Decades-Old Vegas Desert Mystery Solved, LVMPD Identifies Missing Woman Anna Sylvia Just Using Genetic Genealogy

In a remarkable turn of events, a decades-long mystery haunting the Vegas desert has found its conclusion. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) revealed in a social media post the identity of human remains discovered by children back in 1970. Through the persistence of cold case detectives and the advancement of genetic genealogy, the remains have been confirmed to belong to Anna Sylvia Just, a woman reported missing in 1968.

Please read below for additional details regarding the identification of human remains found south of Las Vegas in 1970.

Through the assistance of genetic genealogy, detectives identified the remains as those of Anna Sylvia Just. A missing person report was completed for Just in… pic.twitter.com/Q0Hpp4difD

— LVMPD (@LVMPD) November 7, 2025

The case traces its origins to when Just's belongings were unexpectedly discovered outside of Henderson, NV. Investigations at the time brought to light that Just had been missing from Calgary, Canada, prior to her belongings’ appearance in the desert. Speculation pointed towards Thomas Hanley, an acquaintance she allegedly approached for money and who, according to reports, had his affiliates execute the tragic act. Despite an exhaustive search where her items were located, Anna herself remained missing.

Fast forward to the collaborative efforts in October of 2024 when Calgary's cold case detectives liaised with their counterparts at LVMPD after learning Just might have traveled to Las Vegas in the latter part of the 1960s. The ensuing investigation by LVMPD yielded a name, one belonging to a relative who had originally retrieved Just’s personal belongings. That relative, Anna's biological sister, was subsequently approached by Calgary detectives who secured a DNA sample.

The breakthrough came when genetic genealogy testing provided the grim confirmation that the LVMPD had sought for over five decades. "Through genetic genealogy it was confirmed that the remains located in 1970 were those of Anna Sylvia Just," stated the LVMPD's social media announcement.