William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert: then and now photos

WNC native, girlfriend
admit to killings of five,
face trial in Panama City

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Finding the weapons of Hendersonville native William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert, who reportedly has confessed to killing five Americans, is now the focus of Panamanian officials.

Specifically, police are seeking a .38-caliber revolver and a .9-millimeter firearm that they believe Holbert used to slay the victims.

DNA tests were being performed on Aug. 4 to confirm the identifies of the three bodies recovered to date from Holbert’s home in Bocas del Torro.

The bodies reportedly were those of Michael Brown, his wife, Manchittha Nankratoke, and his 18-year-old son, Watson Brown.