SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - On Saturday, March 29, 2008, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a call regarding the discovery of possible human remains in the area of Tyler Island and the Georgianna Slough, located in Sacramento County.

Patrol deputies arrived to the location and determined the remains appeared to be human and requested Sheriff’s Homicide Investigators respond to the scene. Over the next 3 days, Homicide Investigators, Criminalist from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services and the Sacramento County Coroners Office processed the scene and exhumed the remains. The Coroner classified the case as a homicide and determined the victim was most likely killed in the fall of 2004.

Over the past 13 years, Sheriff’s Investigators and the Coroner’s Office have worked to identify the victim. The investigation included reviewing hundreds of Missing Persons reports, providing the media with photographs of clothing and jewelry found with the remains as well as a composite drawing of what the victim may have looked like.  A facial reconstruction, using the victim’s skull, was also released to the media at the time but the victim remained unidentified.

In 2021, Investigators began a Genetic Genealogy Investigation. As a result of this investigation, the victim has been identified as Shannon Vielguth (born 1969). Her identity has been confirmed with the DNA of a close family member. Vielguth used several last names, including Judkins, Hutchings and Joyce.  Investigators learned Vielguth was transient during the 6 months prior to her murder, staying in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Colorado, Nevada, and California. Based on law enforcement records, Vielguth was most likely in Reno Nev., and Sacramento in October of 2004 which coincides with the time she was most likely killed.  

If you have any information regarding Shannon Vielguth’s murder or her whereabouts during this time, please call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 916-874-5057 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP.  Tip information may also be left anonymously at www.sacsheriff.com or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477).