1967 — Jan 6, suicide and homicide bomb explosion, Orbit Inn Motel, Las Vegas, NV– 6

–6 AP. “Vegas Motel Blast Kills 6: Suicide Clues Under Probe.” Oakland Tribune, CA. 1-7-1967, p. 1.
–6 Jones, Jon C. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” NFPA, Fire Journal, May 1981, 40.
–6 Las Vegas Sun. “Timeline.” Accessed 4-27-2022/

Narrative Information

Jan 7: “Las Vegas, Nev. (AP) – A dynamite blast police said apparently was touched off by a bullet heavily damaged a three-story motel today, killing six persons and injuring eight. Dist. Atty. George Franklin Jr. said the explosion, which rocked the downtown area, centered in room 214 of the Orbit Inn, registered to a Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Paris of Hollywood, Calif. He said they were driving a car with Florida license plates Officers found wires in the back seat of the car which they could not explain, Franklin said.

“A charred 25 caliber automatic pistol was found in the alley behind the motel close to a severed human hand, Franklin said. Franklin said he suspected suicide and if this was the case ‘he took a lot of others with him.’ Franklin said the wires were an indication someone had planned a suicide ‘probably right in the middle of downtown.’

“Demolition experts identified the explosive and said it was set off by someone who knew little about dynamite.

“The bodies of six persons were found in the rubble after the 1:25 a.mm explosion in the Orbit Inn, a 73-unit motel four blocks from a cluster of downtown casinos and two miles from the famed Las Vegas Strip….” (Associated Press. “Vegas Motel Blast Kills 6: Suicide Clues Under Probe.” Oakland Tribune, CA. 1-7-1967, p. 1.

Jan 8: “Las Vegas, Nev. (UPI) – A dynamite bomb, apparently triggered by a man bent on suicide, ripped open a modern three-story motel in this gambling capital Saturday, killing six persons. At least 12 others were injured.

“Police found a .25 caliber pistol they believed had been used to detonate the dynamite. Ammunition for the pistol was found in a nearby car registered to R. J. Paris of Hollywood.

“Dist. Atty. George Franklin Jr. said an examination of the small foreign car revealed two sharp wires coming out of the battery. Franklin said it appeared Paris had originally set the charge of dynamite to go off in his car, ‘but decided to change his mind and took it up to the room on the second floor instead. ‘Based on what we know,’ Franklin said, ‘I am almost convinced Paris used the pistol to detonate the dynamite.’

“At mid-afternoon, firemen were still mopping up debris from the 1:30 a.m. disaster that dismembered the bodies of victims and caused an estimated $200,000 damage to the $1 million Orbit Inn Motel.

“The dead, police said, were Paris, 28, and his wife Christine, 22; George Brooks, 68, Sedona, Ariz., and his bride Arnell, 57; John Auwaerter, 60, Buena Park, Calif., and his wife Lillian, 58.

“Paris, a former shipping clerk, was believed to be in the Army stationed at Ft. Ord. Calif.

“The motel night clerk said that Brooks told him he and the former Arnell Thornton had just gotten married.

“Fifty-two persons were registered in the motel. More than a dozen were injured and six were hospitalized.

“Police theorized the bomb was fashioned from 10 to 14 sticks of dynamite and was triggered in Room 214 on the second floor – the room in which a Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Paris were registered.

“Investigators found the pistol behind the motel. It had been ‘pretty well banged up’ from being thrown against a cement block wall by the force of the explosion, they said.

“The explosion cracked windows for several blocks. Its force threw a human head into an alley across from the motel, and a woman’s leg was found imbedded in a cement block wall. A woman’s mud-splattered hand was found with wedding and engagement rings still on a finger.

“The 147-unit U-shaped motel is situated on Fremont Street, the main thoroughfare in the downtown casino area Floors were collapsed to the ground, but part of the roof structure bridged over.

“Electric power was disrupted in nearby buildings, including the El Cortex Hotel and Casino.” (United Press International. “Six Die in Las Vegas Bombing.” Nevada State Journal, Reno. 1-8-1967, p. 1.)

Las Vegas Sun. “Timeline.” Accessed 4-27-2022: “…Richard James Paris, a 28-year-old Army deserter, committed suicide by firing a handgun into a pile of dynamite, also killing his wife Christine, John and Lillian Auwaerter from California and newlyweds George and Arnell Brooks from Arizona….

“ ‘It definitely was a bomb, no question about it’ said Dist. Atty. George Franklin, commenting upon the savage explosion which ripped through the $250,000 downtown motel about 1:30 a.m. yesterday. ‘It was an amateur job though,’ he said. ‘A professional doesn’t use too much of what he needs.’ Police and a Nellis Air Force Base demolition expert feel that at least 30 sticks of dynamite were used and the device was triggered in the second story room occupied by Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Paris.

“Local and Federal agents alike are searching for a motive and consider revenge or a suspicious husband. ‘It definitely has to be a suicide or homicide,’ Franklin said. ‘If we find anyone registered with the wrong wife or husband we’ll have our first clue.’

“Although classified by authorities as an amateur job, the blast did a job on the motel — collapsing floors to the ground and bringing out part of the roof. Across the motel courtyard windows were knocked out and walls fractured by the blast….

“Deputy coroner Harvey Schnitzer reported the blast force was fantastic — scattering victims in an unbelievable manner. All of the victims were decapitated and one skull was found lying in an adjoining alley — it had been blown through the roof and over the wall. The leg of a woman was found embedded in a wall. One of the sights greeting arriving police officers and ambulances was found on a brown paper bag — a woman’s mud-spattered hand with wedding and engagement rings still on a finger….” (Las Vegas Sun. “Timeline.” Accessed 4-27-2022.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Vegas Motel Blast Kills 6: Suicide Clues Under Probe.” Oakland Tribune, CA. 1-7-1967, p. 1. Accessed 4-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-jan-07-1967-p-27/

Jones, Jon C. “A Brief Look At The Hotel Fire Record.” National Fire Protection Association, Fire Journal, May 1981, p. 40.

Las Vegas Sun. “Timeline.” Accessed 4-27-2022 at: https://lasvegassun.com/history/timeline/ and https://lasvegassun.com/news/1967/jan/08/fbi-combs-blast-ruins/

United Press International. “Six Die in Las Vegas Bombing.” Nevada State Journal, Reno. 1-8-1967, p. 1. Accessed 4-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/nevada-state-journal-jan-08-1967-p-1/