The decades-long mystery surrounding Donna Lass, a 25-year-old nurse who vanished in 1970 after leaving her job at the Sahara-Tahoe casino-hotel, has finally edged closer to resolution as authorities have identified her remains, thanks to cutting-edge DNA technology.
Skeleton fragments found in 1986 off of Highway 20 near I-80 in Placer County have been confirmed through relational DNA tracing as belonging to Lass, who had been missing for over 50 years; the Placer County Sheriff's Office and the Placer County District Attorney's Office, as part of a newly formed cold case team sent the remains for analysis to the California Department of Justice which cross-referenced the DNA with a sample taken from Lass's sister five years prior, they got a hit confirming the identity of the remains as Lass's, according to reporting by SFist.
KCRA notes that the case has drawn interest over the years due to a possible connection with the infamous Zodiac Killer, who is believed to have killed at least five people in the Bay Area; Lass's disappearance was tied to the serial killer after the SF Chronicle received a cryptic postcard in March 1971 suggesting the Zodiac had taken a 12th victim in the Lake Tahoe area, though whether the Zodiac was indeed responsible remains a matter of speculation.
Original postcard allegedly from the Zodiac Killer in March 1971
Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire expressed the region's dedication to solving cold cases, "The Placer County District Attorney's Office has maintained a strong commitment to solving Cold Cases," and noting that this case shows the "effectiveness of regional partnerships," the South Lake Tahoe Police are still investigating the death of Lass, with current leads and suspects being pursued, though the manner of her death has yet to be determined, said South Lake Tahoe Police Chief David Stevenson in a statement obtained by KCRA, Lass's family, though likely relieved at the resolution of her disappearance, must still grapple with the painful unknowns surrounding her fate.
