FAYETTE COUNTY — Detectives from the Indiana State Police Pendleton District are asking for the public’s help to locate family members following the positive identification of human remains discovered in rural Fayette County more than 36 years ago.
On May 1, 1990, mushroom hunters found human remains in a shallow grave south of County Road 650 South near County Road 50 West in Fayette County. Although investigators recovered and examined the remains at the time, they were unable to determine the individual’s identity.
Forensic Breakthrough Identifies Remains
Through advancements in forensic science and DNA genealogy, a collaborative effort by the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division, agency genealogists, and the University of Indianapolis Anthropology Department successfully identified the remains as Jay Robert Williamson Bell, a white male born in 1945.
Bell was known to have ties to Connersville and the surrounding Fayette County area prior to his death.
Detectives Seek Information on Bell’s Sons
As state police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Bell’s death, detectives are attempting to locate his two biological sons:
- Jay Robert Williamson Jr. (born in 1970)
- Jason Allan Williamson (born in 1974)
Investigators have been unable to locate either son or find family members who have had contact with them since their father was last known to be alive.
How to Provide Information
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jay Robert Williamson Jr. or Jason Allan Williamson, or who has details regarding the life and death of Jay Robert Williamson Bell, is asked to contact Sergeant Scott Jarvis at the Indiana State Police Pendleton District by calling 765-778-2121
