Authorities say a grim discovery has brought a missing person case to a close. On Tuesday, officers confirmed that the body of 28-year-old Renia Lewis, who had been reported missing just two days earlier, was found hidden inside a concealed attic of a home in Valleo, California.
Renia Lewis Went Missing on September 28
A state police official comes back from a taped off trail. Police and fire were dispatched for a report of a missing person. 2025
The Vallejo Police Department said the investigation began on Sunday, Sept. 28, when Lewis’ family reported her missing. Officers carried out a welfare check at a home on 14th Street, combing through every obvious space — bedrooms, closets, anywhere someone might hide. They came up empty. But as the days passed and her family pressed for answers, suspicion deepened. On Monday, a statewide Ebony Alert was issued, and federal authorities joined the search.
The ‘Secret’ Attic
converted attic space. August 8, 2025
By Tuesday, new information led detectives back to that same house on 14th Street. This time, they had a warrant and the time to dig deeper. What they found was a hidden entryway into an attic space. Inside, they discovered the remains of a woman later identified as Lewis. Police say the man who lived there, 41-year-old Douglas Irwin Shaw, was arrested without incident later that day. According to officials, Shaw gave a statement taking responsibility for what authorities are calling a “heinous crime.” He has been booked into Solano County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Lewis’ Family Used Phone Tracking To Find Her
For Lewis’ family, the discovery has been devastating. Her mother, Teri, told local reporters that the last contact she had with her daughter was on Friday. After growing concerned, she tracked her daughter’s phone to an area near 14th Street. Family members searched the neighborhood themselves and found the phone on the roof of a nearby school. They had no idea at the time that Renia was already hidden behind a wall in the suspect’s house. “We all came to search for her, not knowing she was here in the wall — gone,” Teri said.
A Senseless Act of Violence
A police officer tapes off an area near an incident September 2025
Lewis’ cousin Latoya described the cruel concealment: “You would miss it because my baby girl was hidden behind a wall. A secret wall they placed her behind.” Police Chief Jason Ta released a statement calling the killing “a heartbreaking, senseless act of violence that has no place in our community.” He praised his detectives for their persistence in returning to the home and uncovering the hidden space, but emphasized that the focus should remain on Lewis and her family: “Above all, our thoughts are with the decedent’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”
