DNA links Arizona man who died by suicide to 1987 cemetery murder of Navy veteran, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dna-links-arizona-man-died-suicide-1987-cemetery-murder-navy-veteran-rcna598304)

This news covers the resolution of a 39-year-old cold case in Arizona involving the murder of a U.S. Navy veteran.

The Crime (1987)

On the morning of August 8, 1987, the body of 54-year-old Navy veteran Orison James “Jim” Chafin was discovered at the Resthaven Park Cemetery in Glendale, Arizona. Chafin had been severely beaten, his throat had been slashed, and his body was found stripped of clothing except for his socks, with coins scattered nearby. Earlier that evening, Chafin had been drinking at a Glendale bar, where witnesses reported he had shown cash and discussed an upcoming trip before leaving with others.

Despite evidence gathered at the sceneincluding cigarette butts, beer bottles, and reports of a car speeding awayinvestigators exhausted all leads, and the case eventually went cold.

The Investigation and Breakthrough

Decades later, the Arizona Attorney General’s Cold Case Homicide Unit partnered with the Glendale Police Department to re-examine the case file, re-interview surviving witnesses, and retest evidence using modern forensic DNA technology that did not exist in the 1980s.

Testing on the preserved cigarette butts and beer bottles yielded male DNA profiles. Further investigative work pointed detectives toward Gary Wayne Billups, who was 68 years old and had lived in Glendale at the time of the homicide.

The Interrogation and Suspect’s Death

Investigators tracked down Billups in 2026 and brought him in for questioning. During the interview, Billups denied knowing Chafin and falsely claimed he had not lived in Glendale in 1987. However, he agreed to provide a cheek swab for DNA comparison.

Roughly a week after providing the DNA sample, Billups took his own life. Authorities reported that he left behind a note acknowledging his impending legal exposure.

Case Resolution

Subsequent laboratory analysis officially confirmed that Billups’ DNA matched the biological evidence recovered directly from the 1987 crime scene. Because Billups died by suicide before he could be formally arrested or indicted, no criminal trial can take place, but Arizona officials announced that they have identified the primary killer and officially brought closure to the long-unsolved murder.