Nearly six decades after disappearing in the Nevada desert, the remains of a woman from Calgary have been positively identified, though the circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
Anna Sylvia Just was reported missing by her sister after she was last seen boarding a bus in Calgary on August 17, 1966, at the age of 29. Two years later, Las Vegas police filed a missing person report for Just when her belongings were discovered near Henderson, Nevada, approximately 26 kilometers from Las Vegas.
It took over fifty years for advancements in DNA technology to link the woman who boarded a bus in Calgary to the unidentified victim in the Mojave Desert.
Calgary Police Service (CPS) Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson expressed understanding for the long wait Anna’s family endured for answers. The CPS Historical Homicide Team stumbled upon Just’s case during investigations into unsolved missing women files, discovering she was not listed in any databases.
After contacting the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, it was revealed that Just was believed to be a homicide victim, with her remains never located. CPS located Just’s elderly sister in Calgary last November, collected her DNA, and submitted it along with Just’s missing person profile to international databases, including the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). Las Vegas police recently informed CPS detectives of a positive match.
According to historical newspaper articles, Just worked as a stenographer and resided in Calgary’s Richmond neighborhood. In 1968, several of Just’s belongings were found outside Las Vegas, leading to speculations involving Thomas Hanley, a gaming union leader and suspected mobster, in Just’s disappearance.
The case remained unsolved until 1970 when human remains were discovered near where Just’s belongings were found. However, due to technological limitations, the remains remained unidentified for decades until recent DNA testing confirmed the match with Just.
The recent investigation suggests a connection between Just and Hanley, hinting at a possible dispute that led to her demise. Despite the investigation’s lengthy duration, Gregson expressed pride in providing closure to Just’s sister and emphasized the importance of solving such cases for the families involved. Las Vegas police were able to share with Just’s sister the location of her resting place, granting her the closure she long sought.
