Sheriff's Office

For Immediate Release

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detectives seek to find family, friends of woman found deceased

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Detectives wish to speak with anyone who has had recent contact with Trena Bristol who was found deceased last week in the remote hills of southwest Peavine Mountain.

Patrol Deputies were called to the Hawk Meadows Trail last Thursday, February 17, 2022, on reports of a deceased woman. The reporting party had come across the woman’s body in a very remote area while riding his dirt bike. The Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Aviation Enforcement Unit (RAVEN) was deployed to the reporting party’s location, roughly two miles north of Somersett, and confirmed the findings.

That evening, detectives were escorted to the scene by members of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Specialized Vehicle Unit. Preliminary findings led detectives to believe no foul play was suspected in her death. The Washoe County Reginal Medical Examiner’s Office (WCRMEO) positively identified the woman as 56-year-old Bristol. The WCRMEO will determine Bristol’s cause and manner of death. While foul play is not suspected, detectives are seeking to speak with anyone who knows, or has had contact with, Bristol in an effort to resolve this case.

Intelligence gathered by detectives determined that Bristol was a graduate of Harvard University, and she earned a Master of Business Administration from University of California, Davis. They also learned that Bristol had been experiencing homelessness for some time.

Trena Bristol may have worked in South Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Reno. Anyone with information which may help detectives locate family members, friends, or recent contacts should call the Detective Division at (775) 328-3320.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.

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