In early April of 2001, the life of 50-year-old Anne Royale Suazo took a devastating and mysterious turn. After separating from her husband the previous year, Anne had been living with her adult daughter, Bethany Rodriguez, in North Las Vegas, Nevada, and was working as a clerk at a See's Candies store. She had entered into a new relationship with a 27-year-old pizza delivery man named Michael Messick.
While Anne had expressed to her sister that she was in love, her daughter held a different view, telling authorities that Messick seemed to only show interest in her mother after she received her weekly paycheck. The relationship was fraught with a tumultuous cycle of Messick disappearing from Anne's life only to return with apologies when her next check arrived. This pattern led Bethany to ask her mother to keep Messick away from their apartment.
The circumstances leading to Anne's disappearance began to unfold in the early morning hours of April 3, 2001. Bethany discovered that her mother had allowed Messick into their home, leading to a brief argument between mother and daughter. At approximately 6:00 a.m., Anne left the residence with Messick in her minivan. Bethany noted that Messick appeared unkempt and as though he had been awake for an extended period; it was reported he was a heavy amphetamine user at the time. Anne never arrived for her shift at work later that day and was never heard from again. Her daughter last saw her leaving their residence in North Las Vegas, Nevada.
The days that followed were filled with growing concern and a series of disturbing discoveries. Anne's family reported her missing on April 6, noting that it was uncharacteristic of her not to be in contact with loved ones. Three days later, on April 9, Anne's minivan was found abandoned along Charleston Boulevard near Antelope Way. Investigators initially tested small brown stains found inside the vehicle, but the results, which came back on April 11, were negative for blood. On that same day, detectives went to question Messick at his residence, but no one answered. Later that morning, an unidentified man called investigators and passed the phone to Messick, who claimed he had dropped Anne off near the Boulder Station and Casino on April 3 and hadn't seen her since. The detective found Messick to be evasive and unwilling to meet in person. The investigation took a grim turn when the body of Messick's mother, Hisayo Miller, was discovered in her condominium on April 11, leading to Messick's arrest for her murder. A subsequent search of Messick's own vehicle, a Geo Metro, revealed traces of Anne's blood in the cargo hatch. In April 2002, a grand jury indicted Messick for Anne's murder, and in May 2003, he was convicted of second-degree murder in her death and first-degree murder in the death of his mother. He was sentenced to two life terms in prison. Despite the conviction, Anne's body has never been found, leaving her family without the closure of laying her to rest. The case officially remains that of an endangered missing person, a painful reminder of a life cut short and the lingering questions that remain unanswered.Last Seen: Apr 3, 2001
