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Cold Case Solved: DNA Links Suspect to 1987 Murder
16 Sep
Summary
- Suspect identified via DNA match 39 years after murder.
- Suspect died by suicide days after providing DNA sample.
- Veteran's body found in cemetery with throat slashed.
The 1987 murder of veteran Orison James "Jim" Chafin has been resolved after nearly four decades. Investigators identified Gary Wayne Billups, 68, as the suspect. Billups died by suicide on June 24, 2026, just five days after voluntarily providing a DNA sample to investigators.
Laboratory analysis confirmed Billups' DNA matched evidence recovered from the crime scene, including beer bottles and cigarette butts. Chafin's body was found in the Resthaven Cemetery near Glendale, Arizona, on August 8, 1987, with his throat slashed. He was last seen at a local lounge, where Billups and two other men were reportedly present.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office Cold Case Unit and the Glendale Police Department reopened the investigation in 2025. They re-examined the original file and re-interviewed witnesses, identifying Billups, who lived in Glendale in 1987 but had not been interviewed at the time. When approached, Billups denied knowing Chafin or living in the area, despite evidence to the contrary. He provided the DNA sample shortly before his death. No criminal charges will be filed due to the suspect's demise. Two other individuals previously investigated in connection with the case have also died.
