William C. Blodgett Jr., age 69, was last known to be at his residence in Roswell, New Mexico, on **December 23, 2008**, when he disappeared without any subsequent contact or confirmed sightings. At the time, he was white, about 5′9″ tall and around 165 lb, with brown hair and brown eyes. In the weeks following his disappearance, no activity beyond that date was detected—his vehicle remained parked at the home, no bank account withdrawals occurred, and no credible leads
emerged from initial inquiries.
Family members formally reported him missing in early January 2009 after being unable to reach him for more than 10 days, prompting the Roswell Police Department to open a missing‑person investigation in early January of that year. Investigators spoke with Blodgett’s tenant, later identified as **Tony Ray Peralta**, who was reportedly in conflict with Blodgett at the time over allegations of theft and eviction attempts. Initially, Peralta was questioned and even a cadaver dog was deployed at the house, but no evidence was uncovered, and the case eventually went cold.
The breakthrough came nearly fifteen years later. On **May 1, 2023**, Peralta borrowed a cell phone—reportedly at a convenience store in Roswell—and placed a **911 call** to confess to the death of Blodgett, saying he could no longer live with the secret and guilt he felt. In body‑camera footage and a subsequent interview, he stated: “I confess, man. I confess. I don’t want to live life anymore without confessing,” adding that he had no excuse for his actions despite being intoxicated and on methamphetamine at the time of the incident. Peralta described strangling or harming Blodgett with a **screwdriver**, then burying him inside the home they shared under plywood floorboards in an attached room on the west side.
Police executed Peralta’s directions and excavated beneath the floorboards of the house. They recovered human bones and a set of dentures, which were positively compared against Blodgett’s dental records obtained in early 2009—a match that confirmed the remains belonged to William Blodgett Jr.. After the discovery, Peralta was arrested and charged with first‑degree murder in Chaves County and arraigned later in May 2023. Though he had confessed in detail, he entered a plea of **not guilty** through his public defender. Pre‑trial proceedings were scheduled, including a status hearing later that summer.
According to court filings, Peralta told investigators that the relationship had soured after Blodgett accused him of theft and attempted to evict him. Peralta maintained that he had no motive beyond drug-fueled impulses and that Blodgett "was always good to me, and I took his life for no reason,” further stating, “I don’t have an excuse”.
From a cold missing‑person case in which no body was ever found to a confession and recovery of remains nearly 15 years later, the disappearance of William Blodgett Jr. ultimately unfolded into a homicide investigation solved by the suspect’s own confession and forensic confirmation.Last Seen: Dec 23, 2008
