The cold case of Andrew (Wilbur) Williamson - Coober Pedy (Australia) - 11 november 2003
On the night of 10-11 November 2003, something terrible happened in the small town of Coober Pedy, also known as the "opal capital of the world". That night, 41-year-old Andrew 'Wilbur' Williamson's Dugout was broken into, with fatal consequences. The opal miner's body was discovered in his home the next day and Wilbur had been gruesomely murdered. He had been bashed so badly that at first it looked as if he had been shot.
The perpetrator(s) stole from Wilbur some valuable jewelry, money, and a number of gold nuggets. According to the police, these were estimated to weigh approximately thirty ounces. His flashy 14-karat gold ring also had a gold nugget in it and weighed approximately 67 grams. The ring itself was at least a large size 'Z' and had 585 engraved on the inside. A necklace was also missing from the residence.
About Wilbur
Wilbur was, according to his brother Robert, a fairly well-known figure around Coober Pedy. People who knew him described him as a 'good bloke', and a nice and caring person with 'maybe some issues'.
The 41-year-old not only worked in the opal mines, but also earned money selling cannabis, which many people were aware of. Wilbur had moved into his new Dugout shortly before his murder and appeared to be quite flashy with his money during the last period of his life. Unfortunately, Williamson's health was not good, and he was terminally ill before he died in the crime.
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Police investigation
The police who investigated the murder suspected that Andrew had been murdered by one or more people from his circle of acquaintances. The detectives also thought it likely that he had become a victim because of his poor health, and the fact that he appeared to have a lot of money. The murder is believed to have taken place around 1.30 am.
Due to his terminal illness, Andrew 'Wilbur' would have been unable to defend himself against the extremely brutal attack. The investigation was slow and the police had few leads. Wilbur had ties to members of a criminal motorcycle gang, but a connection to the murder was not found and was ruled out. According to his brother, Andrew had no enemies, and the police could indeed not link any suspects to the crime. Nevertheless, after a few days, detectives found DNA from an unknown person in Wilbur's home. The genetic material did not match the database, but could play a key role in the future.
The years flew by without much movement in the case. Nevertheless, ten years after the crime, the police did a new investigation into the DNA profile that had been found at the crime scene ten years earlier. It was hoped that new developments in the field of DNA research would lead to a match, but that did not happen (yet). In order to keep their brother’s murder from fading into oblivion, Robert and Bryan Williamson occasionally talk to journalists, always asking for help from people who know something.
Information and Tips:
More than two decades have passed and the police have unfortunately never had a suspect in mind. At least, not that we know of. Nevertheless, Det Sgt Kelly continues to hope for a breakthrough and stated in an interview with The Advertiser that there is still hope that the murder of Andrew Wilbur will be solved.
We at Coldcaseworld hope that there are people who know more about the murder, and that someone will finally come forward with information. You can use the (anonymous) contact form below. We will ensure that the information you submit ends up in the right place with the police who are handling the case. Don't hesitate, do it for the Williamson family, and get in touch now.