Fascinating Unsolved Casino Mysteries
Given that casinos house millions of dollars and there are often clear-cut links to organised crime, it’s no wonder that crime rates in the area tend to rise when a new casino opens. As such, there are thousands of fascinating stories about casino heists, murders, and disappearances linked to casinos and here we discuss a few mysteries that remain unsolved today.
The Murder of Jodie Bordeaux
In 1997, husband and wife Jodie and Shawn Bordeaux were living in a rural farmhouse on the Kickapoo Reservation near Powhattan, Kansas, and both were employed by the local Native-owned casino, Golden Eagle. On 21 November 1997, an unknown assailant fired a shower of bullets through the windows of the Bordeaux farmhouse and Jodie was struck in the head and killed. Jodie was 7 months pregnant with the couple’s first child.
While there were many suspects in the crime, Shawn Bordeaux believes that the crime was linked to a situation at their place of work. Jodie had worked her way up to a promotion at the Golden Eagle Casino and many employees were resentful that Jodie – who was not Native American – got such a prominent position in a Native-owned casino. Jodie had received numerous threatening anonymous phone calls in the days leading up to her murder and despite the suspicious circumstances Jodie’s murder has never been solved.
The Disappearance of Trevor Angell
Trevor Angell, 28, was living in Calgary, Alberta and working as a long-haul truck driver in 2000, transporting produce between Canada and the United States. On 19 September during a routine run between Los Angeles and Canada, Angell spoke to his wife claiming that he hadn’t slept in 4 days – perhaps from enjoying too much CAD casino – and was going to quit the trucking business after delivering one last load. Angell spoke with a dispatcher on 22 September which was the last time anyone had any communication with him and shortly after his truck was found abandoned in the parking lot of Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino in Primm, Nevada.
Angell was known to enjoy gambling and often stopped at Whiskey Pete’s during trips across the country. His abandoned truck had been fuelled-up and Angell’s empty wallet was discovered on the front seat. Angell’s ATM card was used to withdraw his entire paycheck over 9 transactions throughout the course of a single day, but it’s unclear as to who was making the withdrawals. Witnesses claimed to have seen Angell in the casino parking lot looking sick and disorientated, but Angell was never seen or heard from again.
The Bill Brennan Heist
Bill Brennan was employed as a sportsbook cashier at the Stardust Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for four years and on the morning of 22 September 1992, Brennan arrived at work as usual. However, this day was not like any other as during his lunchbreak, Brennan managed to walk out of the casino with $507,361 in stolen money and chips. Brennan did not draw any attention to himself during the heist and it is believed that he had studied the security systems as he was not caught on any surveillance footage stealing the cash or leaving the casino.
Casino employees stated that Brennan was just an average guy who had never caused any problems, but after being looked over for a promotion, Brennan had started spending time with a shady regular bettor at the casino. This bettor also disappeared a few months after the heist, leading authorities to believe that he and Brennan had orchestrated the crime together, but neither has ever been found.