed to his disappearance, Deines said.

Deines declined to release information about the allegations, which he said have not been confirmed. Several key individuals who may have information about the disappearance have refused to talk to investigators, Deines said, adding that solving Williams' disappearance is a top priority for the Montrose County Sheriff's Office.

Lt. Greg Hiler of the MCSO was in the West End on Thursday to conduct more interviews in connection with Williams' disappearance.

Williams was last seen May 27 at the Family Market in Naturita. He is the owner of Showtime Movie Rentals and Dale's Pro Body Shop, both located in Nucla. Williams was last seen wearing a dark blue T-shirt and blue jeans. He is a white male with light brown hair and blue eyes. He stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds.

[unsolvedmysteriesfan]

I looked up this Tami Lowrance. She runs Ferrellgas in Naturita, CO: http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_0wjx0x

Maybe one of our UM sleuths wants to contact her and find out if there is anyhting new or if she knows who the 'former friend' is ? I'm not posting anything private, it's her company and all.

[Tonee]

I'm Dale's oldest daughter... the case went cold a few years ago, but there is a cold case team taking it over.

[Mystery Lover]

Welcome Tonee... Glad to have you here.

Can you give us any insight on your Dad disappearance?

Any new clues? Or anything?

What does your family thing happened to your Dad?

[Dislimb]

Here we go again...

[Mystery Lover]

What do you mean here we go again? I don't get it.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by Dislimb

Here we go again...

I wondered when you were going to chime in...

Yes Tonee, anything you'd like to share about your father's case we'd enjoy hearing. I thought the most logical choice for a suspect was the former husband of the woman your family helped out but UM didn't really focus on his much. Is he considered a suspect?

[Tonee]

While he is the most logical candidate for a suspect... we don't think he's been much involved. Im sure there was hate for how my parents helped his ex wife move away from him, obviously- he was caught on camera taking down the flyers.... He did break into my dad's body shop steal a gun (later returned in my mom's movie drop) and ripped up a bunch of pictures of the 4 of them together... other then that?

There's a few things that people don't know about my dad unless they were locals... He was very liked, he had a lot of friends, we lived in a very, very small town, he volunteered for many community activities, he loved camping, his family, us girls, and kids. He really was a big kid himself. I have so many unbelievable memories of my dad and the wonderful things that he did for my sister, mom and I. He was the only dad that would gather 15-20 kids we knew to play kick the can at 9pm on weekends. He would wake my sister and I up at 2am to roast hot dogs in our wood stove inside the house... He was an amazing person, a very fun person. And I would give nearly anything for my own children to know 1 day of their Grandpa Dale, and oh the things they would do for that 1 day!

There's been so many rumors and stories as I'm sure you all can imagine. We live thru these every time a bone or a tool is found in the mountains or near Uravan. There's been people transferred or fired from his case, there's been drunks who brag about the time they "beat the sh*t out of Dale Williams and dumped his body in a mineshaft" There's been quite a few stories that are just TOO CLOSE of a coincidence to not have a little truth in them- but as far as I know, no one really looked into it.

As far as clues, the truck was driven into the waterhole in the confluence (about 13' of water and sediment) the drivers side window was rolled down about 3/4 way and the passenger about 1/4 way, the windshield wipers were on, and the engine was running and I think it was in low gear. It is accurate that my dad NEVER drove like that regarding the windows. My now very good friend found the truck while his family was fishing... their lure got stuck and he went to try and retrieve it, ended up standing on the roof of truck. They thought it was odd and he said he thought it was a refrigerator. He was able to swim down and pulled the dash cover out, which had my dad's name embroidered on it. And that's when they called the police.
When they pulled the truck they damaged the axle, and didn't set up anything downstream to catch anything floating out of the truck. My friend offered to swim downstream and try to get stuff, but they told him that they "had enough evidence." The cab was filled with sediment, dirt and mud. And also my friend said that while they fishing an out of town vehicle kept driving by and eventually stopped and told them that they shouldn't be "playing around there" My friend said that he'd never seen this guy before, he hasn't seen him since.
The very early investigation was completely botched. And it seemed like anytime someone got a clue or anything... they transferred or fired. As time went by, no one came forward with any information and the case went cold.

On the 29th it will be 9 years.