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

Central Florida Welcomes Warmer Weather: What to Expect Through Christmas with Minimal Rain Chances

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is poised for a shift in weather…

Sheriff: Church Hill Resident Faces Murder Charges Following November Shooting

In a shocking turn of events in Hawkins County, Tennessee, a resident…

Volusia Authorities on the Hunt for Teen Allegedly Taking Grandmother’s Firearm

Volusia County, Fla. – In a developing situation in Volusia County, authorities…

Friendship Automotive Generously Gifts Over 400 Bicycles to Local Youth

The Friendship Bikes for Kids initiative, launched by Friendship Automotive Enterprises in…

Warner Bros Urges Investors to Dismiss Paramount Skydance Takeover Proposal Amid Strategic Growth Plans

NEW YORK – In a strategic move, Warner Bros. has urged its…

Italy Calls for Revisions in EU-Mercosur Trade Deal Before Endorsement

BRUSSELS – Italy has expressed reservations about endorsing a significant trade agreement…

Trump Administration Initiates Closure of Colorado’s National Climate Research Laboratory

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has initiated the closure of the National…

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Faces Senate Scrutiny Amid Kimmel Controversy: A First in Congressional Hearings

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is expected…

Sanford Officer Entangled in Shocking Fraud Scandal: Allegations Spark Outrage

In a surprising turn of events in Sanford, Florida, a local police…

Revolutionizing Education: Roosevelt Elementary Students Receive Free Tablets

In a heartwarming gesture of generosity, students at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School…

Buccaneers Struggle in First Half, Suffer 77-58 Defeat Against No. 12 North Carolina

In the storied halls of the Dean Smith Center, East Tennessee State…

From Streets to Vatican: How a Homeless Man’s Story Captivated the Pope and Inspired a Monumental Tribute

VATICAN CITY – Back in 2018, German artist Michael Triegel encountered a…