SEE AMAZON.COM DEALS FOR TODAY
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
You may also like to watch: Is US-NATO Prepared For A Potential Nuclear War With Russia - China And North Korea?
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
DNA evidence has led to the identification of a California woman more than half a century after she went missing.
Donna Lass, a 25-year-old casino nurse, was last seen in the South Lake Tahoe area on 7 September, 1970 walking near an apartment she had rented the day prior, according to a February 1971 news clipping provided by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
She was last spotted with a “young, blonde man,” the article stated. The 25-year-old left behind a bank account, a new car and a “large wardrobe”.
The case had gone cold ever since.
Some 15 years later, the sheriff’s office made a potential breakthrough: they uncovered a skull off Highway 20 near Interstate 80, officials wrote. Since there was no other evidence found at the time, they couldn’t link the remains to another case.
The unidentified skull was kept at the coroner’s office “pending further advancements in forensic technology”.
The sheriff’s office announced on 27 December that there was a DNA match between genetic evidence found on the skull and DNA from a member of Donna Lass’s family, which police had obtained for the missing person case.
The skull was identified as belonging to Lass.
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department notified Lass’ family members of the discovery. The department will continue to investigate the case.
“We are extremely grateful that this team effort was able to bring closure to the Lass family and are hopeful that cold case detectives can continue to make advances in these cases,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
The sheriff’s office did not provide any details on how Lass had died.
One theory that has been circulating for half a century is that Lass was a victim of the Zodiac Killer. The Sacramento Bee discovered a San Francisco Chronicle article published in March 1971 related to the Lass case. The publication was sent a “cryptic message” allegedly from the Zodiac Killer, which seemed to suggest that “victim 12” could be found “around in the snow” near Lake Tahoe.
The Chronicle also mentioned that police at the time considered Lass’ death to be a result of “foul play”.
The South Lake Tahoe Police chief told The Independent: “We have no confirmed evidence this is a Zodiac case. And no other theories to share at this time.”
The sheriff’s office encouraged anyone with information to contact detectives at cybertips@cityofslt.us.
DNA evidence has played a crucial role in solving a decades-old missing person case in California. Donna Lass, a 25-year-old casino nurse, mysteriously disappeared on 7 September, 1970, in the South Lake Tahoe area. After more than 50 years, DNA evidence has finally led to her identification.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the breakthrough, stating that they were able to match the DNA found on an unidentified skull, discovered 15 years after Lass went missing, with DNA from a member of Lass’s family. This confirmation has brought closure to the Lass family, although the sheriff’s office did not disclose the cause of her death.
According to a news clipping from February 1971, Donna Lass was last seen walking near her rented apartment, accompanied by a young, blonde man. The article also mentioned that she left behind her bank account, a new car, and an extensive wardrobe. Despite extensive investigations, the case had remained unsolved until the recent DNA match.
In the years following Lass’s disappearance, a skull was discovered near Interstate 80, off Highway 20. However, due to the lack of additional evidence, it couldn’t be linked to any particular case at the time. The skull was placed at the coroner’s office, awaiting advancements in forensic technology.
The identification of the skull as belonging to Donna Lass has reignited a theory that she may have been a victim of the infamous Zodiac Killer. The Sacramento Bee found a related article from the San Francisco Chronicle published in March 1971. It mentioned a cryptic message allegedly sent by the Zodiac Killer, suggesting that “victim 12” could be found “around in the snow” near Lake Tahoe. While the South Lake Tahoe Police chief stated that there is no confirmed evidence linking Lass’s case to the Zodiac Killer, the possibility continues to circulate.
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has informed Lass’s family about the discovery and will continue to investigate the case. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for the efforts that brought closure to the Lass family and hopes that advancements in cold case investigations will continue.
Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact the detectives at cybertips@cityofslt.us. The identification of Donna Lass after more than 50 years highlights the importance of DNA evidence and the tireless efforts of law enforcement agencies in solving cold cases.
.
