NY Bessie P. Williams, 19, Johnson City, stabbed, 4 November 1983*Fresh initiative*

[dotr]

April 9 2019
Cold Case- Troop C continues to investigate a 35-year-old homicide case in Broome County.
"State Police in Binghamton continue to investigate the 1983 murder of 19-year-old Bessie P. Williams of Johnson City.
On the evening of November 4, 1983, Bessie P. Williams was reported missing to the Johnson City Police Department when she did not return home to her apartment on Main Street in Johnson City, NY. The last time she had been seen that day was at 1:15 p.m., when she was picking up her paycheck at the Quality Inn Lodge and Convention Center in Endwell, NY.
On April 11, 1985, State Police in Binghamton responded to a report of human skeletal remains being found outside in a wooded area off of King Street in the Town of Barker. A forensic examination determined the remains were those of Bessie Williams, and the manner of death was homicide.
Since the discovery of Bessie’s remains, State Police have been attempting to identify a suspect whose vehicle was towed by citizens in the fall of 1983, from a field bordering the wooded area where her remains were discovered."

 

[dotr]

Cold Case- Troop C continues to investigate a 35-year-old homicide case in Broome County.
Posted: Apr 09, 2019 9:20 AM EDT Updated: Apr 09, 2019 9:29 AM EDT
By FOX 40 Staff
Connect
Do you recognize this suspect in 1983 death of Binghamton-area teen?

rbbm.
"After Williams' skeleton was found, troopers developed a sketch of a suspect.

The suspect -- a white male -- was was drunk in the fall of 1983 when citizens towed his car out of a field that bordered the woods where Williams' remains were found, troopers said."
Troopers provided the following description of the man and his vehicle:

• Age: 25 to 30
• Height: Between 5 foot 7 inches and 5 foot 10 inches
• Weight: Medium build with a "noticeable" potbelly
• Clothing: Work boots, jeans and a blue windbreaker
• Vehicle: A late 1970s, white hatchback-style car -- possibly a Ford -- with a stick shift and a reddish-brown interior
• Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the New York State Police at (607) 561-7400. All calls will remain confidential.

 

[deadfoot13]

Interesting, I am a local and don't remember hearing about this at all. Have shared with friends who were local at the time...

 

[dotr]

rbbm.
This teen worked as a dishwasher and went to pick up her check after which she went missing.
Wonder if her paycheck was ever located or if Bessie even got the chance to cash it all, could it have played a part in her murder?
It is so unfair she did not get to enjoy the fruits of her labour before her life was stolen. imo.
Cold case: Police seek Bessie Williams killer in 1983 Broome County, NY homicide

"Williams, a native of Spring Valley in Rockland County had recently moved to Broome County at the time of her death. She was known around the community as frequently wearing her much-loved New York Yankees baseball hat and at her job, she was remembered as a reliable worker, according to Press & Sun-Bulletin/pressconnects archives.

At the time, she was also attending the Job Corps training program in Oneonta."

"Investigators said Williams was last seen around 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, 1985, picking up her paycheck at Quality Inn. She was expected back in the Binghamton area later that day by bus — investigators believe she never got on that bus, but rather got into a vehicle with someone else."
"Williams likely knew the person who killed her, according to investigators."

 

[PayrollNerd]

Sounds like Bessie was a familiar, friendly face in the area. I wonder if this suspect was in the Job Corp or worked with her at the QI? Did they know she was getting paid that day and they wanted money for drinking? Maybe Bessie spurned this guys advances? After 35+ years I wonder if any of the former coworkers or Job Corp staff can be found and interviewed.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I didn’t realize she had a alias: Bessie Pearl Cosby. Is there a record of an adoption or marriage?
Homicide: Williams, Bessie P.

 

[dotr]

July 15 2020
Local Cold Case: Who killed Bessie Williams? | WIVT - NewsChannel 34
''The suspect was described as a 25-30 year-old white male, most likely drunk, 5’7 to 5’10, wearing work boots, jeans and a blue windbreaker.''

Suspect sketch provided by NYS Police Troop C

He drove a 1970s white hatchback.

Anyone who has information regarding this case is asked to reach out to the New York State Police at 561-7400.''

 

[PayrollNerd]

How many white 1970s era hatchbacks can their be? They even think it was a Ford. There are databases for cars these days. It seems logical to run a search. At the time everything was paper but by the 1990s historical info was going online. I wonder if he ditched the car or sold once he was pulled out.

 

[deadfoot13]

How many white 1970s era hatchbacks can their be? They even think it was a Ford. There are databases for cars these days. It seems logical to run a search. At the time everything was paper but by the 1990s historical info was going online. I wonder if he ditched the car or sold once he was pulled out.

The 1970s Ford hatchback models were Pintos, Mustangs, Fiestas, and Mavericks (I don't think there were any other Ford hatchback models manufactured in the States during that period.) The 1970s is when the popularity of compact cars really took off, so you can be certain that there were scads of them -- Wikipedia says that there were more than 3 million Pintos produced in that decade, although it doesn't specify how many of that number were hatchbacks vs. wagons. Although it might be possible for NY State Police to check the NY DMV database for the vehicle parameters (and they may have already done so), we sit right on the PA border and I imagine NYS doesn't have access to PA DMV records.

 

[PayrollNerd]

The 1970s Ford hatchback models were Pintos, Mustangs, Fiestas, and Mavericks (I don't think there were any other Ford hatchback models manufactured in the States during that period.) The 1970s is when the popularity of compact cars really took off, so you can be certain that there were scads of them -- Wikipedia says that there were more than 3 million Pintos produced in that decade, although it doesn't specify how many of that number were hatchbacks vs. wagons. Although it might be possible for NY State Police to check the NY DMV database for the vehicle parameters (and they may have already done so), we sit right on the PA border and I imagine NYS doesn't have access to PA DMV records.

Ok let’s say it is a Ford Pinto since they were cheap. It is likely all a dumb criminal could afford, especially since they didn’t have the forethought to not get stuck.

What colors were offered in the hatchback Pinto model during what years?
What color interiors were available?

Nowadays, many business vehicles or the “company car” were/are white. Then, a logo is added. How prevelent was that concept in the 70s? I can’t imagine a cheap Pinto being a company car, not even for the classic vacuum cleaner salesman.

I’m not expecting anyone to answer these questions, more along the lines of, this seems like such a huge clue that one can drill deep to get closer to the perp. Then go re-interview the people, if still living, that helped pull the car out. Heck, for all we know LE has already, or is, doing this. JMO

 

[Dylansmom08]

The Ford Pinto, Fiesta and the Mustang where the most popular I think during that time. It should be possible for LE to get the records for who had those vehicle types in the 70s but it would be time consuming. I'm wondering if they could also reach out to surrounding states and get them to do the same? It would take time and effort but I think it could be done.

 

[dotr]

Rbbm
Woman's homicide still a mystery after 35 years
''Troopers said the suspect, a white man, was about 25 to 30 years old and had a “noticeable potbelly.” He was between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and wore work boots, jeans and a blue windbreaker.

The man was driving a white, late 1970s-style hatchback car that may have been a Ford, troopers said. The car had New York license plates, a reddish-brown interior and a stick shift.

Troopers asked anyone with information about the suspect or Williams’ homicide to call (607) 561-7400.''

 

[PayrollNerd]

Rbbm
Woman's homicide still a mystery after 35 years
''Troopers said the suspect, a white man, was about 25 to 30 years old and had a “noticeable potbelly.” He was between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and wore work boots, jeans and a blue windbreaker.

The man was driving a white, late 1970s-style hatchback car that may have been a Ford, troopers said. The car had New York license plates, a reddish-brown interior and a stick shift.

Troopers asked anyone with information about the suspect or Williams’ homicide to call (607) 561-7400.''

The reddish-brown interior is why the search for interior color options with white exterior paint is so important. If it was an early 70s model, it could have been red but very worn, dirty and faded. It could have been brown originally but stained with dried blood. The 70s were known for the color rust too. If no Pinto hatchbacks had red, brown or rust interior color options, then it wasn’t a Ford Pinto.

Stick shift’s were much more prevalent back then. At what point were they switched to automatics, if they ever were?

The pot belly is the beer drinking so what routine bar patron drove a white hatchback. Who was married, dating or living with a beer drinking pot belly drunk?

So many big clues!!!

 

[Dylansmom08]

Okay after a moderate amount of digging around I found that 1976 was the first year that the Ford Pinto hatchback was made with red interior and that trend continued to be an optional interior for the remaining years as well. So that might not help much but it does give a starting point I think.

 

[deadfoot13]

The reddish-brown interior is why the search for interior color options with white exterior paint is so important. If it was an early 70s model, it could have been red but very worn, dirty and faded. It could have been brown originally but stained with dried blood. The 70s were known for the color rust too. If no Pinto hatchbacks had red, brown or rust interior color options, then it wasn’t a Ford Pinto.

Stick shift’s were much more prevalent back then. At what point were they switched to automatics, if they ever were?

The pot belly is the beer drinking so what routine bar patron drove a white hatchback. Who was married, dating or living with a beer drinking pot belly drunk?

So many big clues!!!

I had the misfortune of owning a '78 Pinto wagon, and so did my best friend. Mine was green/green, hers was red with jazzy red/gold plaid cloth seats and everything else was red. It was more of a dark red, not brown. Hers even had these nifty little porthole windows in the back wagon area, like you used to see on the Ford vans from that era. My brother had an orange Pinto hatchback, the interior was cream-colored. All three were manual shift. Thankfully that completes my experience with Pintos, LOL!

 

[nydarksidepodcast]

Bumping for Bessie. Does anyone else feel like this composite sketch looks like a young Rex Heuermann?

 

[deadfoot13]

Bumping for Bessie. Does anyone else feel like this composite sketch looks like a young Rex Heuermann?

Yes, very much so, other than the dark eyes.