79-year-old woman arrested in 1975 Tucson cold case murder of stepfather

Tucson senior arrested in 1975 murder

The Pima County Sheriff's Department arrested 79-year-old Carol Ann Beall after a grand jury indicted her for the murder of her stepfather more than 50 years ago.

TUCSON - A 79-year-old Tucson woman has been arrested and charged with killing her stepfather more than 50 years ago, following a DNA breakthrough in a decades-old cold case, authorities said.

William Sipfle

Carol Ann Beall was taken into custody after being indicted by a Pima County grand jury, according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department. She faces murder charges in connection with the 1975 death of her stepfather, William Sipfle.

The backstory:

The case dates back to October of that year, when the mutilated remains of the 73-year-old Sipfle were discovered in a landfill near Interstate 10 and Houghton Road. At the time, technology limited investigators, and the remains could not be identified, leaving the case cold for decades.

A breakthrough came in 2025 when investigators partnered with a forensic genealogy company. Using modern DNA technology, testing yielded a positive match, finally identifying the remains as Sipfle's.

What we don't know:

While the sheriff's department has confirmed Beall's arrest following the indictment, officials have not publicly disclosed the specific evidence or details of how they linked her to the murder.

Victim's Family Reacts:

In a statement released by Sipfle's family, relatives expressed deep emotion over the sudden development in the half-century-old mystery, stating they are relieved to finally have closure and are processing the circumstances surrounding his death.