SFPD Announces Missing Person Case of Cheryl Lanier Solved After 53 years #26-052

On May 6, 2026, the San Francisco Police Department officially closed a 53-year-old missing person case of Cheryl Lanier, who was last seen in 1973 in San Francisco.

The initial missing person’s report of Lanier was filed in 2010. SFPD’s Missing Persons Unit worked tirelessly on the investigation. However, the case remained open and unsolved.

In July 2025, SFPD received a tip out of Harris County in Houston, Texas, advising that a deceased “Jane Doe” was potentially Lanier. Investigators contacted the Houston Police Department and began collaborating with the State of California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services.

SFPD used DNA analysis to determine that “Jane Doe” was Lanier and closed the case after 53 years, bringing closure to her family.   

Lanier was born on October 25, 1946. She was African American, 5-foot-7, 130 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes. She was 27 years old when she was last seen.

SFPD offers its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Lanier.

SFPD would like to thank the Houston Police Department, Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, Bureau of Forensic Services under the State of California Department of Justice, New York City Police Department, and the Greenville Police Department in South Carolina for their collaboration.

SFPD Missing Person Case #101051594

NamUs Case #MP56066

For more information about the case in Texas, please contact the Houston Police Department.