Circumstances of Disappearance
Cordes attended Golden Sierra High School. A troubled youth, he ended up in Juvenile Hall for robbery, then was sent to the Oak Ridge House group home. Cordes initially became missing when he and two other boys ran from the Children's Home Society, a group home in Auburn, CA, to go to a party.
One young man, 18, gave the teens a ride to the party, where they drank beer until about 5 or 6 a.m. No one can place the party Bill and his two friends attended that night.

On their way back from the bash, the 18-year-old’s car ran out of gas on Interstate 80 near Dry Creek Road. Three teens left the car to hike to town with a gas can. Only two came back. The friends thought was in Reno by the time he was reported missing.

An initial missing persons report was canceled and authorities did not begin investigating the boy's disappearance until years later.