For nearly four decades, the family and loved ones of 18-year-old Chelsie Yvonne Moss lived with unanswered questions. Now, after years of uncertainty, investigators say modern DNA technology has finally brought new movement in one of Greenville County’s oldest cold cases.
Moss was just 18 years old when her life was cut short in 1986. Her body was discovered on April 7, 1986, in a wooded area near Fair Street and Kerns Avenue in Greenville, South Carolina. Authorities quickly suspected foul play, and her death was later ruled a homicide caused by blunt force trauma.
According to investigators, Moss was known to spend time along the Pendleton Street corridor and Greenville’s West End. Despite early investigative efforts, the case eventually went cold, leaving behind decades of mystery and heartbreak.
That changed when the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in February 2023. Detectives spent more than three years reviewing evidence, following leads, and using advanced forensic techniques to search for answers that had remained out of reach for nearly 40 years.
Investigators say DNA testing conducted through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division laboratory ultimately helped establish probable cause linking Ronnie Lee Williams, now 64, to Moss’ death. Authorities announced that Williams has been charged with murder in connection with the case.
Williams is already serving a life sentence within the South Carolina Department of Corrections for an unrelated 1989 Greenville County murder. Prison records show he has remained in state custody since March 14, 1989, and is not eligible for release.
The arrest marks another milestone for the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit, which officials say has now solved 16 cold case homicides since its creation. Even with the charge filed, investigators stress that the case remains active as they continue seeking information from anyone who may have known Moss, Williams, or their whereabouts during the mid-1980s.
