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The Arkansas State Police investigator, J.R. Howard, has been haunted by the case of Sandra Williams since a spring day in 1987 when he first heard her name. Back then, despite a valiant effort, there was not enough evidence to secure an arrest of the person who killed her. However, with the launch of a new Cold Case Division at Arkansas State Police, there is renewed hope for finding justice for victims like Sandra Williams.
The newly ramped-up Cold Case Division, overseen by Maj. Stacey Rhoads, is revisiting old cases with a fresh perspective, looking at new developments in technology and investigative techniques to potentially find answers that have long eluded them. Sandra’s case is one of many that is now being actively pursued by the Cold Case Division.
Sandra’s mother, Norma, remembers the day her daughter disappeared, and the harrowing two weeks that followed until Sandra’s body was found dumped behind a pile of garbage on a logging road, a few miles from where her car was located. She had been brutally stabbed, and the circumstances did not seem to match a standard robbery. Leads came in during the original investigation but then slowed and stopped, leaving the family and investigators frustrated.
Former investigator J.R. Howard recalls finding a hair in a vehicle that was believed to be connected to the case, and although it was found to be microscopically similar to Sandra’s hair, DNA testing at the time was inconclusive and the hair was destroyed in further testing.
As technology has advanced drastically since then, there is new hope that advances in DNA testing could help bring closure to Sandra’s family. Sandra’s brother, Kerry, is optimistic that the advancements in technology today might provide the answers that were unavailable all those years ago.
Norma, while acknowledging that nothing will bring Sandra back, still holds out hope that the case will be solved and justice will be served. The ASP Cold Case Division is asking for the public’s help in bringing new information to light. If anyone has information that could help in this case, they are encouraged to contact the Arkansas State Police or the White County Sheriff’s Office.
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