Naturita man arrested in connection to 25-year-old cold case murder

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - A Naturita man was arrested for Murder in the First Degree for the 1999 disappearance of then 42-year-old Dale Williams.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Montrose County Sheriff's Office opened a new inquiry in September of 2023 regarding the unresolved case.

At the time of Williams' disappearance, he owned an auto body shop in Nucla. An investigation revealed Williams and his wife helped Bishop's wife leave her then-husband (Bishop) and resettle in Texas at an undisclosed location.

Williams was last seen on May 27th, 1999, after he received a call to help a stranded motorist, possibly near the town of Bedrock, CO.

On July 4th, 1999 Williams' truck was found submerged in a river. Investigators found a rifle in the bed of the truck with a spent shell casing in the chamber. Firearm purchase records show the .22 caliber rifle belonged to Bishop.

Comprehensive investigations have revealed that Bishop allegedly acted together with his cousin, who is now deceased, to murder Williams.

Bishop is being held on a $1 million dollar cash-only bond.