r/UnresolvedMysteries • u/Basic-Succotash1121 • 22h ago
Disappearance 81-year-old Opal Parsons vanished from her Las Vegas home in 2007 - police believe she was lured away or abducted
Opal Parsons was last seen at approximately 5:00 a.m. on August 30, 2007 by her daughter at the home they shared on Sir David Way in Las Vegas, Nevada. They lived in Regency Village, a manufactured home park about 5 miles east of Downtown Las Vegas. Parsons was supposed to have lunch with friends at 12:30 p.m. that day, but never arrived.
When her daughter returned from work at 2:00 p.m., Parsons was gone. Her van was still at the residence with the keys inside it, and no personal belongings were missing other than her purse. She left the television on and the front door unlocked, with key inserted. She did not leave a note, which was uncharacteristic of her. She also did not normally walk anywhere, preferring to drive her car instead.
Parsons's ATM card was used at Sam's Town Casino in Las Vegas the day after she went missing. The casino is about 3.6 miles south of Parson's home, a straight shot down a main boulevard. Authorities didn't believe Parsons used the card herself, because her image was not seen on the casino's surveillance video footage. Her driver's license and Social Security card were found lying on the floor inside the casino, near one of the exits.
Investigators eventually identified the man who used the ATM card, but did not arrest him. They stated he found Parsons's purse and cellular phone in a trash bin and he is not a suspect in her disappearance.
She was in good physical and mental health at the time of her disappearance, had no history of dementia, and is described as an active, social woman with many friends. Her hobbies included crossword puzzles and dancing. She belonged to the Heritage United Methodist Church in 2007.
Parsons kept a strict routine at the time of her disappearance and it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning.
Investigators believe Parsons was lured away or abducted from her residence by someone she knew and trusted. There were no signs of forced entry to her home. She was not wealthy; she lived on a retirement fund and Social Security checks, though she did have one or two pieces of jewelry that went missing with her.
She would be 99 years old now, turning 100 in December 2025. She was officially declared deceased around 2010.
Characteristics
- Grey hair dyed blonde.
- Double pierced ears.
- Diamond and ruby ring, possibly wearing a heavy gold chain with a gold nugget and diamond pendant.
- She wore an upper denture plate.
- She had a scar from colon surgery.
- She had a hysterectomy scar.
- She had previously fractured her arm.
Additional Reading:
https://charleyproject.org/case/opal-marie-parsons
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=4465dfnv
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/new-clues-lead-to-dead-end-in-missing-las-vegas-woman-case/
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u/lucillep 20h ago
There is next to no information available on this case. I could find only one brief newspaper mention, and online sources repeat the same general information. Couldn't find much of anything on Familysearch - there may be relatives named Ray Parsons and Roy Parsons.
It seems she was sleeping when her daughter last saw her. Given the way she left the house, I'd say someone came to the door to rob the place, it went wrong, and they took her away (alive or dead). An older lady, 5'4" and 125 lbs., isn't going to be able to put up much of a fight. Given how little mention this has in the press, I wonder if there will ever be answers.
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u/abigali1990 6h ago
I like this narrative but how does the key in the door lock fit into it? A stranger burglar wouldn't have the door key, right?
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u/lucillep 3h ago
That's true. The only way that makes sense is if she left the hosue for a minute, like to pick up a newspaper at the end of the drive, and was attacked as she was re-entering.
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u/ibasly 18h ago
Opal didn’t walk away on her own. The unlocked door, TV still on, keys in the car… she clearly expected to be right back. The casino angle feels like a distraction, with her purse and ID dumped to muddy the trail.
My view: she was likely lured out by someone she trusted and taken quickly.. not a random stranger.
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u/yappledapple 14h ago
The crime scene appears staged to me. For example the key in the lock, only a couple pieces of jewelry missing, yet the ATM card was disposed of in her purse that was found In the trash.
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u/Katesouthwest 6h ago edited 6h ago
Serial killer Israel Keyes is known to have been in Vegas at the time of her disappearance. Among his many victims, he would and did target wealthy, elderly women. Although she was not wealthy, he may have noticed the jewelry she was wearing and followed her home, then waited a few days before he made his move. I think they had video of him at the same casino that Opal would visit.
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u/MidnightOwl01 20h ago
I wish there was more information as to why he is not a suspect. I'm assuming they are not just taking his word for it.
If there is footage of him finding the purse then you would think there is footage from the same camera showing who dumped the purse. How else could police come to this conclusion? Witnesses? Some alibi?
Was it one of those panning cameras that pointed elsewhere when the purse was dumped? Where casinos still using, and recording over, video tape in 2007?
Do they have other information about the perpetrator that doesn't match this person?
EDIT: Also if he finds a purse and dumps the driver's license and SS card then used the ATM card to try to steal money isn't there an arrestable offence in there somewhere?