Police follow video trail of slain tourist

Jen Lawson

Friday, May 2, 2003 | 10:02 a.m.

A tourist from Utah took a cab from the Bellagio to Binion's Horseshoe hours before she was found beaten to death in a downtown alley Monday morning, Metro Police said.

Sgt. Kevin Manning said police have obtained and studied a surveillance video from Binion's and confirmed that Simone Hirst, 39, was in the casino.

But Manning wouldn't elaborate on what Hirst was doing there or who she was talking to.

Hours later her beaten body was found in a pool of blood at 11th Street and Stewart Avenue.

"We are aggressively investigating this case and we're not at liberty to say whether or not we have any suspects," Manning said.

Hirst, a former model, was staying at the Bellagio with her longtime boyfriend. Sunday night the couple celebrated her birthday -- which was Monday -- by attending the Cirque du Soleil production of "O," had some drinks and headed back to the Bellagio.

Her boyfriend, a 50-year-old man whom police declined to identify, wanted to head up to their hotel room, but Hirst wanted to continue partying, Manning said.

Video surveillance footage from the Bellagio shows Hirst and her boyfriend arguing in the valet area.

"They were both pushing and shoving," Manning said. "When you push and shove, it's two people doing it."

Her boyfriend, who has returned home to Park City, Utah, is not considered a suspect, Lt. Tom Monahan said.

The pair parted ways, then Hirst was shown on the video speaking to several people in the valet area.

"She was talking to a bunch of people -- a bellman, cab drivers, a limo driver," Manning said.

Detectives interviewed the people seen talking to Hirst and learned a cab driver took her to Binion's at 128 Fremont St. Her body was found less than a mile from the casino.

"It's very early in the investigation," Monahan said. "Are we stymied? No. But on the other hand, we can't say arrests are imminent. We are tracking down leads."

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555 or the homicide unit at 229-3521.