A missing person’s case in Northern California has taken a grim turn after authorities discovered the body of a 28-year-old woman hidden behind a secret attic wall inside a Vallejo home.
The woman, identified as Renia Lewis, had last been seen on Friday, Sept. 26 but was not formally reported missing until two days later. By Monday, Sept. 29, investigators had linked her disappearance to a residence in Vallejo. Police initially performed a limited search of the property but did not locate Lewis.
The following day, a statewide Ebony Alert was issued, and the FBI joined the investigation. Acting on new leads, police obtained a warrant for a more extensive search of the home.
It was during this second search that officers uncovered a concealed entryway into the attic, where they found Lewis’s remains hidden behind a wall.
Authorities later identified 41-year-old Douglas Irwin Shaw as a suspect. He was arrested at his workplace without incident and has since been charged with murder. According to investigators, Shaw allegedly confessed to carrying out what police described as a “heinous crime.”
At this time, it remains unclear how Shaw and Lewis knew each other or what led to the fatal encounter. The case is ongoing as investigators continue piecing together the circumstances of Lewis’s death.
The disturbing discovery has left family members and the Vallejo community in shock, as many await further details about how a young woman’s disappearance ended with such a chilling find.
