A man has been arrested in connection with the 1999 disappearance and murder of Colorado auto body shop owner Dale Williams, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Dan Bishop, 68, was taken into custody Oct. 17 on a first-degree murder charge, marking a breakthrough in a cold case that baffled investigators for 25 years.
Bishop is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Williams, who owned an auto body shop in Nucla, CO, went missing on May 27, 1999, after receiving a call about a stranded driver near Bedrock. However, Williams never made it to the location.
Nearly six weeks later, on July 4, his truck was found submerged in a river, with a rifle and spent shell casing in the bed of the vehicle, the CBI said. Firearm purchase records showed the .22 caliber rifle belonged to Bishop.
Investigators found that Williams and his wife had helped Bishop’s wife leave him and relocate to Texas, which may have played a role in the motive.
The investigation into Williams' disappearance was reopened in September 2023. The CBI said based on the comprehensive investigation, officials believe Bishop acted with his cousin, who is now dead, to murder Williams.
Nucla, a small town near the Utah-Colorado border, is located about 340 miles southwest of Denver.
