William "Bill" Durney was a 30-year-old Vietnam War veteran, husband, and father of three. In the early hours of October 10, 1980, he was shot twice and killed while delivering fuel to a Shell station in Methuen, Massachusetts. No one has ever been arrested.
Bill had picked up extra delivery shifts that fall to help pay for Christmas. At around 1:30 a.m. on October 10, 1980, he stopped at Joe's Shell Station near the Route 93 overpass in Methuen. He was shot twice with a .22 caliber handgun and killed at the scene. His truck was found still running nearby, full of fuel, with cash still on him — ruling out robbery as an obvious motive. His body was discovered around 6 a.m. that morning.
Bill enlisted in the U.S. Army on September 11, 1967, and served as a medic in Vietnam until his honorable discharge in 1970. He married Cindy Bracelend in 1973, and the couple had three children — Sonya, Joe, and Rich. Their youngest, Rich, was just ten months old when Bill was killed. After returning from Vietnam, Bill worked as a truck driver before being hired at Shell Oil, where he was working at the time of his death.
Bill's daughter Sonya was five years old when he was killed. Decades later, she and other family members — including relatives with law enforcement backgrounds — have continued reviewing case files and pushing for renewed investigation. In 2025, the true crime podcast Murder, She Told featured an in-depth episode on Bill's case, aiming to generate new leads and encourage witnesses to come forward.
A $25,000 reward, originally offered by Shell Oil at the time of the murder, remains available for information leading to answers. More than four decades later, Bill Durney's family has not given up.
How to report a tip:
Methuen Police Department (Detective DeJesus): (978) 983-8778
Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit: 1-855-MA-SOLVE, or email MSPunresolved@pol.state.ma.us
Reward: $25,000 for information leading to answers