LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ (AZFamily) — After 34 years, authorities have identified a John Doe who was found buried in northwestern Arizona.
On March 11, 1992, Mohave County Sheriff’s deputies found human remains in a wash off Interstate 40 near Lake Havasu City. The victim had been buried in a shallow grave that animals had partially uncovered.
Though detectives collected evidence from the crime scene, an autopsy couldn’t determine the victim’s cause of death. However, the condition of the body led deputies to rule his death a homicide.
An autopsy couldn’t determine the cause of death, but the condition of the body led deputies to rule it a homicide. Detectives checked fingerprints among local and national databases and found no matching missing person.
They also removed a metal pin from the victim’s right tibia and traced its brand and serial number, but the manufacturer’s information led to a dead end.
The case went cold for over three decades but finally made a breakthrough in June 2026.
NamUs, a Texas-based missing persons resource center, contacted deputies and offered to fund DNA testing and a forensic genetic genealogy investigation.
Then, on Oct. 21, the FBI told Arizona authorities that the victim was identified as Willie Blanton Mills, of Pennsylvania.
Using forensic genetic genealogy, the FBI located a relative who said Mills hadn’t been seen since 1992. Fingerprints confirmed Mills’ identity, and investigators learned he had a pin in his right leg from an accident.
Authorities haven’t determined how Mills died or why he was buried in Mohave County. Deputies say he was living with relatives in Santa Ana, California, when he disappeared.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to extend their appreciation to NamUs, Othram Inc. and especially the FBI for their assistance in this case. The collaboration with the FBI proved to be a great success, as their investigative genetic genealogy team was responsible for the successful identification,” the department said in a statement.
Anyone with information about Mills, particularly where he lived in 1992, should call Mohave County deputies at (928) 753-0753 ext. 4408 and reference DR#92-03547.
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