AZ AZ- Marion Berry Ouma, 25, heiress to large fortune, fatally shot, body found down an encampment, MOHAVE COUNTY, 13 Dec '78, *New initiative*

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Kevin Reagan August 6, 2024
dccebe1645e0#:~:text=The%20body%20of%20Marion%20Berry%20Ouma%20was%20located%20on%20Jan,weapon%2C%20the%20sheriff%27s%20office%20said.

"MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — The Mohave County Sheriff's Office is seeking new information that may finally identify the people responsible for killing the 25-year-old heiress to a large fortune.
The body of Marion Berry Ouma was located on Jan. 3, 1979 near Hoover Dam down an embankment on Highway 93. She had been dead for less than 12 hours.''
''Ouma had died from a gunshot wound to her abdomen with a .38 caliber weapon, the sheriff's office said.
The victim was last seen alive on Dec. 13, 1978 when she withdrew money out of her savings account at a Las Vegas bank located near 4th Street and Carson Avenue.
During the investigation, MCSO learned the victim's grandfather was Loren Berry, better known as "Mr. Yellow Pages" for his work in the telephone directory business. Berry had left $40 million to his granddaughter.''

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''Detectives tried to identify the victim but were unsuccessful until 1981, when a private detective from Ohio reached out saying she matched Ouma, who was married in Africa and worked as a physical education teacher there for several years.''

''Detectives learned that Ouma's grandfather was Loren Berry, who died in 1980 and left $40 million to his granddaughter.''


The sheriff's office learned Ouma twice visited a Downtown Las Vegas bank at 4th Street and Carson Avenue, on Nov. 28 and Dec. 13, 1978, to withdraw money from her savings account. Detectives found she was living in an apartment in Las Vegas as well until she was asked to vacate in December 1978 for failure to pay rent.

Authorities are seeking any information on Ouma's whereabouts between the time she was last seen leaving the bank on Dec. 13, 1978, and when her body was found on Jan. 3, 1979. They're also looking for any potential leads on the possible Chevrolet or Ford seen in the area on the evening of Ouma's murder.''
 
Aug 6, 2024
The body of Marion Berry Ouma was found near Hoover Dam in 1979. The woman was expected to inherit $40 million from her grandfather.
 
August 07, 2024 rbbm.
''Detectives met with the investigator, who provided a picture of Marion Berry Ouma from Dayton, Ohio. They observed that she bore a striking resemblance to the victim. She had been married in Africa and had lived there for a few years where she was a physical education teacher.''

''On March 18, 1981, Detectives conducted follow-up at a bank in Las Vegas, located at 4th Street and Carson Ave. They spoke with an employee who had conducted 2 bank transactions with the victim a few months prior to her death. Ouma had come into the bank on November 28th and December 13th to obtain money from her savings account in Ohio. On June 30, 1981, Detectives and Search and Rescue personnel went to Las Vegas to try to locate the victim’s residence. In doing so, they located the Sierra Vista Apartments, located at 750 E. Sierra Vista Dr. An interview revealed that the victim had arrived in a cab on November 4, 1978 and rented an apartment. She was asked to vacate the property a month later for non-payment of rent.''

''Detectives are also looking for a lead on the 1976-1977 powder blue Chevrolet Blazer or Ford Bronco
seen in the area on the evening of Ouma’s murder. ''
 
By Keller Brown Published August 7, 2024
Hoover Dam

Jean Clare Sarmiento/KJZZ
'Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Spokeswoman Anita Mortensen says the special investigations unit has seen success in some cold cases after asking the public for help.

"We’ve actually put out a couple cold cases, homicides, missing persons and unidentified deceased victims over the last few years, and there have been a couple of our cold cases that have been solved by our SIU detectives," Mortensen said.'
 
This one is strange. Google only returns the current (last two day) news. I can't find any other reference to her. Searched Newpapers.com and found what appears to be her fathers obit (named fox) in 1972, with her listed as residing in Kenya. There is an current article that stated she taught PE in Kenya from 1971-1976.

The best current info is from Dayton daily news. There are a few details that other news does not have.
 

The investigation team is now asking the public for help to piece together the final days of Ouma's life. They are particularly interested in any information about her whereabouts between December 13, 1978, when she was last seen at a bank, and January 3, 1979.
They are also looking for leads on the powder blue 1976-1977 Chevrolet Blazer or Ford Bronco last seen in the area.


It seems a little strange that, coming from a wealthy family she was evicted for non-payment of rent on her apartment. Why did she travel to Las Vegas? Did she know someone there? Apparently she didn't know many people because no one reported her missing and her family didn't search for her there. Did they search for her at all?

1972 - Marion's father dies

1971-1976 - Marion taught PE in Kenya, was married there

November 4, 1978 - Marion arrives by cab to rent apartment at Sierra Vista Apartments, 750 E Sierra Vista Dr., Las Vegas

November 28, 1978 - Marion withdraws money from her Ohio savings account

December 13, 1978 - Marion withdraws money from her Ohio savings account

January 3, 1979 - Marion's body found abt 9 am, down an embankment along Hwy 93 near Hoover Dam

The location of the Sierra Vista Apartments is now occupied by the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept.


1977_chevrolet_blazer_16360729128495d565ef61977_chevrolet_blazer_1636072911f66e7dff9f98764daefde3219-8b3b-4ce9-b99f-c71b614ebd9d-psjHSw-scaled.jpg
 
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Also adding that Marion was identified in 1981 by her mother through a private investigator who traveled to Las Vegas.

Link to her Obit - Marion Berry Fox


There's no mention of a husband in her obituary, so it sounds as if she was divorced at the time of her death. Had no children. She was 31. Graduated from Bennett College in NY, attended Univ. of Colorado, taught Phys Ed and Swimming in Nairobi, Kenya. It said she lived on Grandon Rd, which is in Oakwood, OH.

Here's a link to the real estate listing of the address in her father's obit.



Her school yearbook records show she was very athletic, playing on the field hockey team, volleyball, women's basketball, soccer, etc. I wonder if she joined the Peace Corps after college and was assigned to teach in Nairobi, Kenya. It sounds like she had a good, productive life. She must have moved back to the US after leaving Kenya in 1976. Was she in another relationship that took her to Las Vegas? Did that relationship go bad, resulting in her move to the apartment a month or so prior to her death? Was she in an abusive relationship that ended badly?

Surely, she had friends in Vegas if she'd been living there a while. The news makes no mention of alcohol or drugs in her autopsy.
 
Also adding that Marion was identified in 1981 by her mother through a private investigator who traveled to Las Vegas.

Link to her Obit - Marion Berry Fox


There's no mention of a husband in her obituary, so it sounds as if she was divorced at the time of her death. Had no children. She was 31. Graduated from Bennett College in NY, attended Univ. of Colorado, taught Phys Ed and Swimming in Nairobi, Kenya. It said she lived on Grandon Rd, which is in Oakwood, OH.

Here's a link to the real estate listing of the address in her father's obit.



Her school yearbook records show she was very athletic, playing on the field hockey team, volleyball, women's basketball, soccer, etc. I wonder if she joined the Peace Corps after college and was assigned to teach in Nairobi, Kenya. It sounds like she had a good, productive life. She must have moved back to the US after leaving Kenya in 1976. Was she in another relationship that took her to Las Vegas? Did that relationship go bad, resulting in her move to the apartment a month or so prior to her death? Was she in an abusive relationship that ended badly?

Surely, she had friends in Vegas if she'd been living there a while. The news makes no mention of alcohol or drugs in her autopsy.
curious as to how much she had in her savings account, was she evicted after disappearance?
 
curious as to how much she had in her savings account, was she evicted after disappearance?

My speculation only, but whomever she was trying to get away from knew she came from family money and was taking it from her. Perhaps she was the beneficiary of a trust fund, where she received a monthly check.

This article gives a description of her at the time of her death


"Ouma is described as a white female, 25 years old, approximately 5’5" and 106 lbs, with hazel eyes and brown hair that she often wore in a ponytail. At the time of her death, she was wearing green sweatpants and a dark blue short-sleeve blouse," detectives said.

She was dressed casually. No mention of drugs or alcohol, but its possible. It would be interesting to know if she had a boyfriend. I suspect she did.

Not sure if its relevant, but there was a lot of organized crime in Las Vegas back then. Those were the years when some of the bigger Mafia organizations from the east owned many of the casinos, funded by organized labor pension funds they were robbing (Teamsters was one). Probably a lot of drugs in town then, including cocaine. I read about it in the book "Casino" which was later made into the movie of the same name.



Las Vegas was an "open" town back then. The only time I visited there was in the spring of 1979.

ETA:
Here was another young woman from Ohio who was murdered in Las Vegas. Her case hasn't been solved. There's probably not an Ohio connection, but there were quite a few young women killed in Las Vegas during the late 70's.

 
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This one is strange. Google only returns the current (last two day) news. I can't find any other reference to her. Searched Newpapers.com and found what appears to be her fathers obit (named fox) in 1972, with her listed as residing in Kenya. There is an current article that stated she taught PE in Kenya from 1971-1976.

The best current info is from Dayton daily news. There are a few details that other news does not have.
Does it say what her father did for a living?
 
Does it say what her father did for a living?
In the 1950 Census, he's listed as a vice president of a company, I think a food brokerage type of business.

In his obituary, he was Chairman of the Board of Super Food Services, who had worked in many roles, including an appointee to Committee of Mental Retardation in the Nixon Administration, Chairman of the 1972 United Nations Day Committee, etc.
 
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Snip

The location of the Sierra Vista Apartments is now occupied by the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept.
I think this may be the old apartment. The police station was opened in Nov 2008. As of 2010 people responding whether apartments on Sierra Vista Drive were safe, most responders felt they were not, even with the new police station in the area. Don't know about 1980.

 
Kevin Reagan August 6, 2024
dccebe1645e0#:~:text=The%20body%20of%20Marion%20Berry%20Ouma%20was%20located%20on%20Jan,weapon%2C%20the%20sheriff%27s%20office%20said.

"MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — The Mohave County Sheriff's Office is seeking new information that may finally identify the people responsible for killing the 25-year-old heiress to a large fortune.
The body of Marion Berry Ouma was located on Jan. 3, 1979 near Hoover Dam down an embankment on Highway 93. She had been dead for less than 12 hours.''
''Ouma had died from a gunshot wound to her abdomen with a .38 caliber weapon, the sheriff's office said.
The victim was last seen alive on Dec. 13, 1978 when she withdrew money out of her savings account at a Las Vegas bank located near 4th Street and Carson Avenue.
During the investigation, MCSO learned the victim's grandfather was Loren Berry, better known as "Mr. Yellow Pages" for his work in the telephone directory business. Berry had left $40 million to his granddaughter.''

rbbm
View attachment 522916
''Detectives tried to identify the victim but were unsuccessful until 1981, when a private detective from Ohio reached out saying she matched Ouma, who was married in Africa and worked as a physical education teacher there for several years.''

''Detectives learned that Ouma's grandfather was Loren Berry, who died in 1980 and left $40 million to his granddaughter.''


The sheriff's office learned Ouma twice visited a Downtown Las Vegas bank at 4th Street and Carson Avenue, on Nov. 28 and Dec. 13, 1978, to withdraw money from her savings account. Detectives found she was living in an apartment in Las Vegas as well until she was asked to vacate in December 1978 for failure to pay rent.

Authorities are seeking any information on Ouma's whereabouts between the time she was last seen leaving the bank on Dec. 13, 1978, and when her body was found on Jan. 3, 1979. They're also looking for any potential leads on the possible Chevrolet or Ford seen in the area on the evening of Ouma's murder.''
Her grandfather had twelve grandchildren that I count, did they each get 40 million?
 
I think this may be the old apartment. The police station was opened in Nov 2008. As of 2010 people responding whether apartments on Sierra Vista Drive were safe, most responders felt they were not, even with the new police station in the area. Don't know about 1980.


I live in Vegas and that particular spot is rough. Only a block away is where inmates are dropped upon release. Also where Ann Victoria Narus disappeared two years later. Marion and Ann had a similar look and both were 25 years old.

In 1980, the population was under half a million people and this place was overrun with serial killers, both transient and local. We’re only now connecting offenders to crimes with forensic genealogy. It’s still a giant graveyard, I’m sorry to say.
 
Her grandfather had twelve grandchildren that I count, did they each get 40 million?

Evicted and murdered right as her luck was about to change in a cruel twist of fate. I’m reminded of John List with the Tiffany skylight. I hope there’s a sliding doors universe where Marion became a passionate philanthropist and lived to a ripe old age.
 
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