Family seeks justice in slaying

Brad Flamm was the kind of man who always gave his grandmother a Christmas present, a birthday present and called her on Mother's Day.

Brad's mother said her 27-year-old son also had recently found the love of his life, a girl he had been dating since Valentine's Day.

"He was the happiest he has ever been," Jennifer Flamm said.

But his life ended sometime after midnight Sunday. His bloodied body was found Monday morning near a loading dock at Caesars Palace. His family, who said he didn't have a violent bone in his body, is at a loss to understand why he was slain.

"Whoever did this is a coward," said Fred Flamm, Brad's father and a high-level executive at the Palms. "Whoever did this will definitely pay the price because we're not giving up."

Las Vegas police Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts said no arrests had been made in the slaying as of Tuesday afternoon. Police were still searching for a motive, but robbery had been ruled out.

"It's definitely not a robbery," Roberts said. "Whoever killed him, it's personal."

Fred Flamm wouldn't discuss the police investigation Tuesday as family and friends gathered at a home near the Las Vegas Beltway and Charleston Boulevard. They came together to make funeral arrangements for someone they described as free-spirited and family-oriented.

Brad Flamm was the kind of son who designated specific days for grocery shopping with his mother.

He liked to hang out with his two younger brothers and father once a week to do "guy things."

Flamm's grandmother, Jackie Knight, said she was never far from his thoughts.

For the last six years, Brad Flamm worked as a waiter at Trevi, a restaurant in the Forum Shops. Fred Flamm said his son left work about midnight Sunday.

His body was found by authorities on the east end of the Caesars property about 7:30 a.m. Monday. Roberts said signs of blunt force trauma to his head were evident. It appeared the body had been intentionally placed under the bushes, Roberts said.

Police spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said the victim might have died from a beating. The Clark County coroner's office has yet to officially identify Flamm's body or release a cause and manner of death.

Roberts said police have reviewed surveillance video but didn't see anything suspicious on the tapes.

Roberts said no witnesses have been found.

Stunned family members and friends rotated between moments of composure and tears while sharing stories about their slain loved one Tuesday.

Fred Flamm remembered his son as a Little League all-star pitcher who also idolized football star Joe Montana. He said as his son grew up, he became a hard worker who held steady jobs.

Although the majority of Brad Flamm's childhood was spent in Albuquerque, N.M., and Phoenix, he did attend Palo Verde High School, his father said.

As his son grew older, Flamm said he learned how to blend hard work and fun.

Brad Flamm had plenty of friends and enjoyed following sports, eating and cooking. He cherished his pet pythons and two dogs.

"Everywhere he went, he took his pets with him," Fred Flamm said.

Despite the lack of motives or suspects so far in the police investigation, Roberts was steadfast in saying the homicide would be solved soon.

"I'm confident in the people who work for me and their abilities," he said. "We'll be able to solve this pretty quickly."

Anyone with information pertaining to Brad Flamm's slaying is urged to call the Las Vegas police at 828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Reporter Maggie Lillis contributed to this report. Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.