They ID'd her by DNA, matching the Houston/Harris County Jane Doe to Cheryl Lanier and SFPD officially closed the 53-year missing person case on May 6, 2026. Cheryl Lanier was born Oct. 25, 1946 and was 27 when last seen in San Francisco in January 1973, she was 5-7 and about 130 lbs. SFPD said they got a tip from Harris County in July 2025, worked with HPD, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science and California DOJ Bureau of Forensic Services to confirm the match.

No suspect info has been released, this update is identification and case closure only. SFPD also thanked the NYPD and the Greenville, South Carolina police for their collaboration, and said anyone wanting more details about the Texas side should contact Houston police. I saw this on the SFPD release, prob the biggest development on the case in decades, it was a long road thru to an ID.

Was she was abducted and that is why she jumped from a moving vehicle. She was unidentified for years until they matched up her disappearance. Could this story be deeper and was she trying to get away from her captor? There are so many questions in this case.