The Riverside County Sheriff confirmed this week that remains found in a rugged area near Sugarloaf Mountain belong to Thelma Gaston, a Los Angeles millionaire who disappeared in 1981. The identification was made using genetic genealogy and dental records, closing a case that had remained unsolved for over four decades.
Disappearance and Investigation
Gaston vanished at age 80 in June 1981. Police believed she had been killed, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office prosecuted her former companion, Lawrence Remsen, for her murder. Prosecutors alleged that Remsen killed Gaston to gain access to her $20 million estate. The then 40-year-old was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder.
According to a 1981 article from the Los Angeles Times, authorities found a note on Gaston's door saying she was going to look for her cat, but she never returned. Investigators quickly turned their attention to Remsen, a former carpet salesman who had recently become connected to Gaston. Friends suggested they were romantically involved.
Remsen's Actions and Trial
Police said Remsen tried to "siphon off" Gaston's vast fortune, attempting to sell more than $1 million of her property. Authorities found her Mercedes at his apartment. He disappeared during the investigation and was eventually arrested while crossing the border from Mexico into Texas.
During his trial, prosecutors alleged that he killed Gaston with "pre-meditation and planning" and disposed of her body to gain access to her money, according to a December 1982 article from the Daily Breeze. Remsen testified that she died of natural causes and claimed he dumped her body at sea to pretend she was still alive and liquidate her estate. He was convicted of second-degree murder.
Identification of Remains
In late November 1981, someone gathering firewood discovered severely decomposed remains in the desert, the sheriff's office said. For more than 40 years, police were unable to identify the woman. That changed in May 2026, thanks to new funding from a Missing and Unidentified Human Remains grant, when investigators determined the remains belonged to Gaston.
"The Riverside Sheriff's Coroner's Bureau extends its sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication, expertise, and perseverance made this identification possible," the agency said in a statement. "Together, these efforts have ensured that Ms Gaston has her name – and her story – returned to her."
Background on Gaston
Gaston, whose husband and son died in the 1950s, amassed her substantial fortune by buying and selling repossessed properties, SFGate reported. The identification of her remains finally brings closure to this tragic case.
