The identity of the killer responsible for the “execution-style” murder of a beloved WWII veteran turned Florida milkman has been revealed after over five decades since the case was first opened.
In April 1968, Hiram “Ross” Grayam, while delivering milk, did not return home after work.
Deputies later discovered his body riddled with bullets and his milk truck deep in the woods in the Vero Beach region, according to the police.
Thomas Williams, the killer of Grayam, was identified with the assistance of people who were familiar with him but were hesitant to share their knowledge with investigators while he was alive.
“Through perseverance and the cooperation of witnesses, new leads emerged: Thomas J. Williams, now deceased, had confessed to Grayam’s murder, with his guilt echoing from beyond the grave,” stated the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office in a statement to ABC.
At the time of the murder, a witness informed deputies that she had seen Grayam conversing with two men before he mentioned he would return shortly.
The family of the decorated WWII veteran, who received a Purple Heart, mentioned to WPEC-TV that they were unaware that anything had happened.
“Except my father was a little late coming home, and then a sheriff’s deputy, an investigator showed up,” stated Grayam’s son Larry, who was 16 at the time, to the broadcaster.
The area was extensively searched by ground and air until Grayam’s body was eventually found in the woods from an airplane.
“When they arrived at the initial scene, Mr. Grayam was lying next to the milk truck with bullet wounds, killed execution-style,” informed Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers to ABC.
The two men he had been speaking with, who were considered primary suspects in his murder, were nowhere to be found, leading to the case remaining unsolved for 56 years.
In 2006, rumors began circulating that Williams could have been involved in the murder. Allegedly, to cover his tracks, he wrote to a local paper denying any knowledge or involvement in Grayam’s murder despite being accused.
The case went cold once more until Williams passed away in 2016.
Williams’ ex-wife and a friend of his sister came forward, providing investigators with information they knew about the case.
Although the witnesses were unaware of each other, their statements corroborated, leading to a significant breakthrough.
“These individuals said, ‘I would have never spoken to you before, as long as he was alive, he posed a threat to me and my family, we would have never disclosed anything to you,’ but his death gave them the courage to come forward,” Flowers mentioned.
Detectives have also identified a second suspect involved in the brutal murder, but the name has not been disclosed, as per the sheriff’s statement to NBC.
The motive behind Grayam’s murder remains unclear.
