Last Updated on: 17th December 2022, 04:57 pm
Who Was Kenneth Nevada Williams? Biography, Wiki
Williams’ family speculated that the teenager ran away from home and was trying to start a new life. They tried to track him down but couldn’t find him, despite hiring a private detective to check it out. Roxanne Jones, Williams’ sister, reportedly said she often ran away from home, according to news media.
“As soon as they said there was a family DNA match, I knew who I needed to be. I wanted to live in the city and go to clubs and have fun, and he … just didn’t do it. “I do drugs or something, but you know, bright lights, big city,” Jones reportedly said. His cause of death has not yet been reported.
As investigative genealogy has made great strides in terms of technological advancements, detectives have been able to develop new leads.
According to the police, the badly damaged skeletal remains were shipped to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. There they were able to develop a suitable DNA extract for the test.
Kenneth Nevada Williams
His current age was 15 years.
California Cold Case Victim
After a body was found on a Carolina street in 1978, a DECADES-old mystery was solved thanks to DNA evidence.
As authorities continue to search for Kenneth Nevada Williams’ killer, investigators say the case is “far from over.”
More than 44 years ago, Williams’ body was found on the ground in a residential area in Long Beach, California.
Tragically, the 15-year-old died at the scene after succumbing to his injuries.
But because the body could not be identified, the death investigation was dropped for more than 40 years and was given the name “John Doe 1978”.
Thanks to advances in DNA testing, authorities were able to identify Williams, who ran away from his Los Angeles home in 1978.
Williams disappeared without being reported, but detectives were able to locate his relatives and establish his identity.
The family believed the runaway teenager had started a new life without them, his heartbroken sister Roxanne Jones said earlier this week.
She told ABC7: “He wasn’t into drugs or anything but he wanted to live in a big city with lots of bright lights and clubs to party in.”
“I immediately realized who I was and must be after [police] announced there was a family DNA match.”
He may have been related to convicted serial killer Randy Kraft over the years, but his cause of death has not been disclosed.
After an investigation, Kraft was cleared as a suspect after ignoring circumstantial evidence linking William’s death to him.
Deputy head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, Donald Alway, spoke this week about the latest developments.
He said: “A teenager murdered in the 1970s was known only as ‘John Doe’ for decades until the latest technology and dogged investigators led to his true identity.”
“Justice delayed, in this case, need not be justice denied.”
“Kenneth Nevada Williams is now a known victim and identifying his killer is the next step in solving this case.”
The Long Beach Police Department issued the following statement: “The story of Kenneth Williams is far from over, but without the use of investigative genealogy, he may never have been identified.”
“The person or persons responsible for his murder remain pending and must be held accountable for their crimes so that Kenneth Williams and his family receive the justice they have long deserved.”
