Investigators announced on Thursday that 50 years after a Florida milkman failed to return home after his rounds, his homicide has been solved, closing the oldest cold case in Indian River County Sheriff's Office history.
Hiram "Ross" Grayam was delivering milk in April 1968 when he failed to come home from work. According to a news release from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, deputies later discovered both his body with gunshot wounds and his milk truck in the Vero Beach area.
The sheriff's office released a statement saying that with perseverance and the assistance of witnesses, new leads had emerged. It noted that Thomas J. Williams, now deceased, had confessed to Grayam's murder.
According to WPEC-TV, a witness informed deputies she spotted Grayam talking with two men strolling along the roadside.
Eric Flowers, the Indian River county sheriff, said that he was told that Grayam engaged them in conversation and announced that he would be back shortly. He claimed that the two unidentified men and Grayam were all left in the milk truck.
Larry, Grayam's 16-year-old son, told the TV station that no one in his family knew anything had happened. He claimed that aside from his father arriving home a little later than expected, an investigator and a sheriff's deputy also arrived.
An aircraft saw the milk truck and Graham's body during a ground and aerial search of the area.
Flowers claimed that when they arrived at the initial scene, they found Grayam dead in an execution-style, lying next to the milk truck with bullet wounds.
Rumors surfaced in 2006 suggesting Williams may have been involved. The sheriff added that he penned a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, saying that he had been accused of the murder, but he denied knowing it, that he was not involved in it.
