1999 Smith County cold case solved | News

SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV)-

It was a gruesome site in one Smith County neighborhood back in February, 1999.

William Young II, 19, was shot to death and his body dumped near a cul-de-sac and found by a resident in the area.

"Kinda scared me at first," said resident Max Bishop in February, 2009.

"Thought it was a dummy laying there, and I kind of walked around and I thought it was a man. And I ran up and called 911," said Bishop.

Authorities say 33-year-old Shams Masters has been their prime suspect and he was arrested on probable cause. But in 1999, there wasn't enough evidence to make the murder charge stick.

"The case never went anywhere and it kind of went cold," said Tony Dana with the Smith County Sheriff's Department.

Between May and August of 2009, Masters robbed at least five banks in Forth Worth. He is currently serving a federal sentence in Colorado.

But new information in the 1999 case could bring Masters back to Smith County to answer for the murder.

"Witnesses who were unavailable at that time who may or may not have talked to us at that time....their lifestyles have changed. Their life has changed. Things that they weren't willing to tell us back then they're talking to us now," said Dana.

Master's has been indicted in the case. It's still unclear as to when he will be extradited back to Smith County.

Authorities say it is up to the federal, state and local courts to agree on a date.

Copyright 2012 KLTV. All rights reserved.