Man arrested in death of hotel maid

Jen Lawson

Wednesday, June 25, 2003 | 11:17 a.m.

A 29-year-old man who allegedly killed Hacienda Hotel maid Ladonna Milam was arrested in California Tuesday.

Milam took four extra towels to a 16th floor guest room at the hotel Sunday night and was never seen alive again, according to a police report obtained by the Sun.

The next day, one of Milam's coworkers found a blood-soaked towel in a room that had been occupied by Perry C. Monroe. Investigators linked the evidence to a dismembered body found in a fishing pond at Veteran's Memorial Park.

Monroe was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in Fresno on Tuesday morning on charges of murder with a deadly weapon and kidnapping, and court documents allege the offenses were committed with the purpose of committing sexual assault.

Monroe is being held in a California jail without bail and is expected to be extradited to Nevada to face the charges.

Milam's husband, Jerry, told police he spoke to his wife at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. She promised to call him again at 9:30 p.m., but she never did, the police report said.

Jerry Milam fell asleep, awoke a few hours later and discovered his 49-year-old wife wasn't home. He called Boulder City police and filed a missing person report. Police discovered that her car was still in the Hacienda parking lot and her purse was still in her locker.

A woman walking her dog early Monday morning found body parts floating in the fishing pond and called police. Divers found two pieces of a woman's torso with its head and limbs severed and a human ear with an earring. A blood-soaked, multi-colored blouse and bra were found in a nearby trash can, the police report says.

Later Monday morning, a maid found the bloody towel and blood in the bathroom of Monroe's hotel room. Knowing a co-worker had been reported missing, the maid shut the door and called police.

Investigators found packaging material for a hacksaw and hacksaw blade in the hotel room trash can.

Police determined that the body in the pond and the blood in the hotel room were connected. Metro homicide detectives were brought into the investigation because the hotel is located in unincorporated Clark County.

Hotel employees told detectives that Monroe checked into the hotel about 6:30 p.m. Sunday for a one-night stay and paid with a Master Card. The clerk told investigators that "he had an uneasy feeling about Monroe." Monroe refused to make eye contact, "and seemed extremely skittish during the registration process," according to the report.

Hotel surveillance tapes show Monroe heading to the hotel elevators while carrying a large black duffel bag.

A man called housekeeping and requested that four towels be brought to his room. Milam was asked by a co-worker to bring the towels to the room, the report says. About a half hour later, the man, believed to be Monroe, called back and said the towels hadn't been delivered to his room yet.

"(Milam) stated she had forgot, but promised to make the delivery," the report said.

The surveillance tapes showed that about 1 a.m. Monday, a man matching Monroe's description walked toward the elevators "carrying a black duffel bag while wearing a backpack. It appeared those objects were heavy, as demonstrated by his apparent difficulty in carrying them."

A warrant was issued Tuesday for Monroe's arrest.