In the early morning hours of February 3, 2022, a grim discovery was made on the southbound shoulder of I-580 in Reno, Nevada. A vehicle was engulfed in flames, and after the fire was extinguished, the body of 23-year-old Anna Marie Scott, a Paiute woman, was found inside. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office would later confirm her identity and rule her death a homicide. It was determined that she had died from a gunshot wound.
Anna was a mother of two young children and a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
The investigation into Anna's death began with an appeal to the public for information. Detectives from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office sought to piece together her movements and contacts in the days and hours leading up to her death. Her family last had contact with her the night before her body was discovered. Secret Witness offered a reward for any information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for her murder.
Months after her death, a person of interest was publicly named in connection with the case: Jacori Shaw. However, before he could be thoroughly questioned regarding Anna's murder, Shaw was shot and killed by police in an unrelated incident while they were attempting to arrest him on weapons charges. This development left many questions unanswered in Anna's case.
The investigation into the death of Anna Scott remains ongoing. Her family and community have voiced frustration over the limited amount of information that has been released by law enforcement. They continue to seek justice for Anna and have made public pleas for anyone with knowledge of the crime to come forward. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe has also been active in trying to bring renewed attention to her unsolved murder.
