Do you know who murdered Rosemary Phoenix? In the spring of 1993, the vibrant life of Rosemary Phoenix, a 35-year-old Caucasian woman, was brutally cut short in her Las Vegas home. A popular and vivacious single mother to a seven-year-old daughter, Rosemary worked as a dealer at the prestigious Mirage casino. Her warmth and friendly nature left a lasting impression on those who knew her, making the events of May 13, 1993, all the more shocking and tragic.
On the night she was killed, Rosemary left work a little earlier than usual
and drove to her residence on Broad River Drive in the northwest part of the city. In a departure from her normal routine of parking in the garage, her car was found parked about 50 yards from her house, unlocked and with the dome light still on. Investigators believe that upon entering her home through the front door, she was ambushed by her attacker. The garage door opener had been disabled, suggesting a premeditated act by someone familiar with her habits.
The scene discovered by authorities was one of extreme violence. Rosemary had been bludgeoned with a blunt instrument and stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife. The personal and ferocious nature of the assault led detectives to suspect that the killer was someone she knew and trusted. There were no signs of forced entry into the house, and it appeared the scene may have been staged to resemble a robbery.
Her body was discovered in the early morning hours of May 14th by her boyfriend, who then contacted the police. In the months and years that followed, the case grew cold, leaving a lingering sense of injustice for her family and friends. Desperate to keep the investigation alive, her boyfriend created and distributed flyers and a video about her life and unsolved murder. Despite these efforts and the collection of DNA evidence from the scene, which did not match her boyfriend or ex-husband, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murder of Rosemary Phoenix. The case remains an open and haunting mystery for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
