Samantha Angela Ainsworth’s remains were found in a shallow grave on March 3, 1987. She was last seen on her way towards her home in North Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec 3, 1985.
Samantha was found by two target shooters in the desert near Sunrise Mountain on March 3, 1987. There is very little online about this case. The information below came from Insta Memorials. The page has been removed as of Feb 2020.
From the family of Samantha Ainsworth:
“Today, March 11, 2017 is the 30th anniversary of Samantha being found. Her remains were found in a shallow grave by some guys riding dirt bikes on Sunrise Mountain in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was found 14 months after she was kidnapped and one day after her 16th birthday. She is still missed every day and her loved ones wishes she was still here. They know she would have accomplished so much in her life. No one was ever charged in her murder.”
Samantha’s date of death on her grave is listed as Dec 3, 1985. That is the day she went missing. There is no firm timeline online in this case. That is not the only issue.
No one was ever charged in her case. Was anything else found in that shallow grave that can be tested with modern technology? What did the autopsy say about her cause of death or any other injuries?
In the Las Vegas Review Journal and Las Vegas Sun Articles March 5-6, 1987 I found that police do treat the case as a homicide. The exact cause of death was not determined or made public. The Las Vegas Review Journal of Dec 28, 1985 did state police feared that Samantha was the victim of a stranger abduction.
From the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police‘s website: “Based on the depth of the grave and the condition of the remains, the Coroner concluded that the victim had been buried for more than one year.” There may have been newspaper reports however I have not seen them or they are behind a paywall.
If you have any newspaper articles or links to magazine pieces online about Samantha’s case please contact me. Samantha deserves to have her case solved.
If you have any information that can advance the investigation please contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers at (702)385-555 or use their website.
Rest in peace, Samantha Angela Ainsworth.
Hat tip to BP for sending me details and copies of newspaper articles that helped me correct mistakes in this post.