Alabama man charged with 2001 murder of wife found dead in Florida drainage ditch

Alabama man charged with 2001 murder of wife found dead in Florida drainage ditch

A 69-year-old man was taken into custody Monday morning in the 2001 death of his wife.

Dwight Mills is charged with murder and abuse of corpse in the slaying of Sharon Mills, who was 49 years old when she was killed nearly 23 years ago.

Sharon Mills was reported missing from Dothan on Dec. 30, 2001. Her husband is the one who reported her missing.

More than a month later – in February 2002 – body was found in a drainage ditch at the intersection of County Road 173 and Lyons Lane located just north of Bonifay in Holmes County, Florida.

Dothan police launched an investigation, but the probe stalled when detectives had exhausted all leads, said Lt. Scott Owens.

In a periodic review of the old case file, new information on the case was uncovered, which led investigators to reinvestigate all aspects of the case.

With fresh eyes, Owens said, current investigators worked new and old leads, tips, and processed several pieces of evidence to solve the case.

That evidence and information enabled them to obtain the warrants against Dwight Mills.

Dothan police and the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Task Force took Dwight Mills into custody.

“What are commonly referred to as ‘cold cases’ are always on the minds of police investigators,’’ Owens said. “No murder case is ever closed, and the Dothan Police Department will always proceed forward in the prosecution of a case, no matter how much time has passed.”

“Investigators have recently reviewed other ‘cold cases’ and are actively working on them,’’ he said. “We will do everything we can to bring closure to families and perpetrators to justice.”