A 28-year-old woman, Renia Lewis, who had been reported missing last week, was found dead.
Last Updated on 3 days by Vijay Kumar
A 28-year-old woman, Renia Lewis, who had been reported missing last week, was found dead inside a concealed attic space behind a home in Vallejo, California. Police have arrested 41-year-old Douglas Irwin Shaw in connection with her death, turning what began as a missing-person search into a tragic homicide investigation.
According to a detailed statement released by the Vallejo Police Department on 1 October 2025, the case of 28-year-old Renia Lewis began on September 28, 2025, when officers received a report of her disappearance. She was described as an African American woman whose whereabouts were unknown, prompting an immediate missing person investigation. Police officers contacted the reporting party, entered her details into the missing persons database, and assigned multiple officers to conduct a citywide search.
That same day, investigators were led to a home on 14th Street in Vallejo, where they suspected Renia may have been before she went missing. Officers entered the residence for a welfare check and conducted a cursory search but found no sign of her. The case was then handed over to the Detective Division for further investigation.
On September 29, 2025, even though Renia did not meet the official criteria for California’s Statewide Ebony Alert Program, the Vallejo Police Department’s Community Engagement Team requested an alert to help locate her. The California Highway Patrol approved the request, and the FBI also joined the investigation, providing technical support and additional resources.
A day later, on September 30, 2025, new evidence led detectives back to the same 14th Street residence. This time, they obtained a search warrant to perform a more thorough search. During this detailed inspection, officers discovered a concealed attic entry, and inside the attic, they tragically found the body of a deceased woman, believed to be Renia Lewis. Investigators quickly gathered evidence identifying Douglas Irwin Shaw, a 41-year-old Vallejo resident, as the primary suspect in the killing. Shaw was arrested without incident at his workplace by the Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Team.
After his arrest, Shaw reportedly confessed to committing the murder during questioning with detectives. He was booked into the Solano County Jail on charges of murder. The Neighborhood Impact Team (NIT) also responded to the area, offering trauma support and resources to affected community members.
Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta described the crime as a “heartbreaking and senseless act of violence,” commending his officers and detectives for solving the case swiftly and expressing deep sympathy for the victim’s family. The department urged anyone with further information to contact detectives or use the anonymous tip line to aid the ongoing investigation. This case marks the fourteenth homicide in Vallejo in 2025, underscoring the ongoing challenges the community faces with violent crime.
My name is Vijay Kumar. I work as content writer and founder of this website. I am studying BSC IT. I has been writing content since 2022. I also learn about journalism.