In the last article I examined the likelihood of a killer who either worked at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino, or somebody who frequented the establishment regularly and knew well the details of Donna Lass, who worked at the casino as a nurse, The FBI files suggested that Donna Lass' vehicle had remained in the parking space outside her apartment when she left for work on September 5th 1970. This would make sense had she planned to go out for some alcoholic beverages after her shift ended at 2:00 am on September 6th 1970. By all accounts Donna Lass was a responsible young woman, who probably chose to walk the 3/4 mile (15 minute) journey to work that afternoon, to begin her shift at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel at 6:00 pm, rather than drink and drive. This has some validity, because just before the end of her shift she changed into a fashionable navy blue slack suit with matching shoes and purse/handbag. Investigators discovered that Donna occasionally went for drinks after work.
DONNA ANN LASS (25) It was outlined in the previous article that many things about this case point to a killer who knew intimate details about the life of Donna Lass. The sinister phone call on September 7th 1970 stated that Donna Lass had been called out of town because of a family illness, that would have failed to have the desired effect of "buying time" had her family lived in South Lake Tahoe rather than Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The killer must have been aware of this personal information. The phone call wasn't made prior to 6:00 pm on September 6th 1970 excusing her absence from work, suggesting that the perpetrator knew she wasn't due in work that day. The phone caller (according to the private investigator's report) used the name of her new landlord, by claiming he was "Mr. Davis" (Nick Davis) when reporting Donna's absence due to a family illness. Nick Davis vehemently denied he was the one who made the call to Gordon Petrovich, a security guard at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel.
It should be pretty obvious the caller wasn't Nick Davis, because if he had murdered Donna Lass on the morning of September 6th 1970, he most certainly wouldn't have given his name over the phone and implicated himself in her disappearance (and murder) by giving a fake story of a family illness, which when uncovered during the resulting investigation would inevitably have drawn interest from law enforcement. The person who gave this fake story, not only knew her family lived "out of town", but knew to use the name of "Mr. Davis" when ringing the Sahara Tahoe Hotel on September 7th 1970, which would have added a level of credibility to her absence.
This detail is absolutely crucial, because Donna Lass only signed her tenancy/rental agreement on September 5th 1970, before she left for work that day. That means that the killer very likely learned this information from Donna Lass between the time she signed the rental agreement and the time of her murder, sometime before the phone call on September 7th 1970. It is certainly plausible that Donna Lass could have shared the information of her new landlord and apartment in the few hours after her shift ended at 2:00 am, with whomever she went for a drink with (if this transpired). The sort of information she would obviously have been excited about, having now secured an apartment of her own. If the person she went for a drink with was a colleague, friend or acquaintance, it is not unreasonable to assume she told them she wasn't due in work later that day. Hence why the malicious phone caller rang the casino on September 7th 1970 rather than the day before, and gave the name of "Mr. Davis" to add validity to the story and deflect suspicion away from themselves. This is why we should focus on colleagues and friends Donna had previously drank with.
It should be pretty obvious the caller wasn't Nick Davis, because if he had murdered Donna Lass on the morning of September 6th 1970, he most certainly wouldn't have given his name over the phone and implicated himself in her disappearance (and murder) by giving a fake story of a family illness, which when uncovered during the resulting investigation would inevitably have drawn interest from law enforcement. The person who gave this fake story, not only knew her family lived "out of town", but knew to use the name of "Mr. Davis" when ringing the Sahara Tahoe Hotel on September 7th 1970, which would have added a level of credibility to her absence.
This detail is absolutely crucial, because Donna Lass only signed her tenancy/rental agreement on September 5th 1970, before she left for work that day. That means that the killer very likely learned this information from Donna Lass between the time she signed the rental agreement and the time of her murder, sometime before the phone call on September 7th 1970. It is certainly plausible that Donna Lass could have shared the information of her new landlord and apartment in the few hours after her shift ended at 2:00 am, with whomever she went for a drink with (if this transpired). The sort of information she would obviously have been excited about, having now secured an apartment of her own. If the person she went for a drink with was a colleague, friend or acquaintance, it is not unreasonable to assume she told them she wasn't due in work later that day. Hence why the malicious phone caller rang the casino on September 7th 1970 rather than the day before, and gave the name of "Mr. Davis" to add validity to the story and deflect suspicion away from themselves. This is why we should focus on colleagues and friends Donna had previously drank with.
If Donna Lass was heading off for a drink with individuals such as the ones described in the private investigator's report above, then these are the sort of people who could conceivably have known enough about Donna's life to make that phone call. Of course, these particular men may have played no part in the disappearance and murder of Donna Lass, but Ramon Vascuas admitted he saw Donna several times on the Labor Day weekend and had previously drank with her, just not during the crucial time period of her disappearance because he was "very busy". The Lowe's, who Donna Lass had previously lived with for several months, claimed that Ramon Vacuas, a worker at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel, had once dated Donna Lass and attempted to kiss her, before being rebuffed.
A male by the name of Tony Chapman, who never "really" dated Donna, openly admitted to having after work drinks with her for several hours at a time. On one occasion up to 5:00 am in the morning. And another until 4:00 am, accompanied by his roommate Vern Lauflin, who both seemingly lived at 3608 Terry Lane in an apartment complex similar to Donna's (unless it was typed incorrectly in the report). The apartment at 3608 Terry Lane is 3/4 mile beyond the home of Donna Lass and sits close to Pioneer Trail Road.
If Donna had drank with these gentlemen previously and was absent of her vehicle on those occasions, it is not unreasonable to conclude that she would likely have walked with both (or either) as they traveled home. After all, they shared a common route along Pioneer Trail Road. The alternative, is that she accepted a lift home from them (assuming they had a vehicle). If Donna Lass had left her vehicle at her apartment complex on September 5th 1970 and got changed into her civilian clothes on September 6th 1970 at 2:00 am, before meeting up with somebody for a drink, then it is not inconceivable she opted to walk, or accept a lift from such a person. Somebody who courteously escorted her directly to her front door - and possibly beyond. Her purse/handbag, with personal cosmetics, check book and money, apparently made it home that morning, but the clothes she was last seen wearing at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel on September 6th 1970 at 2:00 am, just disappeared into the night.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: A KILLER FROM THE CASINO? [PART ONE]
A male by the name of Tony Chapman, who never "really" dated Donna, openly admitted to having after work drinks with her for several hours at a time. On one occasion up to 5:00 am in the morning. And another until 4:00 am, accompanied by his roommate Vern Lauflin, who both seemingly lived at 3608 Terry Lane in an apartment complex similar to Donna's (unless it was typed incorrectly in the report). The apartment at 3608 Terry Lane is 3/4 mile beyond the home of Donna Lass and sits close to Pioneer Trail Road.
If Donna had drank with these gentlemen previously and was absent of her vehicle on those occasions, it is not unreasonable to conclude that she would likely have walked with both (or either) as they traveled home. After all, they shared a common route along Pioneer Trail Road. The alternative, is that she accepted a lift home from them (assuming they had a vehicle). If Donna Lass had left her vehicle at her apartment complex on September 5th 1970 and got changed into her civilian clothes on September 6th 1970 at 2:00 am, before meeting up with somebody for a drink, then it is not inconceivable she opted to walk, or accept a lift from such a person. Somebody who courteously escorted her directly to her front door - and possibly beyond. Her purse/handbag, with personal cosmetics, check book and money, apparently made it home that morning, but the clothes she was last seen wearing at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel on September 6th 1970 at 2:00 am, just disappeared into the night.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: A KILLER FROM THE CASINO? [PART ONE]
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