Arizona man’s DNA connects to 1987 Navy veteran murder in cemetery

DNA from Arizona man who died by suicide links to 1987 Navy veteran slaying, prosecutors reveal.

September 17, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Glendale, United States — A decades-old unsolved murder has been linked to an Arizona man who recently took his own life, according to officials. The connection was made through DNA testing that matched the deceased to a 1987 killing of a Navy veteran.

Orison James “Jim” Chafin, 54, was found with a slashed throat at Resthaven Cemetery in Glendale on August 7, 1987, wearing only socks. Authorities now believe Gary Wayne Billups, who died by suicide in June 2023, was responsible for the crime, as revealed in a statement from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

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Billups, 68, had provided DNA to investigators days before his death. The case remained unsolved for over 30 years until renewed efforts by the AG’s office and Glendale police led to new leads. A witness placed Chafin and Billups together at a local bar before the murder, and despite denying any knowledge of the victim, Billups’s arrest records contradict his claims. The case is now considered closed by both the AG’s office and local police.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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