Carol Ann Riley
On May 16, 1987, a person rounding up steers around Bonelli Landing at Lake Mead found a human skull on the ground. A further search of the area resulted in the discovery of additional remains buried in a shallow grave, wrapped in a yellow blanket.
The remains were those of a female thought to be between 20-40 years, 5’3”-5’7”, 105-120 pounds with light brown hair. Attempts to identify her at the time were unsuccessful, but a forensic odontologist was able to complete an NCIC Unidentified Person Dental Report and enter it into NamUs. The Jane Doe was listed as NamUs UP9836 and assigned MCSO DR#87-1943.
In 2011, MCSO detectives were contacted by investigators in Austin, Texas, believing that Jane Doe was a missing person from their jurisdiction. A comparison conducted by NamUs with her dental records proved to be a negative match. MCSO detectives were then able to send bone remains to the University of North Texas (UNT), where a DNA profile was obtained and entered into CODIS and remaining extract was secured and stored for future examination.
In April 2024, investigators from the MCSO Special Investigations Unit (SIU), who were now assigned the case, contacted UNT to determine if the remaining extract was of sufficient quality and amount in which to conduct a forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) investigation. They were told the sample was too degraded for analysis of this type.
In February 2025, SIU investigators sent portions of the victim’s clothing and the blanket in which she was wrapped to the DPS Lab in Flagstaff to attempt to obtain a DNA extracted sample sufficient and suitable for FGG. This was also unsuccessful. In addition, attempts to identify her were further hindered when investigators learned that her skeletal remains had been cremated in 2016 and her ashes scattered at an unknown location.
On July 15, 2025, SIU investigators were contacted by personnel at the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office. An email indicated that a forensic odontologist and staff from the Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit, California Department of Justice, had worked on a dental comparison of the Jane Doe victim and Carol Ann Riley, a person missing in 1986 from San Diego County, California, case # 86-030036, NamUs MP9411. As a result of their comparison, they positively identified Jane Doe as Carol Ann Riley, DOB 12-13-1943.
Riley was a nurse who worked at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. At the time of her disappearance, she was dating a man known to her as Robert Howard Smith. She had a dinner date scheduled with him on the date of her disappearance and told friends that she was planning to break up with him.
When interviewed, Smith told police that Riley had canceled the date. Two days later, Smith left town and dropped out of sight. Detectives investigating Smith discovered that his real name was Robert Dean Weeks and had a history of going by false names. They also found out that his ex-wife, Patricia Weeks, disappeared from Clark County, Nevada, on April 25, 1968, a few weeks after their divorce was finalized. He had also dated a real estate agent who disappeared, a woman by the name of Cynthia Jabour. She had a dinner date scheduled with him and intended to end their relationship. She was last seen on Oct. 5, 1980. To add to these cases, Weeks’ business associate, James Shaw, was last seen on Oct. 5, 1971. He disappeared after having an argument with Weeks and his bloodstained vehicle was found abandoned in a Las Vegas parking lot. Their bodies were never found.
In April 1987, the investigation involving Weeks was aired on the television show Unsolved Mysteries. A warrant had been issued for his arrest due to fraud and embezzlement charges from his business. As a result of viewer response, Weeks was located and arrested in Tucson, Arizona.
In April 1988, Weeks was convicted of the murder of his wife, Patricia Weeks and Cynthia Jabour, despite their bodies never being found. He was never charged with the murder of Riley and Shaw. He was sentenced to life in prison in Nevada and died there on Sept. 20, 1996.