William Nelson "Bill" Church Jr. (born November 30, 1956) was a man whose remains were found in a wooded area in Pierce County, Washington.
He was identified by Othram in June 2024, and his identity was released in December.
Case[]
Church's partial skeletal remains were found in a forest near Ashford, Washington, in March 1978. His skull was discovered 10 years later, in 1988, around 50 yards from the location of the first discovery. Despite the proximity of the two discoveries, the bones were not linked as being from the same person until 2005.
Police determined he was a homicide victim and had been killed by gunshot. However, further investigation did not reveal any additional information other than that his first name may have been "William" or "Willie" and that he may have been from Arizona.
Genetic genealogy conducted by Othram Inc. led to his eventual identification in 2024.
Church was adopted as an infant by a couple from the Tacoma, Washington, area. He lived his whole life in Tacoma and was last seen alive on September 15, 1977, by his fiancée.
Characteristics[]
- Brown braided hair.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Metal braided ring.