Do you know who murdered ?
Essie Otten Reed, a 57-year-old woman known for her resilience and dedication to her family, was a familiar and beloved presence in her Westside Las Vegas neighborhood. A native of Columbia, Louisiana, Essie had built a life in Nevada, working for 14 years as a housekeeper at the Circus Circus hotel. Described as barely five feet tall, she was a woman who, rain or shine, could be counted on to make her daily journey to work to support her family. Neighbors and police alike remembered her as a kind lady who was simply on her way to her job, not someone engaged in any kind of high-risk lifestyle.
The morning of October 10, 2000, began like any other for Essie. She rose before dawn and left her home on George Place shortly after 5 a.m. for the short walk to the bus stop at the corner of D Street and Paul Street. As she waited for the bus that would take her to the Strip, a young man on a bicycle approached her. He threatened her with a small-caliber pistol and demanded money. As Essie, defenseless, fumbled in her purse to give him the $10 he demanded, the man shot her in the head.
In the moments that followed, the assailant’s brutality escalated. Instead of fleeing with her purse, he dragged her behind a nearby duplex and attempted to sexually assault her. After failing, he left her for dead. But Essie’s fight was not over. With unimaginable strength and her life slipping away, she managed to get up, walk back to her house, and dial 911. "Will you send the police?" she asked the operator, identifying herself as Mrs. Reed. "I been shot and robbed." When asked what happened, she calmly explained, "I was at the bus stop and some young man or something shot me in my right side of my ear."
Police and paramedics arrived minutes later and rushed her to University Medical Center. She was able to give a brief statement to detectives before she fell into a coma. For more than two months, Essie clung to life. Her fight ended on Christmas Eve 2000, when she succumbed to her injuries. The official date of death has been recorded by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as November 10, 2000, though a more detailed report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal states she passed away on December 24.
The investigation was initially handled by detectives from the sexual assault detail before being classified as a homicide. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) described the suspect as a Black male who approached Essie while she waited for the bus. Detective Barry Jensen, who worked the case, recalled her as a woman who was simply going about her life. "She was a lady who went to work every day," he stated years later. "The neighbors we talked to all liked her... And it's important to remember she was somebody's mom."
Despite the passage of time, Essie’s killer has never been identified, and no arrests have been made in her case. The murder of a hardworking mother and grandmother on her way to her job remains a painful open wound for her family and the community she was a part of. The case is a cold case, but investigators believe that someone, somewhere has the information that could finally bring justice for Essie Otten Reed.
As of May 2009, the case remained unsolved, with detectives still hoping for a break. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information regarding the murder of Essie Otten is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521.
