Renia Lewis missing Vallejo, California woman found dead inside secret wall as Douglas Irwin Shaw is arrested after confessing to murdering her

Vallejo, California – Authorities have arrested a man suspected of killing Renia Lewis, a 28-year-old Bay Area woman who was reported missing last week and later discovered dead inside the attic of a Vallejo home.

Lewis was last seen on Friday, prompting the California Highway Patrol to issue an Ebony Alert for her disappearance. On Sunday, investigators visited a Vallejo residence where they believed Lewis may have been prior to vanishing. Police conducted a brief search of the property but found no immediate signs of her whereabouts.

Douglas Irwin Shaw (Photo: Vallejo Police Department)

Two days later, after obtaining a search warrant, detectives returned and discovered Lewis’ body hidden behind a concealed entry inside the attic.

“You would miss it because my baby girl was hidden behind a wall,” said Lewis’ cousin, Latoya Lewis, describing the property as resembling a hoarder’s home. “A secret wall they placed her behind.”

That same day, police arrested Douglas Irwin Shaw, 41, at his workplace. According to the Vallejo Police Department, Shaw gave a statement admitting responsibility for the crime.

 

Authorities have not revealed how Shaw may have known Lewis, nor have they clarified his connection to the residence where her body was found. The cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

In the days leading up to the grim discovery, family members had been conducting their own search and located Lewis’ phone on the roof of a nearby school.

“We all came to search for her, not knowing she was here in the wall — gone,” said her mother, Teri Lewis, who is now calling for justice. “He needs to sit there and suffer for my daughter because she didn’t deserve this.”

Shaw remains in custody as the investigation continues.

Body of Renia Lewis, 28, missing woman subject of Ebony Alert, found behind wall of home near 14th & Starr, family tells @bett_yu @KTVU. Suspect in custody, per @VallejoPd pic.twitter.com/XAep9lmTXY

— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) October 1, 2025