Refusal To Give Up On Cold Case Pays Off

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Police say Wesley Williams used Sandra Brady's credit card for two years after her death.

Some people say he's a living legend. But ask Bernalillo County, N.M. Sheriff's Office cold case investigator Bill Peters to describe himself, and he'll tell you he's just a guy who loves his job -- and who doesn't believe in "cold cases."

That's why he never gave up on a case that gnawed at his nerves for seven years, until he decided to come to America's Most Wanted for help.

It all started on March 4, 2000, when a pair of hikers trekking through the desert found a pair of black cowboy boots, buried desert dust.

When one of the hikers grabbed the toes of one of the boots, the hiker felt feet inside and knew he'd found more than just a pair of shoes. Soon, Peters had one of the state's most prominent Jane Doe cases thrust into his lap.

Peters Uncovers Clues, Tipster Identifies Victim

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Sandra sent home postcards describing a man named Wesley Williams.

Peters started with just a handful of clues. At the crime scene, investigators found a cane with the initials "R.K." and some compact discs with the name "Sandy" written on them.

"Boots," as the unidentified victim became known, also had a tattoo of the name "Sunny" on her leg and the number "13" with a marijuana leaf on her arm.

With the help of AMW, the nation learned about boots on Jan. 12, 2008. A woman watching the show says she realized "Boots" had amazing similarities with a longtime friend of hers -- Sandra Jean Brady.

The woman called Sandra's daughter, Lizabeth with the news, and soon, Bill Peters was on a plane to meet with Lizabeth in person. After the meeting, as well as a DNA test, Det. Peters learned that Boots' real name was indeed Sandra Jean Brady.

Learning About Sandra's Past

Lizabeth told Det. Peters that in 1999, her mother planned to move to Albuquerque, N.M.

She says her mom packed up her truck, hit the road and sent her postcards from the journey. In a few of the cards, Sandra talked about a man named Wesley Williams.

She said they planned on getting married. But in January 2000 the postcards stopped coming, and Lizabeth says she knew something awful had happened. She searched for her mom for years, but never had any luck.

While Lizabeth cherished the postcards for years, little did she know they would someday be a major clue.

After reading about Wesley Williams, Peters did his research and learned Williams had used Sandra's credit card for two years after her death. Cops charged him with credit card theft and then started searching for him to see what he knew about Sandra's death.

After months of searching, Peters found Williams in Tucson, Ariz.

The New Mexico State Police traveled to Tucson to arrest Williams on the credit card charge as well as learn more about his relationship with Sandra.

In the end, detectives say they had enough circumstantial evidence to charge Williams with an open count of murder. 
 

AMW Capture #1057

New Mexico Police Solve Lingering Murder Mystery

An AMW viewer has helped police in New Mexico solve one of the state's biggest murder mysteries.

Police have charged Wesley Williams with a murder that went unsolved for nine years: the shooting death of his girlfriend, Sandra Jean Brady.

It all started when some hikers in Albuquerque, N.M. found a pair of boots sticking out of the ground.

Beneath the shallow grave, police found a woman's body, but struggled for eight years to find her name, and called her "Boots" instead.

That was until an AMW viewer helped them crack the case. Following the first broadcast of the story, a viewer latched onto clues and recognized one of the tattoos on Boots' body.

The tipster had no doubt that Boots was really a woman named Sandra Jean Brady. Police confirmed the hunch with a DNA test -- and matched Sandra's DNA to her daughter's.

Once police knew Sandra's name, they began the search for her killer, and one of the biggest clues came from a set of postcards Sandra had sent home.

Just prior to her death, Sandra took a road trip to Albuquerque, N.M. Along the way, she wrote home about her travels and about new friends -- including a new love interest named Wesley Williams.

She even wrote home about plans to marry the man she lovingly called her "blue-eyed gun-slinging cowboy."

But that wasn't the only reason police suspected Williams. For two years after Sandra was killed, police say they learned that Williams used Sandra's credit card in various locations across the Southwest.

Finally, an anonymous tipster led police to Williams' location, where he'd been keeping a very low-profile in Tucson, Ariz.

New Mexico State Police traveled to Tucson to interview and arrest Williams on a charge of credit card theft, but following the meeting, cops say they had collected enough information to charge Williams with murder.

Williams is now in jail in Albuquerque, where he is awaiting trial.