Posted in Related Deaths10-1-2004 Nevada:
Caller told dispatcher police would find girlfriend's body in Treasure Island room
Lawrence Joyce told a 911 dispatcher his girlfriend's death was an accident but he was going to kill himself anyway.
In his call to Las Vegas police early Tuesday, the 34-year-old tourist did not explain why he killed Rebecca Roux, his girlfriend of four months, but he apologized as he calmly told a dispatcher that police could find her body in a Treasure Island hotel room, according to a 911 recording released Thursday.
"There is a body on the floor there," Joyce said. "Please take care of her. OK? Please get her back to her family. OK? And like I said, I'm sorry. It was a (expletive) accident, and it just spiraled out of control."
The Laconia, N.H., resident gave no details of the slaying, but detailed his violent criminal history and recounted a bizarre incident at a Treasure Island bar on the day of the killing.
"Last night, something happened to me at the bar," he told the dispatcher. "I had four drinks. I started hallucinating. OK? Security came up. I thought they were FBI. I was cowering in the corner. This is when it happened. This happened this afternoon between me and her. So I don't know if there was something in my drink, but you can just talk to security and say, `Did this happen last night?' and you'll know you have the right guy."
Several hours after the 911 call, he jumped from the Hoover Dam, plunging more than 700 feet to his death.
When he called 911 about 12:15 a.m., Joyce spelled his name and got to the point.
"I'm only gonna stay on the phone for a minute with you," he said. "I'm gonna give you guys directions to a couple of bodies, and then I'm gonna kill myself right now on the phone."
For the next three minutes and 45 seconds, Joyce urged the dispatcher to send officers to the room and resisted attempts by the dispatcher to talk him out of suicide.
"Listen, I've got to go," Joyce said. "I thank you, and trust me, there's definitely nothing you can do. God bless you and I am sorry."
"Lawrence, will you stay on the phone with me, at least a little bit longer?" the dispatcher said.
"I won't. I have to go right now. I thank you," Joyce responded.
Earlier, as he tried to convince the dispatcher that he was telling the truth, Joyce revealed his criminal past.
"You run my record, OK, you'll know I'm for real," Joyce said. "I spent four years in New Hampshire state prison for rape and kidnapping, assault and weapons charges."
He actually served just under two years on a 1990 conviction for aggravated felonious sexual assault and criminal mischief, according to a New Hampshire Department of Corrections spokesman.
In that case, Joyce kidnapped and sexually assaulted a former girlfriend, according to the Portland (Maine) Press Herald.
The four-month relationship between Joyce and Roux was rocky, and Roux had called a co-worker Monday afternoon to say they had broken up during their trip to Las Vegas, the paper reported.
During the call, Roux told the co-worker she would soon return home. About the same time, Joyce called Roux's former boss and her father to tell them she was coming home, the paper said.
But she never returned to Sanford, Maine.
Police found her body in the couple's room on the 29th floor of Treasure Island. The official cause of death was blunt trauma to the head, the coroner's office said.
Authorities later found Joyce on the dam and tried to talk him out of jumping. About 4 a.m. he jumped, leaving many unanswered questions for those he left behind.
"It's a tragedy for both families," said Joyce's father, Lawrence Joyce Sr. ..more.. by BRIAN HAYNES
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