Reply #10: One of my best friends was murdered 19 months ago [View All]

[Awsi Dooger]

His name was Larry Mathews and he disappeared from Las Vegas in March 2004. For more than a month his friends tried to rationalize it as leisurely travel, taking off unnanounced at the last minute. But then his mother put out a missing persons report in April. She hadn't heard from Larry since early March. When I saw that missing person flyer I immediately suspected the worst. Larry told me he spoke to his mother at least once per week.

They found his body in the desert, a gunshot victim and so badly decomposed after more than a month it was unidentifiable, until a DNA match with his mother confirmed the identity. I gave all my info to a homicide detective. It was weird as hell, being asked questions like, "When was the last time you saw Larry?" I started to write a DU thread on the matter, but it was a stressed time and I didn't feel up to answering responses, even though they would have been well wishers.

Larry's murder is still unsolved. The most recent rumor is a couple he knew and trusted may have been responsible. Larry was a cash and carry guy who played poker, blackjack, bonus slot machines and bet sports. He flashed wads of cash, and I guess we never warned him about that nearly enough.