DNA Technology Identifies Skull Found in 1986 as Missing Woman Donna Lass

Despite the breakthrough, the circumstances surrounding Lass' disappearance in 1970 and her cause of death remain unknown.

Advancements in DNA technology have allowed investigators to identify a skull found in 1986 along a California highway as belonging to Donna Lass, a woman who disappeared from South Lake Tahoe in 1970.
The identification was made possible by a cold case team set up at the Placer County Sheriff's Office, which sent the skull for testing. The DNA of the skull was matched with the DNA from a member of Donna Lass’s family.
Donna Lass was a nurse who vanished without a trace in 1970, leaving behind her new apartment, car, bank account, and personal belongings.
Despite the identification, Donna Lass' movements after her disappearance and her cause of death remain under investigation.
There has been speculation about a possible link between Lass' disappearance and the Zodiac Killer due to a cryptic postcard sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1971, but authorities have not confirmed any connection.