James Phillip Willis was found dead in Montgomery County, Dayton, Ohio, on March 8, 1980. He was 21 years old and his death was ruled a homicide. Despite numerous investigations, the case remains unsolved and has produced few viable leads.

The Dayton Police Department has been the primary investigative authority and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has provided support on the case. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office highlights Willis’s case among other unsolved Dayton homicides from that period as part of cold case visibility efforts aimed at generating new tips.

Anyone with information, even if it seems small, is asked to contact the authorities to help bring answers for the family.