In a quiet breakthrough, investigators from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) have confirmed that human remains discovered in a shallow grave outside Henderson, Nevada in 1970 belong to a woman from Calgary, Alberta — nearly 60 years after she vanished. The victim, now identified as Anna Sylvia Just, had been reported missing in 1968 when her belongings turned up in the Nevada desert.
Just’s disappearance first drew attention in 1968 when authorities uncovered her suitcase, purse and personal ID near a desert site outside Henderson. At the time, police in Calgary had already filed a missing‑person report for her. Two years later, children playing in the same desert region stumbled upon human remains buried in a shallow grave. The skull showed a depressed fracture, and the coroner ruled the cause of death a homicide. But for decades the identity of the victim remained unknown.
The cold case moved forward in October 2024 when Calgary’s cold‑case detectives contacted the LVMPD after discovering Just may have been in Nevada at the time of her disappearance. The agencies connected on familial ties: Just’s biological sister — who had collected the missing woman’s belongings in 1968 — provided a DNA sample to investigators. Genetic genealogy testing ultimately matched her to the remains.
Details surrounding Just’s final days remain murky. Early reports suggest she had a connection to a local union boss, Thomas Hanley, who was alleged to have ties with organized crime. According to the investigation, she may have sought money from him before disappearing — a claim France’s independent news outlet described as part of a possible mob‑related homicide. The LVMPD emphasised that while the allegations exist, they’ve never been proven in court.
For years the case lay dormant, unresolved and cold. The remains lay unidentified for generations. Now, with the new identification, at least one old wound has been given a name. Calgary investigators say they intend to continue searching for answers and urge anyone with new leads or information about her disappearance and final movements to come forward.
Victim advocates say the case underscores how genetic genealogy is increasingly helping investigators crack decades‑old cases — bringing closure to families who’ve endured years without resolution. In Just’s case, the sister’s willingness to provide DNA sparked the chain of investigation that led to this identification.
Though the identity of the victim is now confirmed, the wider questions remain unanswered: Who was responsible? Was this a targeted attack? And how did events lead a Canadian woman to a desert grave outside a Nevada city half a century ago? Investigators say the homicide ruling stands, and they’re reviewing evidence to determine next steps. With the name now known, the hope is that justice — even if delayed — may eventually follow.
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