In the fall of 1996, Richard Wayne Guarro traveled from his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada. He vanished on November 18, 1996, failing to return home from his trip. For his family, it was the beginning of a painful and prolonged mystery, a quarter-century of waiting and wondering what had become of him.
Nearly five years later, on July 7, 2001, the skeletal remains of a man were discovered in a remote area of northeast Las Vegas, near Interstate 15 and Apex Road. A report from the time noted the bones were found about five miles off the interstate. The Clark County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and ruled the death a homicide. Investigators determined the victim was a White/Caucasian male, likely between 35 and 45 years old when he died. With no identification found, he became a John Doe. His case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP243, and he was referred to as "Tortoise Reserve Doe."
For two decades, his name and his story were lost.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and its cold case detectives periodically review unsolved homicides, searching for new opportunities that advancements in technology might provide. In October 2021, a new path forward opened for the Tortoise Reserve Doe case. The LVMPD partnered with Othram, a Texas-based laboratory that specializes in resolving cold cases using advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy.
With full funding for the expensive laboratory and research process provided by the true-crime podcast company Audiochuck, Othram’s scientists began their work. They received skeletal evidence from the LVMPD and, using their proprietary Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, developed a comprehensive DNA profile. Othram's in-house team of genealogists then used this profile to search for distant relatives in public DNA databases, a technique that has helped solve numerous cold cases.
The genealogical search successfully identified potential family members of the unknown victim. Othram relayed these investigative leads to the LVMPD detectives, who then contacted the possible relatives. In February 2022, a DNA sample from one of the individuals confirmed a biological relationship; she was the victim's sister. After twenty years of anonymity, the homicide victim was formally identified as Richard Wayne Guarro.
The identification finally gave Richard's family an answer to the agonizing question of his whereabouts, but it also opened a new chapter in their search for justice. His death is now an active cold case homicide investigation. The LVMPD has expressed its gratitude to Audiochuck, whose financial support was critical in providing closure to Richard’s family and creating the opportunity to pursue new leads in his murder.
As of April 2026, the murder of Richard Wayne Guarro remains unsolved. LVMPD Homicide Cold Case detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death. They are seeking any information about Richard's activities or acquaintances during his trip to Las Vegas in November 1996. Even a seemingly small detail could be the missing piece needed to finally solve this case.
Anyone with information about Richard Wayne Guarro is urged to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Section at 702-828-3521. To provide information anonymously, individuals can call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
