A Calgary woman whose disappearance baffled investigators for nearly six decades has finally been identified as the person whose remains were discovered in a shallow grave near Henderson, Nevada.Las Vegas police confirmed the remains belong to Anna Sylvia Just, who was first reported missing in 1968 after some of her belongings were found in the Nevada desert. Despite an extensive search at the time, no trace of her was ever found..Investigators later uncovered allegations suggesting Just had been murdered by Thomas Hanley, a union leader with reputed ties to organized crime.Those allegations were never proven, and the case went cold. Another man, Alphonse Bass, who gave a statement implicating Hanley in Just’s death, later died under mysterious circumstances in a fire.In June 1970, children playing near Henderson discovered human remains buried in a shallow grave. Investigators determined the person had been killed by blunt-force trauma, but they were unable to identify the victim at the time.More than five decades later, in Oct. 2024, the case saw a breakthrough when Calgary Police Service (CPS) investigators — re-examining old files — contacted Las Vegas police about a missing person named Anna Just who had reportedly been in Nevada around the time she vanished.Las Vegas police shared information that led Calgary investigators to one of Just’s surviving relatives, allowing them to locate her 97-year-old sister, who provided a DNA sample for testing..LOST: After 74 days in BC’s wilderness, missing person re-emerges.That sample was entered into international databases, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).In Oct. 2025, Las Vegas authorities notified CPS that a DNA match had been made to remains from the 1970 Nevada homicide case, confirming that the body was indeed that of Just.Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the CPS Homicide Unit said the update provided long-awaited closure for Just’s family.“We recognize how difficult it must have been for Anna’s family to wait decades for these answers,” Gregson said. “This case is an example of our unwavering commitment to seeking answers for victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed.”Police said the identification of Just’s remains underscores the importance of familial DNA evidence in solving cold cases.“Without the contribution of familial DNA,” the statement concluded, “Anna’s case would still be without resolution.”
