Heartbreaking Discovery: California Woman Found Murdered Behind Secret Wall

The tragic case of a missing California woman has come to a grim conclusion with the discovery of her body hidden behind a “secret wall” in a home known for hoarding. Renia Lewis, 28, was last seen on Friday and was found dead in a Vallejo house just days later, according to reports from the Vallejo Police Department.

Investigators initially visited the property on Sunday following signs that Lewis had been at the location prior to her disappearance. During that search, officers conducted a cursory examination of the house, including all visible rooms and closets. Unfortunately, no evidence indicating Lewis’s presence was found at that time.

Following up on their investigation, detectives secured a search warrant and returned to the scene on Tuesday. It was during this second search that they uncovered Lewis’s remains hidden behind a concealed entrance to the attic.

Latoya Lewis, a cousin of Renia, expressed her shock at the discovery, stating, “You would miss it because my baby girl was hidden behind a wall. A secret wall they placed her behind.”

Authorities arrested 41-year-old Douglas Irwin Shaw later that same day at his workplace. While no detailed information was disclosed about how he is connected to the crime or the circumstances surrounding Lewis’s death, police reported that he confessed to detectives, admitting his responsibility for this horrific act.

Renia’s mother, Teri Lewis, expressed her devastating reaction to the news of her daughter’s discovery, saying she collapsed upon hearing the information. “On our way there I was praying,” she shared emotionally, adding, “I just prayed, ‘God please don’t let it be her, please don’t let it be.’ And he didn’t answer my prayer.”

The search for Renia had seen family and friends combing through the area themselves, at one point discovering her phone on the roof of a nearby school. “We all came to search for her, not knowing she was here in the wall — gone,” her mother lamented.

Shaw faces murder charges and has been held at the Solano County Jail. The nature of his relationship with Lewis remains unclear. Teri Lewis expressed her frustration and pain, stating, “He needs to sit there and suffer for my daughter because she didn’t deserve this.”