AL AL - Billy Howard Dye, 19, Jefferson County, 3 March 1956

[TheArtfulDetective]

Billy Howard Dye



Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: March 3, 1956
Location Last Seen: Jefferson County, Alabama

Description:

• Date of Birth: circa 1937
• Age: 19 years old
• Race: White/Caucasian
• Gender: Male
• Height: Unknown
• Weight: 270 lbs
• Hair Color: Unknown
• Eye Color: Unknown
• Nickname/Alias: Nicknames: Unknown
• Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown
• Clothing & Personal Items: Unknown
• Identifiers: Not available

Circumstances of Disappearance:
In the early morning hours of March 3, 1956, Billy and his brother Robert Dye along with their older cousin, Dan Brasher, left Dan's mother's house in Billy's 1947 dark green four-door Ford. They were going to a party in Robinwood and were last seen headed down Crooked Creek Road in northern Jefferson County. All three men have never been heard from again.

Family members believe they were victims of a moonshine ring and were killed in a conflict concerning stolen whiskey. Foul play is suspected in their disappearances. Billy's car has never been located.

Investigators:

• Jefferson County Sheriffs Department: (205) 325-5069
  Reference Case#: N/A

NCIC Case Number: N/A
NamUs Case Number: Not listed

5260DMAL - Billy Howard Dye
The Brasher-Dye Disappearance

 

[dotr]

• Jan. 07, 2026
• Alabama’s oldest cold case still mystifies 70 years later
• 
  
  
• By Kelly Kazek
  ''One rainy March night in 1956, brothers Billy Howard Dye, age 19, and Robert Earl Dye, 23, and their cousin Dan Brasher, 38, went to a party at the home of Billy’s girlfriend in rural Jefferson County. They were driving Billy’s dark green 1947 Ford, as described in my 2010 book “Forgotten Tales of Alabama.”
• 
  

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

Is there a lake, pond, river etc on route to the party? Did they actually have witnesses that saw them at the party, meaning they disappeared after the party? Early morning hours (what time frame 12-3? example). Did they stop somewhere? Any articles on the disappearance? Any family members still alive? Moonshine ring, not a lot of information on this case considering how much time has passed.

 

[spartanx]

Is there a lake, pond, river etc on route to the party? Did they actually have witnesses that saw them at the party, meaning they disappeared after the party? Early morning hours (what time frame 12-3? example). Did they stop somewhere? Any articles on the disappearance? Any family members still alive? Moonshine ring, not a lot of information on this case considering how much time has passed.

I think the body of water thing is likely... alcohol smuggling, I don't know... I don't think so.

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

I'm not sure I found the correct road, or it might not exist anymore, but I found a "River Road" close to Crooked Creek; there were no results for Crooked Creek Road in Jefferson county on Google maps. If this is the correct road, or at least close to the road they were on, they were about half an hour away from their destination. Today you can drive to Robinwood via the I-65, but back then that would not be an option as it opened in 1958. If the roads looked similar back then, and if River Road is at least close to Crooked Creek Road, it seems this would mean driving through Gardendale and Fultondale. These towns both had a few thousand residents each back then, and while it's surrounded by quite a bit of forest, these men would also be surrounded by plenty of houses on the way to the party after entering US highway 31. I think it's likely they were going to drive through highway 31, as not doing it would mean a massive detour.

As for the question @strangerthanfiction1200 had about bodies of water: Assuming I found the correct area, despite the name "Crooked Creek Road", there actually is not a lot of water in the area. Unless the roads looked completely different back then, I can't see an area where they would accidentally drive into a body of water. After reading more about the case, I see why the moonshiner-theory is convincing, they were accused of stealing liquor - and moonshining was apparently needed by many in the area to simply survive, so this would not have been taken lightly.

Something I feel is important to mention is that Billy, his brother, and his cousin were all known to be heavy drinkers and were inebriated that night. Because of this, I think Billy might've crashed somewhere and just hasn't been found. I'm wondering about the possibility that they took a wrong turn and didn't realize due to being inebriated.

Here's my thoughts: An accident is likely, and because the car is green it might melt in with the forest. Assuming searchers checked the travel-route thoroughly, I wonder if they would find something by checking the areas where they might've taken a wrong turn. Maybe it would also be a good idea to check again, in case the search wasn't thorough enough. I do also think foul play is possible, but not at the party, I don't think they made it there. I think they were either forced off the road, or voluntarily stopped somewhere - for example to confront someone if they were being followed; if this is the case I think this would probably have happened before they got on road 31, as this would take them into Gardendale within a couple of minutes and after this they would be surrounded by houses/potential witnesses for 95% of the way. If foul play is the cause, we might never find the car or Billy.

I got a lot of info from this source: FROM THE VAULT: The Brasher-Dye Disappearance - Alabama Heritage

 

[strangerthanfiction1200]

I'm not sure I found the correct road, or it might not exist anymore, but I found a "River Road" close to Crooked Creek; there were no results for Crooked Creek Road in Jefferson county on Google maps. If this is the correct road, or at least close to the road they were on, they were about half an hour away from their destination. Today you can drive to Robinwood via the I-65, but back then that would not be an option as it opened in 1958. If the roads looked similar back then, and if River Road is at least close to Crooked Creek Road, it seems this would mean driving through Gardendale and Fultondale. These towns both had a few thousand residents each back then, and while it's surrounded by quite a bit of forest, these men would also be surrounded by plenty of houses on the way to the party after entering US highway 31. I think it's likely they were going to drive through highway 31, as not doing it would mean a massive detour.

As for the question @strangerthanfiction1200 had about bodies of water: Assuming I found the correct area, despite the name "Crooked Creek Road", there actually is not a lot of water in the area. Unless the roads looked completely different back then, I can't see an area where they would accidentally drive into a body of water. After reading more about the case, I see why the moonshiner-theory is convincing, they were accused of stealing liquor - and moonshining was apparently needed by many in the area to simply survive, so this would not have been taken lightly.

Something I feel is important to mention is that Billy, his brother, and his cousin were all known to be heavy drinkers and were inebriated that night. Because of this, I think Billy might've crashed somewhere and just hasn't been found. I'm wondering about the possibility that they took a wrong turn and didn't realize due to being inebriated.

Here's my thoughts: An accident is likely, and because the car is green it might melt in with the forest. Assuming searchers checked the travel-route thoroughly, I wonder if they would find something by checking the areas where they might've taken a wrong turn. Maybe it would also be a good idea to check again, in case the search wasn't thorough enough. I do also think foul play is possible, but not at the party, I don't think they made it there. I think they were either forced off the road, or voluntarily stopped somewhere - for example to confront someone if they were being followed; if this is the case I think this would probably have happened before they got on road 31, as this would take them into Gardendale within a couple of minutes and after this they would be surrounded by houses/potential witnesses for 95% of the way. If foul play is the cause, we might never find the car or Billy.

I got a lot of info from this source: FROM THE VAULT: The Brasher-Dye Disappearance - Alabama Heritage

Thank you for your post. I agree with the two possibilities. If Billy was drunk it is possible he took a wrong turn and had an accident, assuming he was driving. I don't believe they made it to the party either. Foul play is a possibility; I wonder what the rumors were at that time. Green car can easily blend in. If there was corruption and they knew the answer, we might never know the truth.

 

[Catlady_Ellen]

Thank you for your post. I agree with the two possibilities. If Billy was drunk it is possible he took a wrong turn and had an accident, assuming he was driving. I don't believe they made it to the party either. Foul play is a possibility; I wonder what the rumors were at that time. Green car can easily blend in. If there was corruption and they knew the answer, we might never know the truth.

The rumors were that they were killed for previously stealing liquor from moonshiners, some think they were dumped in a cave or body of water. Crash due to being drunk could also have happened even if Billy wasn't driving as all three men were drunk, but since it was his car I would guess he was the driver. IIrc the party was also at his girlfriend's home, so if he made it there we would probably know. Corruption is also a possibility in my opinion; corruption in the south was a big problem in the 50's, but a lot of it was related to white supremacy - however, there were still notorious cases of bribery, abuse of power, and much more.