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The Disappearance of Bill Roland

Blood Trails Case Files
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When Bill Roland went missing from Lake Sam Rayburn in 1997, nothing about the case made sense.

His truck, boat, and trailer were missing, but there was no sign of a struggle at his lake house. Searches of the surrounding woods turned up empty, and his family and friends said he'd never leave without telling anyone.

Weeks later, his boat turned up hidden in a cove, shot multiple times with a shotgun in an apparent attempt to sink it.

His truck was found burned.

His trailer was somewhere else entirely.

And Bill... was gone.

Investigators were left to piece together a puzzle with missing parts: a fisherman who may have had no enemies… or more than anyone realized.

Was this a random encounter on the water or something that started long before he ever launched his boat?

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Know something about this case? Submit a tip through theTexas Rangers Cold Case websiteor through the Texas Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-252-8477.

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Got a tip about this case or know about another you think we should cover? Send us an email atbloodtrails@themeateater.com.

Photo Evidence

Man in camouflage shirt and cap reading 'Bud King of Beers', outdoors
Three men arm-in-arm beside a flooded river in leafless woods
Two men in life jackets speeding an aluminum boat on a brown river; registration TX 9206 NR
Two men holding three large fish in a sepia-toned photo
Two men in a small motorboat speeding across a lake; hull text "TX 8725 TR" visible
Pontoon boat on trailer parked beside trees and rustic cabin. Note: Not Bill's actual boat.
Small single-story house with covered porch and trees in the background
Weathered tree stump on a muddy lake shore, stumps in shallow rippled water and distant treeline

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