William Billy Trimback

Do you know who killed William \Billy\ Trimback?
On Valentine’s Day 1993, a day that also marked his first wedding anniversary, the body of William “Billy” Trimback was found discarded on a desolate frontage road off Interstate 76 near Wiggins, in Morgan County, Colorado. The 26-year-old White male had been shot to death with a 9mm firearm at an unknown location before his body was dragged from a vehicle and abandoned miles from his home. His murder set in motion a long and complex investigation filled with tragedy and unanswered questions.

At the time of his death, Billy was living in Stoneham, Colorado, with his wife, Cindy, their infant daughter, and Cindy’s nine-year-old son from a previous relationship. A mechanic by trade, Billy was reportedly working hard to cover his wife's expensive medical treatments for AIDS, a condition she had contracted from her previous husband. They had even traveled to Mexico in search of alternative cures for her illness.

The investigation, led by the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, quickly focused on Cindy Trimback. On the morning her husband’s body was discovered, she had reported him missing, telling investigators she hadn't seen him since the previous day. Her story, however, contained numerous inconsistencies. She admitted to driving her Chevrolet Suburban late at night in the remote area where Billy’s body was found, some 45 miles from their home, claiming she was looking for him. Investigators found small amounts of Billy’s blood in the backseat of her vehicle. Further suspicion arose with the discovery of a large life insurance policy Cindy had recently taken out on her husband; Billy’s signature on the application had been forged. The 9mm handgun Billy owned was also missing from their home.

After Billy’s funeral, the case took another dark turn. Cindy moved with her children to Butte, Montana, where she told school officials that her son had witnessed his stepfather's murder. This contradicted the boy's initial statement to Colorado investigators that he had only seen Billy leave with an unknown man. A year later, the boy, then ten, brought a handgun to his elementary school and fatally shot another student on the playground. In subsequent interviews, he recanted his story about witnessing the murder, admitting he had lied because he believed his mother was involved. Cindy Trimback died from AIDS-related complications in 1994 without ever being charged in connection with her husband's death.

Over the years, the investigation remained open but was plagued by challenges. Investigators explored various theories, including that Billy was killed accidentally during an intimidation attempt over a drug debt. In 1998, another man considered a suspect died by suicide after police contacted his attorney for an interview, reportedly fearing he would be the only one prosecuted. The case saw a significant development in 2008 when authorities publicly identified a man named James “Sam” England as a person of interest.

Investigators, including a sheriff who had been on the case since 1993, believed Cindy may have hired England to kill her husband for the insurance money. According to the sheriff, England had even admitted to the killing at one point, though the confession's reliability was questioned. After the case was featured in a news report, England became a fugitive. He told witnesses he would rather die in a shootout than return to prison. He burglarized a home, stole two shotguns, and fled. Police nearly apprehended him after a hit-and-run in the Denver metro area, but he gave a false name at a hospital and walked away.

As of the last reports, James “Sam” England’s whereabouts remain unknown, and no arrests have ever been made in the murder of William Trimback. The case officially remains cold, a painful and unresolved chapter for a family torn apart by violence and tragedy. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office continues to hold the case file, awaiting any new information that might finally bring justice for Billy.