For more than five decades, the remains of an unidentified man found at an Arizona landfill were a mystery.
Now, thanks to advances in forensic genealogy and DNA testing, investigators say they have identified the victim – and charged the woman they believe killed him.
Carol Ann Beall, 79, was arrested Thursday and appeared in court where she was charged with first-degree murder in the 1975 death of her stepfather, William Reginald Sipfle, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Sipfle was 73 when he disappeared in 1975 and, according to his granddaughter, no missing person report was ever filed, despite family members knowing he had vanished, 13 News reported.
Pima County prosecutors allege the killing happened between October 9 and October 15, 1975. They argued that Beall continued living in Sipfle’s home for decades after his disappearance and collected between $250,000 and $600,000 in pension and Social Security benefits that belonged to him.
In October 1975, human remains were discovered at a landfill near Ryan Airfield, the sheriff’s department said. Investigators were unable to identify the victim, however, and the case remained unsolved for decades.
“They never made a police report, a missing police report, but they knew he had up and disappeared,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said about the victim’s family.
“You had no idea what you have in front of you because you don’t know who this is,” Nanos added. “There’s no fingerprints to be had.”
In 2025, the sheriff’s department partnered with a forensic genealogy company to reexamine the case. DNA testing ultimately led investigators to Sipfle’s granddaughter, which helped them identify the remains and reopen the case.
Nanos said he hopes the same technology will help solve other cold cases.
“We’re smart enough to know that we’re not gonna have all the answers,” Nanos said. “But they’re out there, and a lab like this, uh, did a great job in helping us find out exactly not only who Mr. Sipfle was, but also maybe how this event occurred.”
Beall, who is a retired U.S. Postal Service employee, has lived in Tucson for more than 50 years, has no prior criminal history, her defense team argued in court.
A judge ordered that Beall remain jailed on a $500,000 bond. If released, she will be prohibited from leaving Arizona, possessing weapons, or contacting Sipfle’s family. She is due back in court on June 4.
Sipfle’s family released a statement, according to 13 News, expressing relief that the decades-long mystery surrounding his disappearance had finally been resolved.
“The Sipfle family is relieved to have closure regarding the whereabouts of our grandfather, William Reginald Sipfle, with the positive identification of our grandfather’s remains,” the statement read. “With this new information about our grandfather, we are processing the circumstances around his death and reliving painful memories of his disappearance and of our father’s efforts to locate his father.
“The Sipfle family would also like to express our appreciation to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Unit, the donated work completed by Resolve Forensics and Intermountain Forensics that made investigative genetic genealogy and identification possible, and to other agencies that participated in his identification,” it added.
“Please respect our privacy during this challenging time. Inquiries about our grandfather’s case shall be directed to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.”
