Ronald David Chambers was a man who was found murdered in 1980. He remained unidentified until 2022 after genetic genealogy research by Othram, Inc. The suspect in his murder, Robert Helberg, died in prison in 1993. Chambers is not suspected to be Helberg's only victim.
Background[]
Ronald Chambers was born in Rome, Georgia, in 1950. He served with the US military in the Vietnam War.
On December 17, 1978, Chambers left a motel in SeaTac, Washington, with his friend Robert Helberg, whom he was helping to move from Arizona. Chambers was never seen again. Helberg later returned and told Chambers' wife that he was missing, and it was mostly likely a contract hit.
Chambers was officially reported missing to police in 1979 and presumed dead on December 22, 1985.
Case[]
Chambers' skull was found on August 3, 1980, in woods by Pilchuck Creek, near Stanwood-Bryant Road, Washington. Investigators found a shallow grave which yielded further bones. It was determined that he was killed by a gunshot to the head.
The remains could not be identified and were buried in Arlington Municipal Cemetery, where they remained for over 30 years. They were exhumed in 2011 for DNA testing, which proved difficult due to the condition of the bones. After many years, Othram successfully extracted sufficient DNA for genetic genealogy, which led to his identification in late December 2021. It was reported to the media in February 2022.
Police suspect that he was killed by his friend Robert Helberg, who is also a suspect in a number of other murders elsewhere. Helberg is believed to have been a "self-proclaimed hitman" with connections to drug crime. He died on March 29, 1993, at the Federal Correctional Institute in Lompoc, California.
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