DAYTON — He was a father, grandfather, and a disabled veteran, and detectives said his murder was extremely violent.
But now, Cold Case detectives believe they may be closing in on those responsible for his death. Just this month, they have obtained new clues, which could help solve this 13-year-old Miami Valley Murder Mystery.
Three days before Christmas 2010, William Boykin’s children told their mother they couldn’t reach him.
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His son, Timothy Boykin, said, “It’s not like my father not to answer my phone call. If he didn’t answer, he always called right back.”
Penelope Burnam, the victim’s ex-wife said, “I said, Okay, well, he’ll call you soon.”
She soon learned the reason for those unanswered calls.
“I seen his van on the news and I knew instantly it was him and I, it’s just real hard,” Burnam said.
Dayton Police had been called to an abandoned van in an alley and discovered Boykin’s body inside.
Retired Detective Doyle Burke with the Cold Case Unit said, “Not only had he been strangled, but also stabbed over 100 times.”
Burke calls it an overkill, but why would someone do that, especially to a disabled man?
“Number One, common sense, you wanted him dead. Number two, maybe the suspect or suspects were known to the victim where you cannot allow him to live for fear you’d be caught,” Burke said.
Detectives believe the motive for the murder may have been robbery. His family said Mr. Boykin may have had cash on him because he was planning to give his grandkids money for Christmas.
William Boykin’s brother, Paul, said, “He had a good heart on him. He kept his grandbabies together. He kept them in line.”
Paul Boykin is one of five brothers and nine children in all. His older brother, William, served in the Air Force then returned to his hometown and married Penelope.
“We meet when I was 17, but I lied about my age,” Burnam said.
The couple had five children and a busy life. William worked as a carpenter.
“He was a great dad. He was a great husband,” Burnam said.
They eventually divorced but remained close friends. Burnam even became his caregiver when back surgery left William a paraplegic.
“The issues that he was having was from pain,” she said.
He went on to become independent, shooting pool, winning medals in the Special Olympics, and always making time for his growing family.
His son, Timothy, said, “Taught me how to be a man and a good father to my kids because I have five kids of my own.”
Martin Burnam, his son, said, “He was like my best friend. A lot of my friends, a lot of their dads weren’t around, so he was a dad to them as well.”
However, William lived with chronic pain. His family believes that may have led him to associate with the wrong people.
“I don’t know that part of his life,” Penelope Burnam said.
She does know that William has been recently baptized and was trying to get his life together.
“He would go to church every Sunday or every time he got a chance,” Penelope said.
The close-knit family leans on their faith to deal with their ongoing grief and anger.
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Martin Burnam said, “I’m very upset about it. I really walk around with a lot of stuff that I hold in.”
The Cold Case Unit is now taking a fresh look at Boykins’s murder. Detectives have gone back to the scene, where they are carefully scrutinizing crime scene photos, looking for clues.
“We believe there may be more than one person involved based on some of the absences and pattern of blood,” Burke said.
And, investigators have taken physical evidence, including the bloody cord used as a ligature to be tested for DNA.
“As a matter of fact, just got a lab report from BCI a few days ago that there is unknown DNA that was recovered from the scene so that gives us quite a bit of hope,” Burke said.
Time is running out for whoever killed William Boykin. And his family has a message for them.
“I forgive you, but you need to confess so God can forgive you,” Paul Boykin said.
They say answers would allow them to move forward and find the peace they’ve been seeking for 13 years.
Cold Case detectives ask anyone with information about Boykin’s murder to call them at 937-333-7109. They’re also asking if anyone has a Ford Winstar van, model years 1995-98 that they can borrow to take measurements to further their investigation.