Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Eyewitnesses tell different Roy story

Early explanations of Roy Horn's mauling at The Mirage are at odds with eyewitness accounts that appear in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's final report.

Hotel magnate Steve Wynn, after viewing a video shortly after the Oct. 3, 2003, attack, gave this version: Montecore, the white tiger, was fixated on a big-haired female patron seated near the stage.

"Montecore got down on all fours and put his 26-inch head four inches away from the woman," Wynn told KLAS-TV, Channel 8. "She thinks this is adorable and part of the show and reaches out to try and rub him under his chin. Roy is talking and sees this move. ... As usual, the heroic fellow that he is, Roy jumps between the woman and the tiger."

Investigators checked out the video and determined through forensics that the closest Montecore came to the patron in question was 6 feet, 4 1/2 inches.

Wynn also said, "This is a situation where an animal got confused, but Montecore wasn't eating Roy, he wasn't biting him."

According to a spotlight operator who was interviewed, after dragging Roy offstage, Montecore "went back for Roy's neck. He shook Roy, and it appeared his only intention was to kill Roy."

Roy and Siegfried Fischbacher have theorized that Roy had a ministroke and contend the 380-pound Bengal tiger was trying to save Roy.

Another issue raised in the report is whether valuable time was lost as Roy lay bleeding from a damaged artery and crying out for "air" because of a crushed windpipe.

A member of the Siegfried & Roy show told investigators that he "screamed at the paramedics as they were just casually walking in."

When the paramedics rolled Roy out on a gurney, they encountered a locked door near the alley and had to change directions before finding a hallway out.

The report, filed last September, was obtained after the Las Vegas bureau of The Associated Press requested it under the Freedom of Information Act. The names of those interviewed for the report were deleted.

Tilly reigns

Actress Jennifer Tilly, an Oscar nominee for Woody Allen's "Bullets Over Broadway," blew away the competition on her way to the World Series of Poker Ladies No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em title on Monday at the Rio.

After winning the $158,625 for first place and a coveted gold bracelet, Tilly said, "This is better than winning an Oscar."

The first celebrity to win the ladies title, Tilly bested a record field of 609, who paid $1,000 to enter. Cecelia de Mortensen of Spain, whose husband, Carlos Mortensen, won the 2001 world poker title, was second.

Socialite found dead

Beverly Hills socialite Domino Harvey, who was found dead Tuesday in Hollywood, was the stepdaughter of Hard Rock Hotel owner Peter Morton and the half sister of Harry Morton, Peter's son.

Scenes of the film "Domino," about Harvey's life as a Ford model who became a bounty hunter, were shot at the Valley of Fire in December.

Harvey, 35, the daughter of British actor Laurence Harvey, was facing federal drug charges.

British actress Keira Knightley, the teen beauty in "Pirates of the Caribbean," plays Harvey in "Domino."

Sightings

At Wynn Las Vegas: actor Dennis Quaid, dining at Okada over the weekend; international polo star Peter Brandt and his supermodel wife, Stephanie Seymour, strolling through the property; Rachael Ray, shooting segments for her "Tasty Travels" show on the Food Network. ... NBA Hall of Famer Julius "Dr. J." Erving, trying his luck at the Hard Rock Hotel's Peacock Lounge. ... Actress Tia Carrere, lunching at Taqueria Canonita Mexican restaurant (The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian).

The Punch Line

"Most guys scream out other girls' names. He'll wake up and go, `I should have bet more on the turn.' " --Tilly, about her boyfriend, poker player Phil "Unabomber" Laak (CardPlayer.com)

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.