Linda Lee Schock

For more than six years, she was known only as the Pierce County Jane Doe, a woman whose name and story were lost. But in early 2026, scientific advances finally gave her a name: Linda Lee Schock. A 60-year-old female, Linda was born on Valentine's Day in 1966 and had lived in the Lake Tapps, Washington, area. Her identification was a long-awaited breakthrough in a case that began with a grim discovery on a summer day.

On August 28, 2019, an excavator operator was clearing a vacant lot on 9th Street East near Lake Tapps when he noticed a suspicious, sealed yard debris container. When he looked inside, he found human remains and immediately called 911. Investigators from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene. Inside the container, they found a woman’s body wrapped in a blanket and secured with duct tape. She was dressed in blue cloth pants, a tank-top, and a navy-blue pullover sweatshirt that featured an American Flag logo. The medical examiner quickly ruled her death a homicide.

Despite the efforts of law enforcement, the woman’s identity remained a mystery. With no name, the investigation into who killed her and why could not move forward. Her case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP72248, but years passed without a match. She became another cold case, a ghost in the system waiting for someone to say her name.

The crucial turn in the case came when the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Othram, a private forensic laboratory in Texas. Detectives submitted skeletal evidence, hoping that advanced DNA testing could succeed where traditional methods had failed. Othram scientists were able to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the degraded remains using a process called Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing. This detailed profile was then used by an in-house forensic genetic genealogy team to search for distant relatives in public genealogical databases.

The search yielded new investigative leads, pointing detectives toward potential family members. Following up on this information, investigators made contact with relatives and, in February 2026, officially confirmed that the victim was Linda Lee Schock. The identification was a monumental step, finally giving a name to the victim and a new focus to the murder investigation. "The identification of Linda brings answers to investigators and family and hopefully provides some level of peace," said Colby Lasyone of Othram.

As of February 2026, the murder of Linda Schock remains an active and unsolved homicide investigation. Now that they know who she was, detectives with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office are working to piece together the last weeks and days of her life. They believe renewed attention on the case will generate fresh leads from the public. "This case will remain open until it’s solved, and we’re going to run down every lead we get," said Stephen Cloninger of the sheriff's office. "We’re looking to hear from anybody who knew Linda Schock and has any information about what was going on during her final days."

No arrests have been made in connection with Linda's death. Authorities are urging anyone who knew her or has any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Crime Stoppers of Tacoma/Pierce County is accepting tips, which can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).