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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake police on Wednesday announced they have re-classified a 2002 missing person's case as a homicide.
Police now believe that Aletha Jo Williams, 25, was murdered. And investigators announced Wednesday that they also have a person of interest in the case.
"The person of interest is somebody that she encountered. That's all I can tell you as far as the relationship," said Salt Lake police detective Cody Lougy.
Police could not say Wednesday if Williams encountered this person once or multiple times.
The change in the case came after a witness recently stepped forward with new information and after additional evidence was collected. Investigators also announced that they have been busy serving more search warrants, one as recently as Wednesday morning.
"Recently, we seized a motor home, searched a residence in Kearns and a place of business in South Salt Lake for forensic evidence directly related to this case," said detective Hilary Gordon, the department's lead homicide investigator in the case.
On Feb. 28, police invited the media along as they searched the Jordan River for evidence. Lougy declined to release specific details about the other recent searches, including where the motor home was seized, what other body of water was searched and what business was searched other than it was was a glass business.
When asked whether investigators were looking for a body at those locations, Lougy said: "Definitely."
"But mainly looking for any DNA," he added.
Evidence collected from those locations has been sent to a crime lab for testing.
Originally, police believed that Williams disappeared in March of 2002. Now they believe she may have actually been missing as early as November of 2001 or during the first part of 2002.
A possible motive for her death was not known Wednesday and police released very little information about the person of interest. Detectives know who and where that person is, but Lougy declined to elaborate or say if there is a concern that the person may flee.
The break in the case came when police received "several concrete tips." Since the Jordan River search, additional witnesses have also come forward, Lougy said. Detectives now hope even more witnesses will speak up so police can re-trace Williams' steps and put together an accurate timeline of events leading up to her death.
With the passing of time, Lougy hopes that allegiances have also change and people will do the "right thing" and provide information.
Family members say Williams was outgoing, happy and loved to spend time with her son, who was 8 when she went missing. Though she had occasional dealings with drugs and would sometimes be away from home for several weeks at at time, she would always come home, family members said.
Anyone with information can call police at 801-799-3000 or text tips with the keyword TIPSSLCPD to 274637.
"Our homicide detectives are not going to put this to rest until it's solved," Lougy said.
