May 11, 2026 | By: Em Meurer

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

One of Sheree Allen’s favorite things to do during her teenage years was to visit the restaurant where her mother, Lillie Allen, volunteered. They would spend time talking about life, her siblings, and anything else that was on her mind.

“We’d sit and have breakfast or lunch,” said Lillie. “We would talk about what she wanted to do, her sisters and brothers, how she appreciated having brothers and sisters other than herself.”

Those talks ended over 20 years ago when Sheree was found murdered on January 24, 2005, at just 22 years old. Her body was found in a dumpster behind a strip mall in West Valley City, Utah, by a man who was dumpster-diving at the time.

When authorities were notified and came to investigate the dumpster, they found her body wrapped in trash bags. Investigations in the immediate aftermath of the event revealed that Sheree had likely been dead for anywhere between 24 and 72 hours before she was found.

Sheree’s murder is still unsolved, but her family holds out hope that, someday, she will get justice.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, she moved to Utah with her family in 1989 for its dry climate, which helped with the asthma that both Sheree and her father had. Sheree spent her teenage years following her sister, Brandi, around the city, cooking with her mom, or playing her favorite sports: basketball and soccer.

“She was always following me around. Always trying to go out with me and my friends,” said her sister Brandi. “She would always beg to go out when we went out. Sometimes she would tag along, but sometimes … we wanted to do our own thing.”

Sheree developed a love for sports at a young age after being introduced to them at school. She began cooking because she loved to help her mom however she could. She would always help Lillie prepare chicken and fish, and entire meals during holidays. Her siblings also share the love of cooking instilled in them by their mother at a young age.

Her sense of fashion also reflected her athleticism. According to her family, Sheree always preferred to wear t-shirts and jeans rather than dresses or skirts.

After high school, Sheree stopped following her sister around and instead began traveling around the United States on her own. She would often call her mom from a different place in the country, though she never got the chance to travel internationally.

At the time of her murder, Sheree was married to her husband, with whom she had four children – two sets of twins. After her death, her husband began raising their four children alone.

She dreamed of one day going to college for nursing, her mother remembers. “She always dreamed of helping people,” said Lillie. At the time, Sheree worked as a pretzel maker, in addition to working somewhere downtown.

On the day she was murdered, Sheree was seen with a man who was investigated as a suspect but was never charged. He later died.

Lillie remembers where she was when she heard about Sheree – the restaurant where they spent so much time together. She had just started working when she got the news.

“The cops came in and asked me if I was Sheree’s mother,” said Lillie. “When I said that I was, they sat me down and told me that she was dead and that her body had been found in a dumpster that morning.”

Despite everything, her family still remembers the holidays they shared with Sheree the most.

A talented gift-giver, Sheree’s favorite holiday was Christmas. So now her family visits her grave on Christmas every year with her favorite dessert – a 7-Up cake – and they spend time together, just like she and Lillie did in the restaurant so long ago.

But it’s not all good times when it comes to remembering Sheree. There are days when grief hits Lillie so hard that she can’t even get out of bed. All she can do is cry and wonder who took her daughter away and why. On those days, Lillie calls her family and reminisces about Sheree.

The family remembers her smile and sense of humor the most. “She was a fun, loving, bright, beautiful-smiled girl,” said Brandi.

Anyone with information regarding Sheree’s unsolved homicide is asked to call the West Valley City Police Department at (801) 963-3300. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Crime Stoppers USA (800) 222-8477.

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