1950 - 1969
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Case#: 69-177756
Victim: Alphonse Bass, 36
Suspect: Unknown
Location: 3787 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89115
Date: March 30, 1969
Synopsis: On March 30, 1969, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Clark County Sheriff’s Deputies were flagged down by a motorist who reported a house fire on the corner of Lake Mead and Stevens. Deputies responded to 3787 E. Lake Mead Blvd., where they located a male victim, later identified as Alphonse Bass, who was badly burned. He was transported by ambulance to Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital, where he died the following morning from burn injuries and smoke inhalation.
A neighbor who saw the fire from her kitchen window reported seeing a green Ford Mustang leaving the area. The investigation revealed the fire had been intentionally set, with two points of origin.
Investigators identified Thomas Hanley as a suspect. Bass had been scheduled to testify against Hanley in the 1966 murder of Ralph Alsup (CCSO 144-816) and had also provided statements implicating Hanley in the murders of Marvin Shumate (CCSO 162-791) and Anna Sylvia Just (CCSO 165-695).
Also charged with conspiracy in the murder of Bass were attorney Albert Dreyer, acting on behalf of Hanley, and associate Leroy Marsh. A Las Vegas Review-Journal article dated July 16, 1969, reported that charges against Hanley, Dreyer, and Marsh had been dropped. Hanley’s wife later wrote a book claiming that Hanley’s son, Granby Hanley, drugged Bass and set the fire that killed him.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com
Case#: 69-2370
Victim: Joseph L. O'Hare, 67
Suspect: Unknown
Location: 1816 Weldon Place, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Date: Shot on February 8, 1969, died February 22, 1969
Synopsis: On the morning of February 8, 1969, Joseph L. O’Hare was shot in the head in front of his home at 1816 Weldon Place as he walked outside to retrieve the newspaper. O’Hare was conscious when transported to the hospital and made vague statements indicating he had been “slugged” on the way to get the paper.
O’Hare had more than $2,000 in his pocket and was wearing several pieces of expensive jewelry at the time of the incident. In the days leading up to the shooting, a white camper with a blue stripe had been seen on the street. That same vehicle was observed speeding away from the scene shortly after the shooting. A sketch of the suspicious vehicle was included in the case file.
Interviews revealed that O’Hare had been employed as a dealer at the Hotel Fremont in Downtown Las Vegas. Acquaintances stated he also made money as a “bookie.” There was speculation that he may have been targeted by a jealous husband or boyfriend of a woman he had been seeing socially.
Joseph O’Hare succumbed to his injuries on February 22, 1969. Persons of interest were identified, but there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com
Case#: 66-144816
Victim: Ralph Howard Alsup Sr.
Suspect: Unknown
Location: 2353 E. Warm Springs Road, Las Vegas, NV
Date: January 19, 1966
Synopsis: On January 19, 1966, at approximately 11:08 p.m., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Ralph Howard Alsup Jr. reporting that his father had been shot near his residence at 2353 E. Warm Springs Road.
Responding deputies located Ralph Howard Alsup Sr. in the front yard of the home, inside a fenced area. A weak pulse was detected, and he was transported to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
An autopsy conducted on January 20, 1966, revealed Alsup Sr. had been shot with a shotgun. The autopsy documented twenty-one entrance wounds.
During a follow-up search on January 21, 1966, investigators located a 12-gauge bolt-action, clip-fed shotgun approximately 2,633 feet north of the Boulder Canyon Branch railroad tracks and 265 feet east of Eastern Avenue.
Detectives charged Tom Hanley and Carl Black (aka Carl Schwartz) with arranging the murder. However, on March 30, 1970, Deputy District Attorney J.E. Harrington filed a motion to dismiss the charges. In his affidavit, one of the reasons cited was that two of the four witnesses had been killed.
Because the dismissal originated from the prosecution, the case against Hanley and Black could not be refiled under NRS 178.554 and 178.562. However, there is no bar to prosecuting the as-yet-unidentified shooter.
Case#: CCSO 108-325
Victim: Robert Nesbitt Knall
AKA: Pasquale
Suspect: Unknown
Location: 0.4 miles south of Desert Inn Rd., 171 feet west of Sandhill Road., Clark County, Nevada
Date: Recovered December 4, 1960 (Body discovered February 3, 1960)
Possible Primary Crime Scene: 1131 Eastwood Dr., Apt. A, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Synopsis: On December 3, 1960, a pet dog carried a partially skeletonized human foot and lower leg to a residence near Sandhill Rd. and Tumbleweed Ave. The following day, additional remains were located in a desert area near 3400 S. Sandhill Rd., Las Vegas, NV.
The investigation revealed Knall had been released from Utah State Prison in April 1960 and was working odd jobs in Las Vegas for several attorneys, including Peter Flangas and John Stone. He was widely known by the nickname "Pasquale" and frequently visited the Moulin Rouge, Cinnabar (122 N. 2nd St., Las Vegas, NV), and the California Club (101 Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV).
Blood evidence was discovered at Knall’s last known address, 1131 Eastwood Dr., Apt. A, where he had been staying with acquaintances James Grant and Linda Taylor. Taylor later identified herself as Gail Joyce Legault. The property owners, upon learning of the possible connection to the murder investigation, reported the bloodstains; however, they had already cleaned most of the interior and rented the apartment to new tenants.
Despite investigative efforts, the murder weapon was never recovered. While detectives pursued several promising leads, no suspect has been charged in this case.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.
Case#: CCSO 101-650
Victim: Violanda Margaret Leonard, 30 (Also known as: Violanda Margaret Josephine Ardito)
Suspect: Unknown
Location: 1/4 mile off Lakeshore Road, near Lake Mead
Date: June 6, 1959
Synopsis: On June 6, 1959, the nude body of a female was found approximately ¼ mile off Lakeshore Road, near Lake Mead. The victim was identified as Violanda M. Leonard. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the back of the head.
Violanda had been staying at the Union Hotel, located at Main Street and Bridger Avenue in Las Vegas, Nevada. She had traveled to Las Vegas from Amarillo, Texas, via Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Three days before her body was found, Violanda contacted a Las Vegas police officer requesting a background check on a man named Herbert Buell. She stated that she planned to marry him and was concerned about his ability to support her and her children.
The day after Violanda’s body was found, a man named Herbert Buell died by suicide by stepping in front of a moving train near the Union Hotel. At the time of his death, Buell had been reported missing from San Antonio, Texas.
Several of Violanda’s associates were investigated, and others provided information regarding her movements in Las Vegas. No arrests have been made in the homicide of Violanda Leonard.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.
Case#: CCSO 100-294
Victim: Evelyn Grace Shank, 45
Suspect: Unknown
Location: Travelodge Motel 2830 S. Fifth St., Las Vegas, NV
Date: February 4, 1959 (Body discovered February 7, 1959)
Synopsis: Evelyn Shank, the night clerk at the Travelodge, was kidnapped on February 4th, 1959, between 11:00 P.M. and 11:40 P.M. Her relief worker arrived to discover the switchboard/desk area unoccupied. When he could not locate Mrs. Shank, he called the police. It was determined that approximately $174.50 had been taken. Some of the money consisted of rolled coins. An all-points bulletin was broadcast, and roadblocks were set up in Henderson, Boulder City, Las Vegas, and outlying areas in Clark County.
On February 7, 1959, the body of Evelyn Shank was discovered near Mountain Springs off SR 160 (Pahrump Valley Highway) in a flood drainage area by people riding on horseback. The victim died from a gunshot wound to the head. The murder weapon was likely a .32-20 (.32 WCF) revolver.
A 14kt yellow gold with two large white cultured pearls, size 8 ring and a Gruen, 10kt yellow gold, 17 jewel movement, with a yellow gold 'snake' band wristwatch were taken from the victim and never recovered.
READ: Evelyn Grace Shank Bulletin
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.
Case #: CCSO 120-526
Victim: James Harry Hartley, 33
Suspect: Unknown
Location: Paradise Rd. near the old Los Angeles Highway, Sloan, Nevada
Date: Body discovered on March 13, 1954
Synopsis: Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the discovery of a body, buried in the desert, at the above location. The victim was later identified as James Hartley; Hartley was a business agent for the Sheet Metal Worker's Union, Local 88. An autopsy was performed and determined that the victim died from a gunshot to the head. His car was found in Los Angeles, across from the sheet metal worker's union hall, with several bullet holes in the windshield.
Several leads were pursued related to Union activity but no one was ever charged.
READ: Review Journal article March 23, 2023
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.