On August 5th 1986, Deputy Lowell Carlton from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office described the skull location of Donna Lass as "Location: Interstate 80 to State Route 20 north, 3.5 miles to dirt road just prior to Drum Canal Crossing, approximately 500 feet above the intersection in a winter water drainage along Pacific Gas and Electric Company property boundary lines" (as shown on the Donna Lass Casefiles website). The northern section of Interstate 80 and State Route 20, where Interstate 80 merges with State Route 20, is 3.5 miles east of the dirt road just prior to the Drum Canal crossing, called Bear Valley Road and shown here on Google street view.
Taking into consideration an excellent contribution by "Bobby Smith" in the comments section of my previous article, it is much more reasonable to conclude that the skull of Donna Lass was found approximately 500 feet south of State Route 20, close to Bear Valley Road (rather than 500 feet to its north by the Bear Valley Campground). Everything he outlined makes perfect sense.
"Bobby Smith" wrote "I would like to add that "500 feet above the intersection", likely means that little dirt road (Bear Valley Rd.) back to the southwest instead of to the north into the woods. The reason is the road increases in elevation as you go southwest back towards I-80 giving it the "above" characteristic, whereas the elevation drops off to the north of 20. Also, there is no intersection on the north side of CA 20 at that location. My interpretation is up that hill to the southwest. This area would have been accessible from the I-80 service rd. and exit 158".
Taking into consideration an excellent contribution by "Bobby Smith" in the comments section of my previous article, it is much more reasonable to conclude that the skull of Donna Lass was found approximately 500 feet south of State Route 20, close to Bear Valley Road (rather than 500 feet to its north by the Bear Valley Campground). Everything he outlined makes perfect sense.
"Bobby Smith" wrote "I would like to add that "500 feet above the intersection", likely means that little dirt road (Bear Valley Rd.) back to the southwest instead of to the north into the woods. The reason is the road increases in elevation as you go southwest back towards I-80 giving it the "above" characteristic, whereas the elevation drops off to the north of 20. Also, there is no intersection on the north side of CA 20 at that location. My interpretation is up that hill to the southwest. This area would have been accessible from the I-80 service rd. and exit 158".
CLICK IMAGE TO OBSERVE ELEVATION
This means that the skull of Donna Lass was probably found by two PG&E workers in 1986 somewhere close to the yellow line on the above map. They were likely working on drainage associated with the Drum Canal. The description offered by Deputy Lowell Carlton stated "500 feet above the intersection" rather than "500 feet along Bear Valley Road", which I have pinpointed on the map below.
CLICK IMAGE TO ENTER GOOGLE MAPS
Of course, we do not know if, and how much the skull had moved from its original position after deposition, but the area around the above red circle is easily accessible by driving 0.4 miles along Bear Valley Road from State Route 20. A short distance into Bear Valley Road would be an ideal location to quickly dispose of a body from the main highway. Alternatively, a body dumped (or buried in a shallow grave) alongside the service road by Interstate 80, after decomposition, could have descended northwards until it settled in "winter water drainage" shy of the Drum Canal.
Over the duration of 16 years, animal predation may explain the lack of body parts in this particular location, as well as the slope leading to the Drum Canal, which could have carried skeletal remains away from the area, particularly during the wet season (or thawing after winter months). Whatever the case, this area of Emigrant Gap, 1,550 feet south of the Bear Valley Campground, is a 73 mile drive from the 3893 Pioneer Trail Road, Lake Tahoe residence of Donna Lass, meaning that her killer seemingly went to great lengths to conceal her body from any future searches.
Winter water drainage on a hillside, often addressed in PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) safety guidelines for landslide prevention, refers to managing heavy seasonal rainfall and snowmelt to prevent soil saturation and slope failure. It involves directing surface water away from slopes, clearing drainages to prevent erosion, and maintaining stable terrain to prevent damage to utility infrastructure. The Drum Canal is a major part of the PG&E Drum-Spaulding project, which includes 10 powerhouses, 29 reservoirs, and a massive network of canals that transport water for both power generation and municipal/agricultural supply by the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA).
Over the duration of 16 years, animal predation may explain the lack of body parts in this particular location, as well as the slope leading to the Drum Canal, which could have carried skeletal remains away from the area, particularly during the wet season (or thawing after winter months). Whatever the case, this area of Emigrant Gap, 1,550 feet south of the Bear Valley Campground, is a 73 mile drive from the 3893 Pioneer Trail Road, Lake Tahoe residence of Donna Lass, meaning that her killer seemingly went to great lengths to conceal her body from any future searches.
Winter water drainage on a hillside, often addressed in PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) safety guidelines for landslide prevention, refers to managing heavy seasonal rainfall and snowmelt to prevent soil saturation and slope failure. It involves directing surface water away from slopes, clearing drainages to prevent erosion, and maintaining stable terrain to prevent damage to utility infrastructure. The Drum Canal is a major part of the PG&E Drum-Spaulding project, which includes 10 powerhouses, 29 reservoirs, and a massive network of canals that transport water for both power generation and municipal/agricultural supply by the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA).
CLICK IMAGE TO ENTER GOOGLE MAPS
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