Wednesday, Dec. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
The three Red Rock Canyon hikers who found the remains of a missing Las Vegas woman have filed a lawsuit against her husband, alleging he has refused to pay the $25,000 reward he offered for her "return."
Larry Koentopp, the former owner of the Las Vegas Stars baseball team, made the offer after searches by officials and volunteers of the sandstone recreation area west of Las Vegas failed to find the woman.
The fruitless search was concentrated in the area after Espie Koentopp's car was discovered Aug. 17 near where she frequently hiked.
The trio who sued Larry Koentopp -- John and Tammy Visoky and Michael Buer -- allege that he made false statements and misrepresentations "with the intent to deceive and induce the public into continuing the search of Red Rock."
The three claim in the legal documents filed Monday that they believed if their search was fruitful, "they would receive the reward as promised."
But after Espie Koentopp's decomposing body was found on Sept. 22, their request for the reward was refused.
Her remains were partially hidden behind a boulder, where she apparently had fallen while rock climbing and her death was believed to be accidental.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by attorney Mark LoBello, charges that Larry Koentopp's reward offer was "done maliciously, oppressively and with the intent to harm and deceive" the public.
"At no time was the reward offer contingent upon her safe return or return alive," stated the legal action that seeks unspecified compensation in excess of $70,000.
The reward was offered on fliers distributed throughout the Las Vegas Valley, in newspaper reports and on television news broadcasts.
Koentopp "would never have had the remains of his wife returned to him ... without the benefit of the (trio's) performance," the lawsuit stated.
"Prior to their finding her remains, Larry Koentopp had no knowledge of her whereabouts and no reasonable expectation that search and rescue efforts would locate his wife."
The lawsuit alleges Koentopp breached the contract he had made in offering the reward, made intentional misrepresentations and unjustly enriched himself by failing to pay the reward.
Efforts to contact Koentopp Tuesday were unsuccessful.
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