Dale Williams

October 17, 2024: A 68-year old Naturita man has been arrested for Murder in the First Degree for the 1999 disappearance of then 42-year-old Dale Williams. Dan Bishop of Naturita was taken into custody Thursday and booked into the Montrose County Detention Center. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with assistance from the Montrose County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) opened a new inquiry in September of 2023, after previous investigations into the now 25-year old Cold Case concluded without criminal charges. At the time of his disappearance, Dale Williams owned an auto body shop in the small Western Slope town of Nucla. An investigation revealed Williams and his wife helped the wife of Dan Bishop leave her then-husband (Bishop) and resettle in Texas at an undisclosed location. Williams was last seen on May 27, 1999 after he received a call to help a stranded motorist, possibly near the town of Bedrock, CO. His truck was found nearly 6 weeks later on July 4, 1999 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 Dan Bishop. Based on the comprehensive investigation, it's believed Bishop acted together with his cousin (now deceased) to murder Dale Williams. Bishop is being held on a $1 million dollar cash-only bond. The charges are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. No additional details are available at this time.