Mystery Solved After Four Decades as Missing San Diego Nurse Finally Identified


Remains Near Lake Mead Confirmed to Be San Diego Nurse Missing Since 1986

Nearly 40 years after her sudden disappearance, the identity of a woman whose remains were discovered near Lake Mead has been confirmed. The victim, Carol Ann Riley, was a nurse in San Diego who vanished in 1986, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and a family desperate for closure.

Riley, who worked at Scripps Clinic, was last seen alive after she canceled a date. Her car, a Pontiac, was later found abandoned in Mission Valley. Despite extensive searches and investigations, no trace of her was found at the time — until now.

Breakthrough in a Cold Case

The turning point in the decades-old mystery came last month when investigators matched dental records to a set of remains discovered in 1987. Those remains had been located off a road leading into Lake Mead, a remote area in Nevada, about a year after Riley went missing.

For years, investigators from the Mohave Sheriff's Office worked to identify the remains, turning to forensic genetic genealogy in 2020 in hopes of solving the case. Their perseverance paid off when the remains were finally identified as Carol Ann Riley’s.

“She was never heard from again,” recalled one of the lead investigators, reflecting on the silence that surrounded Riley’s disappearance for so many years.

A Chilling Connection

With the identity confirmed, attention has turned to Riley’s suspected killer — a man named Robert Weeks. He was the individual with whom Riley had canceled a date shortly before her disappearance.

Weeks has long been associated with several other disturbing cases. Investigators believe he was responsible for at least three more disappearances, including those of his ex-wife, a business associate, and another woman he had dated. Though the bodies of those individuals were never recovered, Weeks was convicted in two of the murder cases.

Despite strong suspicions, he was never charged in Riley’s case or in the disappearance of his business associate. Weeks died in prison in 1996.

Justice, Even Decades Later

Though justice in the courtroom may never be served for Carol Ann Riley, investigators emphasize the importance of finally giving her a name and a voice after years of silence.

“Our sign says justice for the forgotten — and that’s what this poor woman has been since 1987,” said a representative from the sheriff’s office. “This is what we try to do — give them back their identity. We never stop.”

The identification of Riley's remains not only brings closure to a long-unsolved case but also renews hope for the families of other missing persons still waiting for answers.

Posted on: Aug. 7, 2025, 9:53 a.m. | By: Kanishka