After more than 20 years, Aletha Williams' case is closed, and her family receives answers about what may have happened to their loved one.

Aletha Jo Williams was only 25 when she vanished. She was living in Utah with her eight year old son, and preparing for the arrival of her next child in a few months. But, when her birthday came and went, her family didn’t hear from her. They knew something was wrong.

The day Aletha went missing

Aletha was last seen on March 6th, 2002, dropping some items off at a relative’s home on the corner of 1700 South and West Temple Street in Salt Lake City, UT.  While it is unclear what items Aletha dropped off, she did tell her relative that she would return. She then went to a friend's house. However, authorities received information that she may have disappeared in November 2001. Timelines for this case are very confusing.

When Aletha missed her birthday in April, her family knew something was wrong. It wouldn’t be until May of 2002 when she would be reported missing. Unfortunately, the case went cold, and the family didn’t hear from Salt Lake City Police.

Then a dozen years later, Aletha's case was revived in February of 2014, thanks to multiple tips suggesting Aletha was murdered, which prompted law enforcement to search the Jordan River. No body was recovered. This prompted police to hold a press conference on March 12, 2014, alerting the public that Aletha's case had been classed as a homicide investigation. Finally, the case appeared to be moving forward. During the press briefing, officials revealed they had a person of interest, but at the time, they only described this person as "someone she encountered," without providing any other details.

Where the case stands today

In March of 2022, the Salt Lake City Police Department closed the case of Aletha Jo Williams. They contend that her friend, Michael Vincent, was the killer. Her body, however, has not been recovered.

Police told Aletha's mother that Vincent's wife and Aletha were close friends and that the three regularly partied together. Vincent was shot to death by his wife, Cynthia Vincent, during an alleged domestic violence incident. She claimed it was self-defense. Vincent had an extensive history of domestic violence.