Nearly five decades after partial human remains were discovered in woods south of Mount Rainier, Pierce County investigators say the man has been identified as William Nelson “Bill” Church Jr. The identification, reached through modern DNA and genealogical methods, finally brought answers to a son who had been searching for decades. The bones were first recovered near Ashford in March 1978, and additional remains were found roughly a decade later.
As reported by KING 5, Pierce County detectives say the remains belong to Church, who was born in 1956 and vanished in September 1977. Cold-case detective Sgt. Lindsay Kirkegaard credited modern forensic genetic genealogy with making the identification possible.
How investigators cracked the case
In 2023 Pierce County submitted forensic material to Othram, whose lab used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing and in-house genetic genealogy to build a comprehensive profile of the unknown man. That work produced leads that investigators followed to living relatives and ultimately to a positive match identifying the decedent as William Nelson Church Jr., according to DNASolves.
A son finally gets answers
DNA matched a man in Vancouver, Washington, identified by investigators as Douglas Anderson, who was confirmed as Church’s son. Anderson told KING 5 he found a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office post while searching online in May 2025 and that contact with detectives led to confirmation of the match.
What detectives say and next steps
Authorities believe Church was killed in 1977; forensic reports indicate trauma to the skull consistent with a gunshot wound and the death was ultimately ruled a homicide, per the NamUs case file compiled on Uncovered. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, according to DNASolves…