William Smith Evans

In the summer of 1977, a violent crime in Chesapeake, Virginia, claimed the life of William Smith Evans and left a case that would remain unsolved for decades. On Friday, July 1, 1977, William, a male resident of the city, was found deceased at 1000 Great Bridge Boulevard. An investigation determined that he had been killed by a gunshot wound. The discovery marked the beginning of a difficult and protracted inquiry for the Chesapeake Police Department, one that would eventually join the city's list of cold case homicides.

Information about William Smith Evans as a person—his life, his family, his work, and his dreams—has been obscured by the passage of time. Official records do not specify his age, leaving a fundamental question about his life unanswered. Without personal accounts from loved ones or contemporary news reports, the man himself is a ghost in his own story, defined only by the tragic circumstances of his death. Who he was, who he loved, and who was left to mourn him are details lost to the public record, a silent testament to the deep and lasting void left by an unsolved murder.

The location of the crime, 1000 Great Bridge Boulevard, is situated in a central and historically significant area of Chesapeake. The Great Bridge area is known for its Revolutionary War history and has grown into a bustling commercial and residential hub. In 1977, the city of Chesapeake was continuing its development as a key part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. That year, however, was marked by several other homicides in the city that would also grow cold, leaving a trail of unresolved grief for multiple families and a persistent challenge for law enforcement.

Immediately following the discovery of William’s body, detectives with the Chesapeake Police Department began what was surely an exhaustive investigation. They would have processed the scene for evidence, interviewed potential witnesses, and pursued any available leads to understand what happened on that July day. However, the specific details of their initial findings have not been made public. In the absence of a swift arrest, the investigation gradually lost momentum. No suspects were ever publicly identified, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with the killing.

Decades later, the death of William Smith Evans is now officially classified as a cold case, overseen by the Chesapeake Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Squad. This dedicated team of detectives is tasked with reviewing the city's numerous unsolved homicides, searching for new opportunities to apply modern forensic techniques or to act on new information. These investigators face the challenge of piecing together a puzzle where the pieces are now more than four decades old, witnesses may have moved or passed away, and memories have faded.

The case of William Smith Evans remains an open and active investigation. The hope for a resolution rests on the possibility that someone, somewhere, holds the key piece of information that could break the silence. The Chesapeake Police Department encourages anyone with knowledge about this case, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. A reward may be available for information that leads to an arrest. Tips can be submitted anonymously to the Chesapeake Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887.