A young woman vanishes right before her birthday, sending her family on a desperate search. What happened to Renia Lewis?
Episode Media
Episode Sources
- Supporting the family of Renia Lewis – GoFundMe
- Vallejo: Ebony Alert Issued For Woman Not Seen Since Friday
- Missing woman, 28, last seen in Vallejo
- Missing woman found dead and hidden in Bay Area attic
- Missing 28-year-old woman found dead inside Vallejo home
- Man arrested after missing Vallejo woman found dead inside secret attic wall
- Vallejo Police Department – Homicide Suspect Arrested
- Body of missing woman found hidden in detached unit behind Vallejo home
- Suspect confesses to killing missing Bay Area woman found in Vallejo hidden attic: officials
- Missing Vallejo woman found dead in home’s attic, police say; arrest made
- Renia Lewis: Suspect in Vallejo killing was not in relationship with victim
- Missing California woman found dead behind ‘secret wall’ inside home, police say
- Apparent remains of missing woman found behind secret entry to attic in California
- Vallejo man accused of killing woman, hiding her body in attic appears in court
- Vallejo man charged after missing woman found dead in his attic
- Man accused of killing Vallejo woman faces further arraignment
- Man charged with murder in grisly slaying of woman in Vallejo
- Stockton woman found dead in Solano County attic days before her birthday
- Renia Lewis murder: Douglas Shaw charged with murder in killing of Vallejo woman found in attic
- Stockton woman found dead in Solano County attic days before her birthday
- Bay Area Six Flags employee arrested after woman found dead in attic
- Suspect in dismembered woman’s body found in Vallejo case pleads not guilty
- Vallejo man suspected in death of woman found hidden in his wall enters plea
- Suspect enters not guilty plea in Vallejo slaying
- ‘Hidden Behind a Wall’: Mother Collapses After Discovering the Truth About Missing Daughter
- More court dates set for suspect in Vallejo slaying
- Vallejo murder case hearing delayed
- Preliminary hearing date set in Vallejo slaying
Episode Transcript
Welcome back to Bite-Sized Crime. This week I’m bringing you a case that is still in progress, the tragic story of a young woman whose family is waiting for justice. This episode discusses sensitive topics and includes graphic descriptions, so listener discretion is advised.
In the fall of 2025, 28-year-old Renia Lewis was living in Berkeley, California, a city on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay. Renia’s family described her as a beautiful soul, “full of love, laughter, and light.” Renia was sweet and caring, but also fun and vibrant. Her cousin Jalisa told the Vacaville Reporter that Renia was “the life of the party.”
On Friday, September 26th, Renia spoke to her best friend Saiveonna on the phone. They chatted about Renia’s upcoming birthday and made plans to meet up the next day so they could hang out. But Saturday came, and Saiveonna didn’t hear from her friend. She recalled hearing a man’s voice in the background of their call the day before and wondered if Renia had just gotten caught up in whatever she was doing and had forgotten about their plans. She tried not to worry too much about it.
However, Saiveonna wasn’t the only one who hadn’t heard from Renia. Teri Lewis had texted her daughter on Friday evening but didn’t get a response. At first, she had assumed Renia was asleep and had put her phone on “Do Not Disturb” as was her habit. But she didn’t hear from Renia on Saturday either, and this was definitely concerning. Renia was very close to her family – it was unusual for her to ignore calls and texts for this long.
Like many families, the Lewises shared their phone locations through the Life360 app. When Teri checked her daughter’s location, she saw that Renia’s phone had last pinged in the city of Vallejo, about 20 miles north of Berkeley. Renia often visited friends and family in Vallejo, so that wasn’t out of the ordinary, but something told Teri that there was more to this situation. First thing Sunday morning, she called the Vallejo Police Department and reported Renia missing.
While police opened an investigation, Renia’s friends and family members were doing an investigation of their own. Renia’s phone had last pinged near 14th Street and Starr Avenue, so they decided to start there, walking the neighborhood block by block, hanging flyers and talking to residents. They looked for clues in trash cans and under cars, every possible nook and cranny. Her cousin Latoya told KTVU that the whole thing felt surreal. “You would have never thought you would be out posting flyers, and it would be your own family member. My stomach was in knots.”
During their search, Renia’s family found something of vital importance – Renia’s cell phone. It had been tossed onto the roof of an abandoned school building. There was no way Renia would have thrown it up there herself. The family immediately reported their discovery to the police.
With Renia’s phone now in their possession, officers were able to see that the phone had also pinged at a home on 14th Street – its backyard fence bordered the side of the school. The house itself was in disrepair, and neighbors said it had been boarded up for quite some time. An old rusted out vehicle sat in the yard, and trash littered the grass along the broken fence. Without a search warrant, officers could only do a cursory search of the house and yard in the name of a welfare check. According to a statement from the Vallejo PD, they searched all rooms and closets in the house as well as an outbuilding in the back, anywhere a person could hide, but there was no sign of Renia.
On Monday, September 29th, the Vallejo PD’s Community Engagement Team contacted the California Highway Patrol and requested that a statewide Ebony Alert be issued for Renia Lewis. Although Renia was outside of the 12 to 25 age range required for an Ebony Alert, the CHP agreed that this situation merited its use. An alert was sent out across California, broadcasting Renia’s picture and information to the public.
The Vallejo PD also reached out to the FBI for assistance. With federal resources and investigative support, Vallejo detectives were able to obtain a warrant to search the house on 14th Street again. This time, they had full access.
On Tuesday, September 30th, investigators combed the house, sifting through piles of trash in what reports described as a “hoarder’s house.” With no sign of Renia in the main house, they turned their focus to the small outbuilding on the back of the property. There, they came across a concealed entrance that led to an attic storage area. Behind the wall, they found the remains of Renia Lewis. It appeared that she had been dismembered, wrapped in plastic, and nailed to the wall. Whoever had done this was clearly trying to conceal their crime.
Renia’s family was at the scene that day, waiting for updates from investigators as the search went on. When they were told that Renia had been found deceased, they were beyond devastated. Her mom Teri told KTVU that she collapsed when she heard the news. “I just prayed, ‘God please don’t let it be her, please don’t let it be.’ And he didn’t answer my prayer.”
Information at the scene led investigators to 41-year-old Douglas Irwin Shaw, a mechanic who worked at the Six Flags amusement park in Vallejo. Some reports indicate that Shaw lived in the outbuilding where Renia’s remains had been found, presumably renting the space from the owners of the main house. Police seized multiple knives from the outbuilding during their search, believing they could be linked to the crime.
That afternoon, Douglas Shaw was arrested at his place of work and taken to the Vallejo police station. During questioning, Shaw admitted that he was responsible for Renia’s death and had tossed her phone onto the roof of the school building. He was booked into the Solano County Jail on suspicion of murder.
In a statement to the press, Police Chief Jason Ta said, “This was a heartbreaking, senseless act of violence that has no place in our community. I am proud of our officers and detectives for making an arrest and solving this case. Above all, our thoughts are with the decedent’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Renia’s friends and family couldn’t make sense of what had happened. Renia didn’t have any known connection to Douglas Shaw – when had she met him, and how had she ended up at his house, especially a house in that condition? Her cousin Jakeem told KGO that she may have been forced. “If she was to see [the condition of] the house, she is not coming in willingly. She is not going to do that. So, I feel like she was either drugged or under some type of influence.”
Teri told KTVU that she needed to know why her daughter had been killed. “What did she do to you for you to kill her and then put her in a wall? And she’s been gone since Friday, so we were out here looking for my daughter, and she’s in the wall, dead. I know she fought.”
On October 2nd, Douglas Shaw appeared in court, facing one count of felony murder. He was denied bail and his arraignment was scheduled for the next week.
When he appeared in court again on October 9th, he entered a plea of not guilty. Renia’s loved ones were shocked. Her best friend Saiveonna told reporters, “I’m so numb, that’s just so messed up. If you confessed, why are you trying to switch it up? That’s not right.”
In the months since, Shaw’s case has been making its way through the court system. He is currently being held at the Stanton Correctional Facility and is next scheduled to be in court on March 30th with a preliminary hearing taking place on June 3, 2026. Renia’s family plans to be in attendance at every court appearance, reminding the world that Renia deserves justice.
Standing outside the courthouse, Renia’s cousin Latoya spoke directly to her, saying, “Renia, we love you. You know that. You know the heart of your family. You know the blood of this Lewis family would have never stopped looking for you. You will definitely be missed, and it hurts. I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry.”
Renia Lewis was a beautiful young woman who deserved to live a beautiful life. May her family find joy in her memory and may justice come swiftly.
If you have any information about Renia’s case, please contact the Vallejo Police Department at 707-648-4321.