PHOENIX – Human remains found under a concrete slab in northern Arizona four years ago have been identified as an apparent murder victim, authorities announced Monday.
The big break in the fascinating cold case came in the form of a tip from a woman whose parents might have been responsible for the man’s death.
A property owner in Dolan Springs, a rural community northwest of Kingman, found the remains when he broke up a concrete slab in his yard in August 2021, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
Investigators determined the victim was probably in his 40s, died of a gunshot wound to the head and was buried under the slab for at least 10 years. However, they were unable to identify the John Doe.
Texas-based forensics lab Othram Inc. offered to help with the cold case in February 2023, but an extensive genetic investigation failed to produce any significant leads.
Facebook post leads to break in search for identity of human remains
On July 22 of this year, MCSO made a Facebook post asking the public for help on the probe. A week later, a caller left a voicemail that shed new light on the case — and implicated her parents.
The caller said her parents used to live on North Drive, the street where the human remains were found. She said a man named Chett Williams lived with them in the late 1990s before suddenly disappearing.
The woman said her parents told her Williams up and left, even though his personal belongings remained at the house. She also recalled that her parents poured a concrete slab shortly after he disappeared.
How investigators finally confirmed identity of human remains
Records confirmed that the caller’s parents, Bea and Alvin Hamilton, owned the property and that Williams was known to list the address as his residence. However, Alvin died in 2006 and Bea died in 2018.
Investigators relayed the caller’s story to Othram’s genetic genealogist, who was able to identify and contact relatives of Williams who live on the East Coast.
They verified that Williams went to Arizona to live with Bea Hamilton, and one of them provided a DNA sample so Othram could conduct a genetic comparison.
Last week, Othram notified MCSO that testing confirmed the identity of the John Doe as Chester G. Williams III, who went by Chett.
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