Lake Tahoe Casino Worker Thought To Be Victim of the Zodiac Killer Identified

Article by : Erik Gibbs Jan 4, 2024

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The identification of a human skull discovered near a highway in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California has linked it to Donna Lass. She was reported missing from the Sahara Hotel Casino in South Lake Tahoe in 1970.

The human skull has been confirmed to belong to Lass, a 25-year-old nurse who went missing in South Lake Tahoe more than 50 years ago.

Donna Lass’s disappearance had been previously associated with the infamous Zodiac Killer case, a serial murderer who managed to spread terror in northern California in the late 1960s.

The Zodiac killer gained notoriety for sending cryptic messages to the police, making the case one of the most renowned unsolved murder mysteries in US history.

Lass, employed as a nurse at the casino, was last recorded in the nurses’ logbook at 1:50 a.m. on September 6, 1970. Her disappearance occurred after completing her final shift at the Sahara, which has since been renamed the Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe.

The recent identification of her skull was achieved through DNA testing, bringing a new development to a case that has remained unsolved for decades.

In 1986, a skull discovered in Lake Spaulding led to a Jane Doe investigation by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Lacking evidence at the time, the case was archived, with the potential for reopening pending advancements in forensic technology.

Recently, a case team revisited the investigation, sending the skull to the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services last year.

Remarkably, 53 years after her disappearance, the bureau successfully matched the DNA from the skull to that of one of Donna Lass’s sisters. Authorities conveyed this long-awaited identification to the Lass family just last week.

Expressing gratitude for the collaborative effort that brought closure to the Lass family, the Sheriff’s Office remains hopeful that cold case detectives can continue making strides in solving such cases, showcasing the power of perseverance and advancements in forensic science.

The connection between Donna Lass and the infamous Zodiac killer arose from a postcard sent to The San Francisco Chronicle in March 1971, which featured the Sierra Club in Lake Tahoe and bore the Zodiac’s distinctive signature – a circle with a cross through it.

The chilling message on the postcard, stating “Sought Victim 12,” urged recipients to “Peek through the pines… pass Lake Tahoe area… around in the snow…”

The writing was then confirmed to belong to the Zodiac Killer. It was all determined by a forensic expert who outlined the consistency across various messages.

The Zodiac killer, responsible for five confirmed murders in the San Francisco Bay Area between December 1968 and October 1969, had asserted involvement in additional killings. However, the last communication ever received by the killer was five decades ago, in 1974.