Boyd Dale Stearns, a 38-year-old contractor, was reported missing by his wife on September 4, 1979, after he left for work early that morning in Bowling Green, Ohio, and did not return. A hunter later discovered his pickup truck on September 21 in a wooded area off Dirlam Road in rural Wood County. The hunter had noticed vehicle tracks earlier, but it wasn't until September 20 that he grew suspicious and decided to check the truck, finding Stearns' name on paperwork. Upon realizing that Stearns was reported missing, the hunter alerted authorities.
On October 1, 1979, Stearns' partially decomposed body was found by a township worker who was mowing weeds along a creek bank near Greensburg Pike, about two miles from Stearns' home on Sand Ridge Road. He was found lying face down, wearing only his underwear. The autopsy revealed that Stearns had been shot in the back, and a small bullet fragment was recovered from his body. The case was investigated by the Wood County Prosecutor's Office and Sheriff's Office, but to date, it remains unsolved, and no suspects have been identified.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues to list Stearns' homicide as an open case, encouraging anyone with information to come forward. Authorities hope that by increasing visibility through the cold case program, new leads might surface that could help solve the crime and provide closure to Stearns' loved ones.
