Nevada County detectives push for new leads in Delbert Wilder cold case, launch docuseries profiling unsolved mysteries
GRASS VALLEY -- Exactly 12 years ago, a Grass Valley father and Army veteran was found shot dead at his home.
The murder case of Delbert Wilder, 63, has never been solved. It's the focus of a creative new initiative by investigators in Nevada County to crack not just his case -- but all cold cases.
"My family and I are so desperate for closure," said Wilder's daughter.
She was featured in the first episode of a new docuseries called "Murderer Among Us" produced by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Starting this month, they plan to release one episode a month, each with a cold case focus.
"It's been 12 years. It's been so difficult not knowing what happened, not knowing if this person is still out there," Wilder's daughter said through tears.
Wilder was found shot dead at his doorstep. Investigators say it is clear he fought for his life.
After losing his wife, Elissa, family members say Wilder struggled. Coping with her death, on top of PTSD, drove him down a dark path with people who were not good influences.
Detective Rory Sonnier asked to take the lead on the case in 2021, vowing to try new things to solve it. A veteran himself, he felt drawn to Wilder who was a decorated and disabled Vietnam War veteran.
"So I kind of felt a connection there. Looking at the case, I started to see there was work that could be done now using newer technologies available," Sonnier told CBS13.
He says he has been working to reanalyze evidence from the scene, like DNA and fingerprints, which could bring a new lead.
"Working with California Department of Justice, we've been able to apply some of those newer techniques. It's given us some new information to go on and it's currently being looked into," said Sonnier when CBS13 asked if there was a new lead or person of interest.
It's a murder mystery with new momentum as all cold cases take the spotlight in Nevada County.
"It's not just a cold case these are real everyday people who lived in our community, worked here, shopped at our grocery stores. They deserve justice. That's what the series is about," department public information officer Ashley Quadros told CBS13.
Quadros says the idea for the series stemmed from the Undersheriff and now includes a team of department members. Quadros is shooting and producing the episodes.
"Breathing new life into these older cases is something that everyone in our department is really passionate about," said Quadros. "We want the community to know we haven't forgotten, and we've never stopped working behind the scenes."
The department is asking anyone in the community who might know what happened to Delbert Wilder to come forward. Tips can be made anonymously online and by phone at (530) 265-1471.
The full episode on Delbert Wilder, produced by NCSO, can be viewed online.