Full Breakdown
Murder of Navy Veteran Jim Chafin Solved After 39 Years
By Drooid · · How we work
Case Overview
Orison James “Jim” Chafin, a 54-year-old U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, was found dead in Resthaven Cemetery in Glendale, Arizona, in 1987. His throat had been cut and he was discovered wearing only socks. The case went cold for nearly four decades, with investigators unable to match DNA recovered from beer bottles, cigarette butts and other evidence at the scene.
Investigation Revival and DNA Breakthrough
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office reopened the case in 2025. Using modern DNA-testing methods, detectives generated three male DNA profiles from the original evidence. In June 2026, 68-year-old Gary Wayne Billups of Wittmann was located in the Phoenix metropolitan area. He voluntarily attended an interview at the Surprise Police Department on June 19 and provided a DNA sample that matched the crime-scene profiles, including the beer-bottle and cigarette-butt DNA. Billups denied any connection to Chafin, despite arrest records placing him in Glendale that year. Five days after the interview, Billups died by suicide, preventing any criminal prosecution. DNA results confirming the match were returned in early August, about six weeks after his death.
Official Statements & Responses
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said the identification ends a 39-year investigative dead-end, though the suspect’s death means no trial will occur. Glendale police highlighted the case as an example of why preserving evidence is critical, noting that meticulous evidence handling and the Attorney General’s partnership enabled the DNA match. Mayes added that the office will continue revisiting cold cases, emphasizing that “evidence lasts” and scientific advances can still bring closure to families.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For over 39 years, Jim Chafin's murder went unsolved,” — General Kris Mayes, to arizona attorney
- “Because the suspect is deceased, there will be no trial. No one will be held to account in a courtroom for what was done to Jim Chafin,” — General Kris Mayes, to arizona attorney
- “Jim Chafin would have turned 95 years old this month. I hope his family can take some measure of peace in knowing that he was not forgotten,” — General Kris Mayes, to arizona attorney
- “Cold does not mean closed. Evidence lasts. Science keeps improving. And my office will keep going back, case by case, for as long as it takes to find answers for families,” — General Kris Mayes, to arizona attorney
Implications and Ongoing Cold-Case Work
The resolution underscores the impact of advanced DNA technology on decades-old investigations. Law-enforcement agencies in Arizona have pledged to keep reviewing unsolved cases, citing the Chafin breakthrough as proof that “cold does not mean closed.” Families of victims are encouraged by the possibility of definitive answers, even when legal accountability is no longer feasible.