3893 Pioneer Trail Road As stated in previous articles, the person who phoned the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino on either September 7th or 8th claiming to be Mr. Davis and that Donna Lass had been called out of town for a family illness, was almost certainly the murderer of the young 25-year-old nurse. An individual who knew that she worked at the casino, knew her family lived "out of town" and knew where she lived by using the surname of her landlord, Nick Davis. This sort of information is unlikely to be known by a stranger who just randomly abducted Donna Lass from the street. This individual chose to phone the casino to seemingly buy time for his actions. The murderer of Donna Lass could have been somebody living at the 3893 Pioneer Trail Road apartments or an individual who worked at, or frequented the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino, picking up relevant information about her circumstances in casual conversation.
Although many people lived at the Pioneer Trail Road apartments, the private investigator's report into her disappearance only mentioned Raymond Jacobs, a local taxicab driver, who moved away from the apartments shortly after she vanished and relocated to 3780 Aspen Avenue. Was this the reason the private investigator focused in on Jacobs, who he recruited to provide him with information? Somebody living at the apartments at the time of Donna's disappearance would have certainly known the name of her landlord, Mr. Davis. Or was this information acquired by the killer through interactions with Donna Lass at the casino?
Although many people lived at the Pioneer Trail Road apartments, the private investigator's report into her disappearance only mentioned Raymond Jacobs, a local taxicab driver, who moved away from the apartments shortly after she vanished and relocated to 3780 Aspen Avenue. Was this the reason the private investigator focused in on Jacobs, who he recruited to provide him with information? Somebody living at the apartments at the time of Donna's disappearance would have certainly known the name of her landlord, Mr. Davis. Or was this information acquired by the killer through interactions with Donna Lass at the casino?
Brynn Rainey (27) Recently we have been delving into the life of murderer Joseph Stephen Holt, who strangled both Brynn Rainey (27) in 1977 and Carol Andersen (16) in 1979, because we now know that he most likely made a phone call to the Sahara Tahoe Hotel after the abduction of Brynn Rainey, who also worked there. If Donna Lass was murdered by Joseph Stephen Holt, can we place him inside the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino at the relevant time?
The answer is no - but if he was living at the 1390 Keller Road home in any of the weeks up to her disappearance - we can place him just 596 meters from a woman who knew Donna Lass and had drinks with her on several occasions after her work shift ended. A woman who also knew Jo Anne Goettsche, the close friend of Donna Lass who once lived with her in San Francisco and came to visit Donna Lass at the time she went missing. Jane Allen stated that although she wasn't a close friend of Donna Lass, she drank with her after hours - and according to the timeline of the private investigator - Jane Allen saw Donna Lass the night of September 2nd 1970, just three days prior to her last being seen alive. So is it possible Jane Allen could have crossed paths with Joseph Stephen Holt and spoke with him?
In 1970, Jane Allen lived at the once home at 4180 Saddle Road, a cul-de-sac address only 596 meters from 1390 Keller Road. Any time she wanted to leave this address by car, her only exit route would have taken her onto Keller Road. Her quickest route by vehicle to the Sahara Tahoe Hotel would have had her passing the 1390 Keller Road home, heading towards the Pioneer Trail Road apartment of Donna Lass. Had she decided to leave her 4180 Saddle Road home on foot, her safest route based upon the terrain (shown by the red line), has her entering the eastern side of Bridle Road and traveling westwards to Keller Road, 40 meters shy of 1390 Keller Road. Her other possible route has her traveling westwards on Crest Road, emerging 140 meters above 1390 Keller Road (shown by the blue line). If Joseph Stephen Holt was living in South Lake Tahoe at the time, did she ever get to know him through the close proximity of the two addresses?
The answer is no - but if he was living at the 1390 Keller Road home in any of the weeks up to her disappearance - we can place him just 596 meters from a woman who knew Donna Lass and had drinks with her on several occasions after her work shift ended. A woman who also knew Jo Anne Goettsche, the close friend of Donna Lass who once lived with her in San Francisco and came to visit Donna Lass at the time she went missing. Jane Allen stated that although she wasn't a close friend of Donna Lass, she drank with her after hours - and according to the timeline of the private investigator - Jane Allen saw Donna Lass the night of September 2nd 1970, just three days prior to her last being seen alive. So is it possible Jane Allen could have crossed paths with Joseph Stephen Holt and spoke with him?
In 1970, Jane Allen lived at the once home at 4180 Saddle Road, a cul-de-sac address only 596 meters from 1390 Keller Road. Any time she wanted to leave this address by car, her only exit route would have taken her onto Keller Road. Her quickest route by vehicle to the Sahara Tahoe Hotel would have had her passing the 1390 Keller Road home, heading towards the Pioneer Trail Road apartment of Donna Lass. Had she decided to leave her 4180 Saddle Road home on foot, her safest route based upon the terrain (shown by the red line), has her entering the eastern side of Bridle Road and traveling westwards to Keller Road, 40 meters shy of 1390 Keller Road. Her other possible route has her traveling westwards on Crest Road, emerging 140 meters above 1390 Keller Road (shown by the blue line). If Joseph Stephen Holt was living in South Lake Tahoe at the time, did she ever get to know him through the close proximity of the two addresses?
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If the two had ever sat together (as acquaintances) at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino for after hours drinks, it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that Joseph Stephen Holt could have met Donna Lass through Jane Allen. We know that both Joseph Stephen Holt and Donna Lass shared a passion for skiing. And we know that two phone calls were received by the Sahara Tahoe Hotel in 1970 and 1977 excusing the absences of Donna Lass and Brynn Rainey, with the latter call almost certainly placed by Joseph Stephen Holt. Jane Allen is the only person I could find who knew Donna Lass and Jo Ann Goettsche, that I could place in close proximity to an address accessible to Joseph Stephen Holt.
THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR'S REPORT INTO THE DONNA LASS DISAPPEARANCE
THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR'S REPORT INTO THE DONNA LASS DISAPPEARANCE
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