DOLAN SPRINGS, Ariz. – Officials with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office say they have finally identified human remains that were found on a property north of Kingman years ago.
The backstory:
Per a Sept. 8 statement released by the office on social media, the case began to unfold on Aug. 26, 2021, when a property owner in Dolan Springs found the remains. The man was breaking up a concrete slab in his yard when he made the discovery.
Investigators say they later managed to identify the remains as that of a white or Hispanic man who was over the age of 40, between 5’7″ and 5’9″ tall.
“He was believed to have been buried at the location for at least 10 years. The victim’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head,” read a portion of the statement.
What We Know Now:
In the statement, officials with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office identified the remains as those belonging to Chester G. Williams III, who was also known as “Chett Williams.”
Dig deeper:
Per officials with MCSO, a genetic lab in Texas offered in 2023 to assist in identifying the victim, and on July 29, 2025, investigators received a voice message from a woman who indicated she might have information on the man’s identity.
Detectives later contacted the woman, and they learned that her parents lived on the same street as the location where the remains were found.
“She recalled that a male by the name of Chett Williams had been living with her parents around 1998-1999 and had suddenly disappeared. When she asked her parents about him, they said he had just gone and left. She thought it odd because all his personal belongings were left behind. She also said that shortly after his disappearance, her parents poured a slab of concrete at the location,” read a portion of the statement.
Chester G. Williams III, also known as “Chett Williams.” (Photo Courtesy: Mohave County Sheriff’s Office)
A subsequent search of property records, according to investigators, revealed that the woman’s parents were the owners of the same property that a man named “Chett G. Williams” had used as his residence location.
“No records of Williams could be found after 1999,” investigators wrote, while adding that the woman’s father and mother died in 2006 and 2018, respectively.
Officials with MCSO say the information was later provided to the genetic lab, who located a number of Williams’ relatives on the East Coast. Familial reference samples were collected by the genetic lab for comparison purposes, and MCSO was notified on Sept. 4 that the victim was Williams.
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