Unidentified Man Who Was Shot in the Head in Sacramento, California, in 1980 Finally Identified After 44 Years

The body of an unidentified man was discovered in January 1980. 

He was slumped against the bleachers at a local softball field in Sacramento, California.

This man was found with a gunshot wound in the head.

For 44 years, his identity remained a mystery, until DNA technology recently identified him as William "Billy" Suttle.

William "Billy" Suttle

The Discovery 

On that tragic night in January 1980, police received a call from an anonymous caller at around 9:30 PM.

The body of a neatly dressed man was found at a Sacramento softball field. 

He was found sitting lifeless

He had been shot in the left side of his head, and detectives estimated he had been dead for less than an hour before being found.

His personal belongings included a pack of Salem cigarettes, a lighter, and prescription glasses.

However, no identification card was on him.

This left investigators with no immediate leads as to who he was or how he ended up there.

The location of his death was also a point of confusion. 

While earlier reports stated that the man was found in Southside Park, others suggested the crime scene was O’Neil Park. 

Both parks are only a block apart in Sacramento, making it unclear exactly where the tragedy took place. 

Despite the inconsistencies in reports, what was clear was that the man had been murdered.

Sadly, for 44 years, his case would go cold.

The sketch released by the authorities

The Breakthrough in the Case

In a last-ditch effort to uncover the identity of the mysterious John Doe, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office teamed up with Othram.

Ortham is a company that specializes in advanced DNA technology. 

With funding from the Roads to Justice program, Othram used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. 

He was identified as William "Billy" Suttle.

Suttle was a 22-year-old from Chelsea, Manhattan, New York, who had vanished in early 1980. 

His family last saw him during Christmas in 1979, when Suttle visited them in New York City. 

He had stayed through the New Year to celebrate his niece’s birthday before returning to California. 

Tragically, this would be the last time Suttle’s family would see him alive.

The Search for William “Billy” Suttle

Following William Suttle's disappearance, his family hired private investigators to dig into his life in San Francisco.

However, the investigator found nothing concrete.

For years, his parents held onto the hope that their son had either chosen to start a new life or simply lost contact with them. 

When both parents passed away, they still did not know the fate of their son.

In 2017, a relative of William named Kim Harrell submitted her DNA to Ancestry for personal reasons. 

She was unaware that this action would eventually help law enforcement identify her uncle.

Investigators matched her DNA to that of the body found in Sacramento.

It confirmed that William "Billy" Suttle was indeed the man who had been killed in January 1980.

The Ongoing Investigation

Despite identifying William Suttle, the case remains unsolved. 

In January 1980, Suttle had been one of five homicide victims in Sacramento over a four-day span. 

Authorities retraced Suttle’s steps to a Burger King inside a Greyhound bus station.

Employees there recalled serving him around 8 PM, just hours before his body was found. 

However, no suspects have ever been arrested in connection with his murder.

The Sacramento Police Department continues to search for leads.

They are urging anyone with information about William "Billy" Suttle to come forward. 

To this day, no arrests have been made in relation to his death, and his family, especially his niece Kim Harrell, hopes for closure.

For Harrell and her family, the identification of William “Billy” Suttle was bittersweet. 

The family had spent years not knowing what happened to him.

While they are grateful for the advancements in forensic genealogy that solved the mystery of his disappearance, the question of who killed William "Billy" Suttle remains unanswered.

Kim Harrell expressed her gratitude to the team of detectives and forensic scientists who worked tirelessly to bring resolution to the case. 

"This is the last thing I can do for him because we have done everything that we could," she said. 

William Suttle’s family has since been able to give him a proper memorial, finally closing one chapter in the story of his life.

Anyone with information about his death is encouraged to contact the Sacramento Police Department or share tips anonymously. 

For his family, the hope is that someone, somewhere, knows something that could help bring them peace after 44 years of uncertainty.

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