William C. "Bill" Dear

William C. “Bill” Dear passed away on July 5, 2024, in Dallas, TX, after complications with heart surgery. An internationally known private investigator, speaker, author and television personality, he started his career as a Florida State Highway Patrolman at the age of 18 and was a private investigator for over 50 years.

Mr. Dear opened his own investigation agency, William C. Dear & Associates Inc., in 1961 in Dallas, Texas, before moving to his ranch in Mount Calm, TX, in the late ‘00s. A certified instructor in the field of homicide investigation, Dear lectured and taught law enforcement around the world and received national and international acclaim on cases that received worldwide news coverage, most notably for the Dean Milo murder in Akron, Ohio. The case resulted in eleven arrests and convictions - the most ever in U.S. history for a single murder case - and inspired one of his first books “Please…Don’t Kill Me – The True Story of the Milo Murder.” Dear was inducted into the American Police Hall of Fame on April 14, 1988, as a private investigator receiving the Archangel Award for the Milo murder case – the only private investigator ever inducted to the Hall of Fame. He was appointed by the court to the exhumation of Lee Harvey Oswald in 1981 and was the author of “The Dungeon Master,” detailing how he solved the case of the disappearance of James Dallas Egbert, III. Highlighted as one of the top five investigators in the world, he was featured in the BBC television series “Watching the Detectives.”

The author of numerous books detailing his homicide cases, Mr. Dear’s book on the OJ Simpson murder investigation, titled “OJ is Innocent and I Can Prove It,” resulted in a 6-part television mini-series and a follow-up book on the murders. Often called “the real James Bond” or “the real 007,” his last book, released in 2022, was titled “A True Detective, Incredible Stories of the Man Referred to as the “Real James Bond” and showcases many of his high-profile cases. An articulate, charismatic, engaging and flamboyant entrepreneur, Mr. Dear will long be remembered for his uncanny ability to track down the facts and his unwavering search for the truth in all of his homicide cases. A gifted storyteller, his creative mind kept him working up to the day of his passing. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and the countless people that he selflessly helped over his long and illustrious career.

Predeceased in death by his parents, James and Lucille Dear, and his sister, Donna Phipps, survivors include his children, Michael Dear (An Na), Adam Dear (Cheyenne), Marsha Mellott (Mike); grandchildren, Macy, M.J., Jackie and Jeff; six great-grandchildren; siblings Ron Eubanks (Debbie), JoAnn Bortz (Jim), Bo Snider (Randy), Brenda Eubanks Burnette, numerous nieces and nephews, and longtime partner, Audrey Jo Creswell.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send your favorite Bill story (written or short video) to Brenda at MFCitrus81@gmail.com.