Lake Mead remains identified as missing San Diego nurse from 1980s cold case
Share this @internewscast.com

The remains of a San Diego woman who was reported missing in 1986 have been identified after being discovered at Lake Mead years later, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office has announced.

Carol Ann Riley, who was a nurse at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, went missing in 1986. She had been dating a man she knew as Robert Howard Smith and had plans to break up with him during a dinner date on the day she disappeared, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

Smith informed the police that Riley had canceled their dinner plans. Shortly after, Smith vanished, leaving town two days later. Police investigations revealed that “Robert Howard Smith” was actually Robert Dean Weeks, who frequently used aliases and had a history of deceit. They also found that his ex-wife, Patricia Weeks, had gone missing from Clark County on April 25, 1968, not long after their divorce was finalized.

Weeks had also been involved with another woman, a real estate agent named Cynthia Jabour, who vanished. She too had a dinner date with Weeks and planned to end their relationship. Her last sighting was on October 5, 1980.

A business associate of Weeks, James Shaw, was last seen on May 5, 1971. He vanished after reportedly having an altercation with Weeks, and his bloodstained car was discovered abandoned in a parking lot in Las Vegas. The bodies of these individuals were never located, according to an MCSO post on social media earlier this week.

The case involving Weeks gained attention in April 1987, when it was featured on the television show Unsolved Mysteries. A warrant for Weeks’ arrest had been issued related to fraud and embezzlement charges from his business. Due to responses from viewers of the show, Weeks was eventually located and apprehended in Arizona.

On May 16, 1987, a person rounding up steers around Bonelli Landing at Lake Mead found a human skull on the ground. A further search resulted in the discovery of additional remains buried in a shallow grave and wrapped in a blanket. At the time, the remains were those of a female thought to be between 20 to 40 years old. Attempts to identify her were unsuccessful; however, her dental report was placed into a system, and she was listed as Jane Doe, MCSO said.

In 1988, Weeks was convicted of the murder of his wife, Patricia Weeks, and Cynthia Jabour, despite their bodies never being found. He was never charged with the murders of Riley and Shaw. He was sentenced to life in prison in Nevada and died there on September 20, 1996.

In February, investigators sent portions of the unidentified person’s clothing and the blanket in which she was wrapped to a lab in Arizona in an attempt to obtain DNA, but the efforts were unsuccessful. Investigators then learned that her skeletal remains had been cremated in 2016 and her ashes scattered at an unknown location.

On July 15, investigators were contacted by personnel at the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office after an email received indicated that a forensic odontologist from the Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit, California Department of Justice, had worked on a dental comparison of the Jane Doe victim and Riley, as a result of their comparison, they positively identified Jane Doe as Carol Ann Riley, MCSO said on Tuesday.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Israel Launches Strikes on Gaza Following Alleged Hamas Assault on Troops, Testing Ceasefire’s Durability

In a significant test to the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire intended to end…

Temporary Closure of I-5 for Live Fire Drills at Camp Pendleton

In CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., a portion of Interstate 5 is set to…

Controversial Artillery Plans During Vance Visit Sparks Tension with California’s Newsom

A plan to conduct a live artillery exercise over a major highway…

St. Pete Animal Shelter Seeks Urgent Help After Van Crash with 17 Pets Onboard

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A local animal shelter is urgently seeking…

How the Trump Administration Aims to Slash Your Grocery Bills: Key Strategies Unveiled

President Donald Trump has revealed that his team is strategizing to make…

Hundreds Rally in Tampa for ‘No Kings’ Protest Movement

Across the United States, including in the Tampa Bay area, ‘No Kings’…

Tragic Shooting in Slavic Village Leaves 2 Dead, 2 Injured

[Watch Cleveland’s homicide statistics in the video above.] CLEVELAND (WJW) — Authorities…

Community Spirit Shines: ‘Fifth Quarter’ Unites Fans Post-David Crockett High School Games

The New Victory Baptist Church in Jonesborough, Tennessee, has been fostering community…

French IV Leads Georgia Southern to Commanding 41-24 Win Against Georgia State

In a thrilling encounter at Statesboro, Georgia Southern mounted an impressive comeback…

Shocking Case: Georgia Parents Face Murder Charges Over Infant Found in Trash Bag – Bail Denied

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) — In a distressing turn of events in suburban…

Revised Student Loan Caps May Reshape Future Careers in Academia, Medicine, and Law

As millions of students return to their academic pursuits this year, many…

Urbana Hosts Inspiring Event to Honor Survivors for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — As October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the…