Body of Man Found in Crater Lake in Montgomery County Identified as Clarence Wilson

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The body of a man pulled from Crater Lake in Montgomery County in 1986 has now been identified as Clarence Wilson. Detectives have revealed that Wilson was the victim of a brutal crime, having been shot twice and weighed down in the water with cinderblocks tied to him.

For nearly four decades, Wilson’s identity remained unknown until recently when new DNA tests provided a breakthrough. The tests revealed that he had family living in California, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery.

Gwen Tranum, Wilson’s sister, expressed her shock and devastation upon learning the truth about her brother. “We just assumed he was in Texas living his life, and all this time, he was dead,” Tranum said.

The case was assigned to Montgomery County Detective Fadi Rizk in 2020. Rizk, determined to solve the cold case, exhumed Wilson’s body in 2015 for DNA analysis. However, the DNA did not match anything in the national database at that time.

Undeterred, Rizk decided to explore other avenues, including utilizing genealogy databases. The DNA was sent to Othram Lab in The Woodlands, where experts used Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify a potential relative.

Tranum said, “We just assumed he was in Texas living his life.”

Tranum, who received a call from Rizk three months ago regarding the cold case, agreed to provide her DNA for comparison. The investigators eventually matched the DNA to Wilson’s, confirming his identity after 37 years.

Tranum shared that her brother was known as Red due to his hair color. Rizk mentioned that there were previously considered persons of interest in the case, but they have now been ruled out. With Wilson’s identification, the investigation can delve deeper into his life.

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