Pierce County detectives are renewing their push for answers after human remains found near Lake Tapps in 2019 were finally identified and the case officially labeled a homicide. The bones were discovered inside a sealed yard-debris container on the north end of the lake, wrapped in a blanket and bound with duct tape. Investigators are again asking anyone who knows anything to reach out through Crime Stoppers.
How the grim discovery unfolded
According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office blotter, an excavator operator clearing a vacant lot on 9th Street E came across a blue yard-waste bin that had been screwed shut. When he emptied it, he noticed a blanket shaped like a human body, held together with duct tape, and called 911, the blotter recounts. At the time, KIRO 7 reported that examiners determined the bones were those of a woman and that dentures found with the remains were unusual for her estimated age range.
Identification and where the case stands now
This week, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office announced on X that the remains, previously listed only as a Jane Doe, have been identified as Linda Lee Schock, born Feb. 14, 1966. Detectives now classify her death as a homicide, according to a post on the sheriff's X account. The post did not mention any arrests. Investigators say they are working leads and want to hear from anyone who might know about Schock's last known movements.
What detectives hope jogs your memory
Detectives are highlighting several distinctive rings found with the remains, along with the unusual dentures, as key details that might ring a bell, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office blotter notes. They say those items could connect back to family members, a jeweler, or a dental provider who might help refine Schock's timeline and fill in missing pieces of her story.
Cold-case DNA breakthroughs fuel the renewed push
Law enforcement in Pierce County has been leaning on advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy to crack other cold cases, prompting a fresh look at older files and a new wave of public appeals, CBS News has reported. Those breakthroughs, including a 2025 identification that reopened a decades-old investigation, have helped drive this renewed outreach in unsolved deaths.
How to share a tip
Anyone with information is urged to contact detectives anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or via the P3 Tips app, or to reply directly to the sheriff's post on X for more details. Investigators say even a small detail could help them retrace Schock's final movements and identify people who may know more about her homicide.
