Man arrested in killing of auto body shop owner who vanished in 1999, Colorado cops say
A man was arrested in the killing of an auto body shop owner who vanished more than two decades ago, Colorado officials say.
Dan Bishop, 68, of Naturita, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Dale Williams, who was reported missing in 1999, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in an Oct. 17 news release.
“There have been countless interviews and hundreds of hours of investigation poured into this case,” Montrose County Sheriff Gene R. Lillard said in a news release shared to Facebook. “It has taken an entire team effort of law enforcement, family and concerned citizens to bring the case to where it is at today.”
Williams’ disappearance
Williams was reported missing May 27, 1999, deputies said.
“At the time of his disappearance, Dale Williams owned an auto body shop in the small Western Slope town of Nucla,” CBI said.
On the day he was reported missing, he got a call about a stranded driver in need of help near Bedrock, according to the CBI.
However, “he never arrived,” CBI said.
His truck was found weeks later “submerged in the muddy waters at the confluence of the Dolores and San Miguel Rivers” on July 4, 1999, deputies said.
“Investigators found a rifle in the bed of the truck with a spent shell casing in the chamber,” CBI said.
Since then, multiple agencies have been trying to bring closure to Williams’ case, deputies said.
Case reopened
Investigators with CBI and the sheriff’s office reopened the case in September 2023, according to CBI.
Through investigations, officials learned Williams and his wife at one point helped Bishop’s wife leave him to resettle in Texas, CBI said.
Officials found purchase records, which showed Bishop was the owner of the .22 caliber rifle found in Williams’ truck bed, according to CBI.
“Based on the comprehensive investigation, it’s believed Bishop acted together with his cousin (now deceased) to murder Dale Williams,” CBI said.
Bishop is being held on $1 million bond, according to CBI.
“Hopefully, it’s a road to some closure for that family, friends and law enforcement,” Lillard told Montrose Daily Press. “It’s something that needed to be done.”
Nucla sits near the Utah-Colorado border, about a 340-mile drive southwest from Denver.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Man arrested in killing of auto body shop owner who vanished in 1999, Colorado cops say."
