Doe ID: Donna Lass

Doe ID: Donna Lass

From DNA: ID by AbJack Entertainment

March 16, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

This episode explores the case of Donna Ann Lass, a nurse who vanished in 1970 and was later identified through DNA evidence.

Episode 181 Doe ID: Donna Lass In 1986, a human skull was found along Highway 20 and Interstate 80, 45 miles northwest of South Lake Tahoe, CA. At the time, investigators couldn't come to many conclusions other than the fact the skull belonged to a young woman, likely in her 20s, and she had been murdered. Years later DNA & genealogy would finally reveal the truth; the skull belonged to Donna Ann Lass, a 25 year-old nurse who vanished on September 6,1970 after finishing her shift at the Sahara Hotel Casino. An unknown man called Donna's employer to tell her Donna had left town for a family emergency, which turned out not to be true. Donna Lass was never seen again. It didn't take long for an infamous serial killer, 'The Zodiac', to seemingly latch himself to Donna's case, possibly providing clues, and taunting investigators. For decades, Zodiac's possible involvement muddied the waters in the Lass investigation. All these years later, we may know what happened to Donna, but we don't know who was responsible. This episode is sponsored by Mint Mobile. Listeners of DNA ID can s tart off with Mint Mobile for as little as $15 per month using our special listener link . To listen to…

People in this episode

Host: AbJack Entertainment

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • DNA
  • genealogy
  • murder investigation
  • cold case
  • Zodiac killer

Keywords

  • Donna Lass
  • Zodiac killer
  • murder
  • cold case
  • DNA
  • genealogy
  • South Lake Tahoe

Sponsors

Mint Mobile

Mentioned in this episode

Places: South Lake Tahoe, CA

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