270. The Missing Gambling King - Bruce Weinstein

Summary

Murder With My Husband: Episode 270 – The Missing Gambling King - Bruce Weinstein

Release Date: May 26, 2025
Hosted By: OH NO MEDIA
Description: A true crime podcast that delves into the darkest crimes, featuring a wife who loves it and a husband who hates it.

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Introduction to Bruce Weinstein

The episode opens with Shayla and Garrett Moreland introducing the story of Bruce Weinstein, a 46-year-old former bookie from Liberty, New York, who moved to Los Angeles during his childhood. Bruce became deeply involved in his family's bookkeeping business, which involved collecting and paying off bets in an era before online betting platforms like DraftKings existed. His trustworthy nature and shrewd business acumen made him a favored figure among wealthy clients in Los Angeles.

Shayla (07:00): "Bruce was really good at his job mainly because he earned the trust of a lot of his players."

Bruce's lively personality and infectious laugh made him the life of the party, characteristics that initially endeared him to his future wife, Elizabeth Tuch. They married in 1990 and had a daughter, Jacqueline. However, their marriage became strained, leading to a divorce in the early '90s.

Transition to Las Vegas

Post-divorce, Bruce sought a fresh start and relocated to Las Vegas to expand the family business while maintaining a relationship with his daughter. Embracing the vibrant gambling scene, he frequently participated in poker tournaments and socialized with casino regulars.

Shayla (10:00): "Bruce was the life of the party. He lived life in the fast lane, always out enjoying nice dinners with a few drinks."

Meeting Amy Deshant

In 1995, during a Texas Hold'Em game at the Mirage Casino, Bruce met Amy Deshant, a petite brunette who ran her own upholstery cleaning business catering to hotels on the Strip. Despite their professional interaction, a romantic relationship blossomed rapidly. Within a week, Amy moved into Bruce's large Spanish-style home, raising concerns among Bruce's family and friends due to the suddenness of their relationship.

Garrett Moreland (12:36): "Home D I mean, can you blame her?"

The Disappearance of Bruce Weinstein

In July 1996, just a year into their tumultuous relationship, Bruce planned a trip to Lake Tahoe with Amy and another friend. On July 6th, Bruce failed to show up for work, prompting his mother, Sylvia, to become alarmed. Bruce's absence was unusual, especially given his critical role in the family's daily operations.

When Sylvia and Bruce's brother, Stephen, arrived at his home, they found Amy shampooing the carpets. Bruce's phone and wallet remained untouched inside the house, raising red flags. Initially, Amy claimed Bruce had to attend to something urgent the night before and would meet her in Tahoe the next day.

Shayla (16:11): "Amy is shampooing the carpets at Bruce's home, saying, 'I haven't seen him since the night before.'"

Investigation and Suspicious Activities

Police skepticism grew when Amy recounted a dramatic encounter involving masked intruders who allegedly murdered Bruce. Neighbors corroborated hearing gunshots that night, lending some credibility to Amy's story. However, inconsistencies emerged:

• Missing Evidence: The lack of fingerprints, gunshots remnants, and the mobile phone and wallet at the scene were puzzling.
• Financial Anomalies: Bruce's safe, previously holding $100,000, contained only $20, and bullet holes in the mattress suggested he was shot while in bed.

Private investigator Michael Wasocki conjectured the possibility of a third party's involvement, particularly focusing on Ken Reich, Bruce's roommate and business associate who co-managed a side hustle involving gambling clients' money.

Shayla (28:32): "We have to focus on Amy... But some of Bruce's friends say there was just something a little bit off."

Unraveling the Conspiracy

As the investigation deepened, associations between Amy and Bobby Jones, another employee from her upholstery business, surfaced. Bobby's .38 caliber pistol matched the bullet wound in Bruce's chest, linking him directly to the crime scene. Despite being apprehended, Bobby and Amy managed to exploit legal technicalities, leading to overturned convictions.

Shayla (35:49): "They realize this is a completely unrelated crime. A total coincidence that the bodies were so close together."

Trial and Aftermath

In October 1998, Amy and Bobby were tried for Bruce's murder. The prosecution depicted it as an extortion plot gone awry, with Amy seeking to retain Bruce's money. Although initially convicted—Amy receiving two life sentences and Bobby five years—their convictions were overturned two years later due to problematic testimony. Amy pled guilty to second-degree murder, receiving a reduced sentence of 10 to 25 years, and was released in 2011. Bobby was released without retrial, having served a substantial portion of his sentence.

Shayla (38:58): "She's dropping hints and planning to kill Bruce to keep his money."

Impact on Bruce's Family

Bruce's daughter, Jacqueline, chose to distance herself from the family business, pursuing a career in medicine. The unresolved aspects of Bruce's murder, particularly Amy's release, left lingering questions and a sense of injustice for his family.

Shayla (42:00): "But there's definitely something heartbreaking in these cases. When killers get out and the victims are still dead."

Notable Quotes

• Garrett Moreland (03:21): "The entire house reeks of vinegar."
• Shayla (24:27): "Are you trying to pass a luminol test? You need to see someone."
• Shayla (37:57): "Bruce was a pretty flawless informant."

Conclusion

Episode 270 of Murder With My Husband meticulously chronicles the enigmatic disappearance and murder of Bruce Weinstein, highlighting the complexities of personal relationships intertwined with illicit activities. The narrative underscores the perpetual struggle between seeking justice and the obstacles presented by legal loopholes and circumstantial evidence. Ultimately, the episode paints a poignant picture of the lasting repercussions on the victims' families and the murky nature of truth in criminal investigations.

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Disclaimer: The above summary is based on the provided transcript and may omit certain dialogues and advertisements interspersed within the episode. For the complete narrative and deeper insights, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode of Murder With My Husband.

Transcript

[Peyton Moreland]

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[Garrett Moreland]

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[Shayla]

I'm gonna be honest. There was a time in my life when I was living paycheck to paycheck, and there were times where I wasn't gonna get paid until the following week and I'd be like, great, I've gotta just go through my pantry because I can't go to the grocery store right now. And that's where earnin would've been amazing for me.

[Garrett Moreland]

Download the Earn an app today. Spelled E A R, N I N in the Google Play or Apple's App Store.

[Shayla]

When you download the Earn an app, type in Murder with My Husband under Podcast when you sign up. Just just helps the show. Lets them know we sent you Again. Murder with My Husband under Podcast Earn it is a financial technology company, not a bank. Cash outs are based on your available earnings. Standard cash outs take one to two business days with no mandatory feeds options to expedite your transfer for a fee. Tips are voluntary and don't affect the service. See the cash out user agreement for details. Service is not available in all states. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with My Husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[Shayla]

And he's the husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm the husband. Another week, another episode. Guess what? This episode came out is coming out is out on May 26, 2025, which is my birthday.

[Shayla]

Oh my gosh. Happy birthday, Shayla.

[Garrett Moreland]

My birthday. I am turning everyone guess how old I'm turning 30. Everyone except my wife guess how old I'm turning in the comments. Let me know. I'm sure everyone probably knows I'm turning 31. That's weird.

[Shayla]

29.

[Garrett Moreland]

31.

[Shayla]

What do you mean, 21?

[Garrett Moreland]

Turning 31 years old.

[Shayla]

Get you lesser.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, thanks, baby. Welcome turning 31. I was born May 26, 1924, at 11. You remember what time? It's like 11:31pm or something like that.

[Shayla]

I was 10:14am oh, good job, babe. You asked.

[Garrett Moreland]

Good job, babe. Yeah, it's my birthday today. I don't know exactly what we're doing. I don't know if we have any crazy plants. It's also Memorial Day, so. Yeah, Memorial Day, my birthday. We're kind of just hanging out. Kind of what I got going. That will be my 10 seconds as well. If you feel like wishing me a happy birthday, go ahead, but I will tell everyone my number one pet peeve during this 10 seconds. It's when people sing Happy Birthday to me when we're in a public setting.

[Shayla]

Yeah. So doesn't like it.

[Garrett Moreland]

Don't like it. I hate sitting at restaurants and everyone's singing Happy Birthday to me. Doesn't matter where it is, My house, restaurants, anywhere. I just. I can't stand it. It's probably my number one pet peeve.

[Shayla]

Not just you, though. You don't like when anyone sings to anyone in a public setting?

[Garrett Moreland]

No. It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable.

[Shayla]

Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

I don't know why. It just. I just. I'm like. We're all just sitting there and then everyone's just singing Happy Birthday to you. And they were just looking at all them like, oh, thanks. Like, that's so awkward. It's just so weird to me. You have, like 10 people singing @ you, and you're just sitting there and you don't know where to look, so you look down. Then you look up at a couple people, and then you look back down and you're like, wow, this song is taking a really long time. And then you blow your candle out and you're like, yay. You know?

[Shayla]

And it's like the worst is it's like this staff you don't even know.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, it's. Yeah, you get the staff involved and.

[Shayla]

It'S like they all hate it, but they're just sitting there having to do it, and then you don't even know them, and they're singing Happy Birthday to you.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. I can't stand it. So that's my 10 seconds. That is my rant. Love you guys. Everything is going well, and I hope everyone has a fantastic day. Let's hop into oh for my birthday. If you want you can check out our bonus content. We got Patreon episodes and we have Apple subscriptions. Our Spotify subscriptions ad free content, bonus episodes. You can check it out. Let's hop into this week's episode.

[Shayla]

Our sources for this episode are nydailynews.com case law, findlaw.com tampabay.com lasvegasun.com murderpedia.com and oxygen. We've said it before, but Garrett and I do think a lot about how blessed we are to do what we do. That we work from our house, our studio, and that while we might be telling stories about dangerous people, our line of work isn't inherently dangerous. We're not out there putting our lives at risk every day to make a living, though. That is what some people do. For some professionals, danger is a part of the job description. Comes with the territory, right? Whether you're maintaining the law, working as a police officer or breaking it, like working with the mob or doing illegal bookkeeping, some professions mean you don't know how the day is going to end. But there's something else that's interesting about these dangerous lines of work. You never know who will come for you. And if it does end, in the worst case scenario, say a murder investigation, your greatest enemies become suspects, even though they may be a cover for the people closest to you. That is what we will be talking about today. So I want to introduce you to 46 year old Bruce Weinstein. Now he was originally from Liberty, New York. Bruce and his family moved to Los Angeles, California I believe sometime when he was a kid and that's where he spent much of his formative years. And while I don't know a ton about Bruce Weinstein's early life, I know that he was the eldest of four siblings and he and his family were really tight. When his brother Stephen got older, he decided to start a little family business with his dad. This is one that Bruce himself would join later. Though we're not talking about running a laundromat or getting into real estate. No. Bruce's family ran their own bookkeeping business, AKA this is collecting bets and then paying them off. So say there's a basketball game you feel really confident about or a horse you want to bet on, you might seek out the Weinstein's to place a bet. And this is especially in the days before apps like DraftKings. And Bruce was really good at his job mainly because he earned the trust of a lot of his players. Which, let's face it, while this is legal in many states, it can be a bit sketchy, but Bruce probably had some wealthy people making some pretty hefty bets while he was living in Los Angeles, because.

[Garrett Moreland]

Daisy, come here. Daisy, come here. Daisy, come here.

[Shayla]

Oh. Holy. All right, you guys, we're back. We were filming, and we have our back door all the way open because Daisy likes to go play in the backyard while we're filming. And then Garrett looked over, and there was the biggest deer on our, like, concrete. Like, could have walked into our house. That close to the door, the wide open door.

[Garrett Moreland]

No, it was, it was a really.

[Shayla]

Big deer, and Daisy just looked at it and didn't even come inside.

[Garrett Moreland]

We see a lot of deers out here. That was the biggest deer I've ever seen.

[Shayla]

Just casually walking on our house.

[Garrett Moreland]

And it. So I, I, I look up, I see the deer just staring at Daisy, and Daisy looks at deer and goes, that's it. Like, she didn't freak out. Zero survival instincts.

[Shayla]

And then the deer just looked it away and walked down into the ravine.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, he jumped.

[Shayla]

Oh, my gosh.

[Garrett Moreland]

That was a big deer.

[Shayla]

It was so close.

[Garrett Moreland]

I wish we had a camera on the. I know right there where, where the deer was at. There's, like, a blind spot. So I need to put in a new camera.

[Shayla]

Okay, we are getting back into Bruce, who has now grown up in LA with his family. His brother and dad started business, and he is now also working at this bookkeeping business as an adult. And like I said, Bruce probably has some pretty wealthy clients because he ends up making a good living off this profession. He drove a nice car, he lived in a beautiful house, and he knew how to have a good time. Bruce was always the life of the party. He, he lived life in the fast lane, Always out enjoying nice dinners with a few drinks. Plus, everyone said he had this laugh that was just infectious. Bruce sounds like the kind of guy you really want to be around. At least that's what Elizabeth Tuch felt when she met Bruce. So the two of them meet, and then they get married in 1990, and they end up welcoming a little girl into their family. It's Bruce's first and only child, Jacqueline. But over time, things started to get rocky between Elizabeth and Bruce, and in the early 90s, they decide to call it quits. But Bruce wasn't just moving past the relationship. He actually decided after this divorce that he wanted to move out of la. Though there was one thing Bruce wasn't willing to be done with yet, and that was his bookie business. So Bruce found a place where he could really build his roster of clients and still see his daughter on the weekends. Which is why in the early 90s, he decides to move from LA to Las Vegas. Now a single dad in his early 40s, Bruce was excited about this brand new chapter. He really embraced the gambling scene. He got to know the people around the hotels. He began entering poker tournaments at the casinos. That's where he meets 46 year old Amy Deshant. Now there's a little thing about Bruce that I haven't mentioned yet, and that is that he sticks out in a crowd. Okay, Bruce is about 300 pounds. He has a long silver ponytail, this big round belly. And in 1995, while playing Texas Hold' Em at the Mirage casino, he definitely stands out to Amy. She's a petite brunette who sits next to him at the poker table. They get talking. Bruce tells her, oh yeah, I actually run a bookkeeping business. She tells him she has her own upholstery cleaning business and works for a lot of hotels on the Strip. And Bruce says, hey, I'd love to hire you for a job. She probably gives him her business card. And a few days later she shows up on Bruce's doorstep ready to clean whatever it was he needed cleaned. But it's clear Bruce wasn't actually really interested in Amy coming over to clean. It's more a personal thing. So she comes over and they get talking. And he learns that Amy has lost both of her parents at a young age, before she even turned 10. She was then raised by her aunt and uncle in New Jersey. And when she turned 17, she ran off. She married her high school sweetheart, the two got divorced, Amy got married again, which was followed by a second divorce. And that's when Amy decided she needed a change of scenery. So in 1992, around the same time as Bruce, Amy moved to Las Vegas and bought a condo. She starts the upholstery business with some friends, snagged some pretty big clients like MGM and Scenic Airlines. And now here she was, getting courted by Bruce Weinstein. And seemingly Amy's into it. Bruce asks her out. Things go from professional to romantic pretty quickly. And within just a week or so of meeting Bruce, Amy is selling her condo and moving into his large Spanish style home.

[Garrett Moreland]

Home D I mean, can you blame her?

[Shayla]

I mean, within a week she lied, Let me dip in that pool. So things were moving so fast that even Bruce's mother Sylvia was like, bro, you've got to slow down. She nearly fainted when she heard that Bruce bought Amy a diamond necklace and a new Chevy Camaro just weeks after they met. But there were others who thought Amy was kind of a source of light in Bruce's life. She was helping him get back into shape. She was helping him monitor his diabetes. Bruce even started to slim down in the weeks after meeting her, getting a little healthier. And the two did seem to be in love. They were planning for their future, booking vacations and doing things together. So about a year into their relationship, in 1996, they plan to take a little trip to Lake Tahoe, California. This is close to Vegas. They're just gonna go have fun.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay?

[Shayla]

So on July 6, Bruce was going to leave work, meet up with Amy. But fate had another plan for Bruce. On that Saturday morning, Bruce's mother, Sylvia, gets a call that he never showed up to open his office that day. Which is strange to her because she knows this business well. I mean, half of the family is in the bookkeeping business. And she knows that Bruce has to be there at 6am to do what they call set the line, which basically means he has to go in at 6am and establish the initial betting odds for that day. And this is something that you cannot miss. Like, it absolutely has to be done, and Bruce has to do it. Which is why Sylvia then calls Bruce's girlfriend Amy to see why he didn't show up to work. And Amy tells Sylvia, Bruce's mom, that the last time she saw Bruce was actually around 11pm the night before. That was when he told her he had to go run off and do something pretty quickly. But if he wasn't home by the morning, he would just meet her in Tahoe after work. Well, that's just.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's weird, right?

[Shayla]

Well, I think that to her, because of the line of work he's in, she maybe doesn't think it's weird that he has to go do something at 11 because there could be maybe sketchy stuff going on. And maybe if he does have to work and they're going to leave for Tahoe, he's thinking, you just go with my daughter and then I'll meet you there.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, that's still strange to me, but I get it. It's just. I don't know. Something's off.

[Shayla]

Well, so Sylvia's like, okay. But Amy doesn't seem totally alarmed. She's kind of treating it casually, but Sylvia's like, I just don't. Something's not right. Lately, Bruce had kind of been a creature of habit. Him going out at 11pm at night just didn't seem like something he would do. Anymore. Like, yeah, he used to be a party guy. But Sylvia just decides she's gonna call Bruce's brother Stephen. Now, I need to tell you that when Bruce decided to move to Las Vegas, so did his mother, Sylvia. She moved out there as well to be close to him. So she calls Bruce's brother Stephen, who still lives in la, tells him, hey, Bruce is missing. He never showed up to work today. Remember, this is kind of like a family business across states. So Steven flies out from LA that day to help her look for him. And of course, their first stop is Bruce's house. When they get there, Bruce isn't home, which maybe not be surprising. However, Amy is there. And when they get there and go inside, they realize that Amy is shampooing the carpets at Bruce's home.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh my gosh. You know, the entire.

[Shayla]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Shayla]

So Steven and Sylvia show up being like, hey, where's your, you know, our family member, your boyfriend? Bruce, open the door. And his new girlfriend of a year is shampooing the carpets in his home, saying, I haven't seen him since the night before. Now, I don't know if Amy gives them a reason for why she's doing this in the moment, but that's not the only suspicious thing they notice. As they're going through the house, they notice that Bruce's cell phone and wallet are still in his house.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, you. 911 needs to be called ASAP.

[Shayla]

We obviously know. I mean, okay, it's 1996. Cell phones aren't kind of like they are today, but for Bruce's business, they are. And so this is never good, especially when you're a bookie and like I said, your entire business is done mostly through phone calls. So they tell Amy, hey, we're going to go file a missing persons report. But when they go to the police, the police are like, so he's only been gone today, and you're trying to say he's missing like he's a grown man?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, he's only been gone today. His girlfriend is shampooing the carpets. The whole house smells like vinegar. His wallets left the house and his phone. But, yeah, no big deal.

[Shayla]

They tell them, hey, we're going to give it a few days before we start using resources. The family's like, this is not good enough. So the following day on July 7, when they still haven't heard from him or seen him, they hire a private investigator named Michael Wasocki. And one of the first things Michael does when the family tells him what's going on is say, we gotta focus on Amy. I mean, the shampooing the carpets doesn't look great. But some of Bruce's friends also say that this relationship, Amy, there was just something a little bit off. So Michael questions her a few times over the next several days, but she maintains her story. Bruce went out the night before and didn't come home. And after some digging, he realizes, obviously, Bruce didn't make it to Lake Tahoe either. But here's what's got to be suspicious. If Bruce told Amy, hey, if I'm not back in the morning, I'll meet you up in Tahoe. Why didn't she go to Tahoe? Why was she at home shampooing the carpets? Yeah, these are all just things that Michael's curious about, especially by Thursday, July 11, when Amy starts mentioning to Michael, yeah, I would love to help you, you know, search for Bruce, but I actually have plans to leave the country. So the following day, Amy and Michael speak again. And this time, she has a different version of events.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is insane. This is insane.

[Shayla]

Michael goes to her and is like, listen, you're planning to leave the country. You need to tell us what happened. She's like, okay, okay, okay. This is the truth. She says that actually, on the night of July 5, four masked men came into the house. She was in the shower, but they pulled her out and blindfolded her so she couldn't see a thing. She heard them lead Bruce upstairs, beat him up, and then she heard three gunshots. And after that, all she heard was what sounded like his body being tossed down the stairs and dragged out of the house.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Shayla]

She said, before they left, the masked gunman said something to Amy. They told her to clean up the house and if anyone asked, tell them that Bruce left and said he would be back soon. They also threatened to come back and kill Amy and Bruce's young daughter, Jacqueline, if anyone ever found out the truth. She needed to keep this a secret. So this is definitely a little bit more than like, hey, he went out at 11pm and didn't come back. He's saying, hey, intruders broke in, tied me up, murdered him, and then told me to cover it up or else they would come back and kill me.

[Garrett Moreland]

There's no way anyone believes this. Right?

[Shayla]

Well, Michael's talking to people, you know, like, he's investigating. He's investigating. The cops are. But Michael is. And there are some neighbors who cooperate this story.

[Garrett Moreland]

Get the. Get out of here.

[Shayla]

So one of the neighbors said that on the night of July 5th, they did hear three loud popping noises that sounded like gunshots coming from Bruce's home at around 10pm and you have to take into consideration Bruce's line of work. Sometimes it did involve shady characters, even if it was legal, though apparently there were some operations that he was running there, too, that were a little below board. So Michael, at this point, decides to take this information to police. He's like, hey, this is what I found out. She lied. But then she tells the truth. And then I check with the neighbors, and they also heard the gunshots. And ten days after Bruce goes missing, Amy is finally tracked down and brought into the police station to give an official statement. And there, Amy tells police the reason she didn't come forward about all of this was because she was terrified. She remembers the muffled voices, the feeling of a gun pressed to the back of her head, and the memory of someone telling her if she talked, she would die. The only distinguishing feature she could give police was that one of the men had a heavy New York accent. She said she did what they told her to. She cleaned the carpets, kept her mouth shut. Here's the thing, though. Amy isn't recalling all of this from memory. She has these handwritten notes with her during her statement. So when she comes into police, she brings paper, and she's reading this statement off of paper. Police are like, what is going on? So they decide at this point they have probable cause. They're gonna search Bruce's house. Okay, so keep in mind, Bruce has been missing for 10 days at this point. And what they're looking for is basically any evidence that can confirm Amy's story or at the very least, a sign of what happened to Bruce. What they don't find is any fingerprints that seem out of the ordinary. But even more interesting, there are no bullets, casings, or any impact sites in the primary bedroom that they notice. What they do find after performing a luminol test, though, is a giant trail of blood leading from the master bedroom to the front door. So, obviously, when police discover this, this turns this from a missing person's case to a homicide case. So Amy's version of events, whether it was her who did it or someone else.

[Garrett Moreland]

Sorry to interrupt. Is it luminol? Yeah, Saying that correctly, is it possible for it to. How do I say this? Not. Not work? Like, can you clean up good enough to where it doesn't work? Is what I'm saying. Like, if you use bleach, like, do you know the. How the technology works or.

[Shayla]

No, I don't know how it works. I do know there is a way to, like, clean up enough to not have it show on a luminal test, because there's been times where they've, like, had to pull up the floor boards to find the blood that was missed. So are you asking.

[Garrett Moreland]

Well, I was trying to ask chat GPT, but all it Says is, I can't help you with that. If you're in a situation involving blood or harm, I urge you to seek help or contact emergency services or a trusted professional.

[Shayla]

Great. Your phone just got sent to the FBI.

[Garrett Moreland]

I'm screwed. I mean, I could look it up, but I don't know. I'll let one of you guys answer for me.

[Shayla]

You literally chatgpt. Is there a way to pass a luminol test?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, basically. And it told me that I need.

[Shayla]

To go see someone.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, basically.

[Shayla]

Okay. So at this point, they're like, hey, we do think murder happened here. And when they check Amy's car as well as Bruce's, which had been left behind, they don't find any fiber or blood in either of the vehicles. So they find this evidence in the house. But then where did the body go once it left if it wasn't in either of their vehicles? And so this is when they are like, wait, is Amy telling the truth? Was there a third party involved?

[Garrett Moreland]

There's no way. There's no way that I can believe that there was a third party.

[Shayla]

Police are still searching at this point, and they find Bruce's hidden safe in his bedroom. And when they get it open, they discover there is only $20 inside. Now, according to some sources, Bruce originally had $100,000 inside this safe in the 90s. But upon further investigation, they also noticed something they missed. Bruce's mattress had actually been flipped over, and on the other side, there were bullet holes. So it does seem like Bruce was shot while on or in his bed. Please are thinking maybe this was part of the Amy cleaning up out of fear scenario, because to them, there was no way that she was able to go in here, shoot her boyfriend, and then drag him out of the house and dispose of his body all on her own. She's very petite. He is huge.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, sorry. I guess I was gonna say, I guess that's a good point. She couldn't have, like, she couldn't have dragged or disposed of the body by herself, right?

[Shayla]

Between that and the lack of evidence in their cars, the police are like, okay, there has to be something el going on. Which is when they start to wonder maybe she's telling the truth. And when they dig deeper into Bruce's life back in Los Angeles and the reason why he left, that's when things start to make a little more sense. So, as I mentioned, Bruce's bookie operation was legal most of the time. There were apparently a few incidents back in LA in the late 80s where Bruce was arrested for illegal bookmaking, though. And during the last instance, the LAPD approached Bruce with an offer. They said, give us a few names of other illegal bookies in town, and. And we'll clear your charges. Now, Bruce, with a new baby at the time, was probably happy to make a deal. But, of course, this comes with a risk. A lot of the guys he was working with were involved in organized crime. But there was a benefit for Bruce as well. If he gives them the names, then he clears out his competition. So Bruce wore a wire. He became an informant for the police, helped them with their sting operation, and in the end, he helped the police arrest over 20 people. Whoa. That's a lot of enemies. So, naturally, when the Vegas police hear he's been murdered, they. And they learn about this, they decide there's a group of people they're gonna look at. I will say all of those people Bruce busted were now in jail, but that doesn't mean they didn't have connections on the outside.

[Garrett Moreland]

I also. I just want to bring something up. So say she was. You know, they tied her down, killed him, did all this stuff. I know everyone reacts to trauma differently, but she doesn't seem distressed at all. You know, like, there's no way. If some. If someone came in here, tied you down, killed me, you would be freaking out. Yeah, freaking out. So.

[Shayla]

But also, if they were like, hey, you need to be on your best behavior. Clean this up, or I'm gonna come back and kill you now. Now I'd be like, yeah, okay. And then the second they left, I would call the police.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, 100%.

[Shayla]

But back in the 90s, would people have done that?

[Garrett Moreland]

I think so. I don't think people have changed that much.

[Shayla]

I think people just don't believe that criminals are going to come back and kill them as much as they used to.

[Garrett Moreland]

But she'd still just be, like, scared.

[Shayla]

Or, you know, I get what you're saying.

[Garrett Moreland]

Like, there's no way she's just going to be like, yeah, life's amazing. I'm going to Tahoe.

[Shayla]

Well, she didn't go, remember?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Shayla]

The Las Vegas police start looking into these people one by one, and what they find is none of them even knew Bruce was the one who ratted them out. Apparently, Bruce was a pretty flawless informant. But that poses a different problem. All of Bruce's enemies are now a dead end, which means the investigation has to pivot. And that's when a new name is thrown into the mix. The man named Ken Reich. Now, Ken was Bruce's roommate at his home before Amy moved in. But he's also Bruce's business associate. And before Bruce died, the two had started a little side hustle together. The two of them would take the cash from their clients, the cash that was meant to pay off lost bets. And instead of paying the winners of the bets with that cash, they would take the money to a casino to see if they could turn a little profit. They started gambling with their clients money. Turns out there were a couple nights when Bruce was in the red and he borrowed about $5,000 from Ken to try and fix all of this. Police think, well, 5,000 is like chump change to these guys. Would someone really kill their business partner and friend over an amount that small? Here's something else strange. Remember how I said Bruce, his daughter Jacqueline and Amy were all supposed to go to Tahoe with another friend that weekend?

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Shayla]

Well, that friend was Ken. Well, when Ken hears his buddy is missing and they're not going to Tahoe anymore, doesn't really seem to care, he heads to Tahoe without Amy, Bruce, and Jacqueline and does the vacation anyway. And when police tried to question him, there was zero sense of urgency to come down to the station to talk. Plus, it seems like Ken was one of the last people to actually see Bruce alive. On the day before Bruce vanished, Ken and Bruce went to watch some horse races. And then he dropped Bruce back off at his house at around 9pm I remember those shots apparently went off at 10. But when the police finally do get a hold of Ken, he tells them this. He went somewhere in the hours after dropping him off, meaning Ken has a rock solid alibi. He spent the rest of the night out with a friend, which they cooperate with several witnesses. So that brings them back once more to the person closest to Bruce. Amy. This show is sponsored by Liquid iv. I can't wait for summer. I love traveling, Going to the beach, soaking up the sun. Prepping for a big summer means planning to stay hydrated so you can get the most out of your body and live more during those warm summer months. Visit liquidiv.com and maximize your summer plans with sugar free hydration featuring the new Raspberry lemonade hydration multiplier. And get 20 off your first order with Code Husband at checkout. Garrett uses Liquid IV when he plays pickleball because it is really easy to get dehydrated. And it is so amazing. It is so amazing that Liquid IV makes it so you get the most out of your water. And like I said, guys, you can get 20 off with code husband. Liquid IV is leading the way in flavor innovation with true to fruit flavors that keep you hydrated. From acai berry and lemon lime to pina colada. Or check out their website to choose from their line of sugar free flavors like raspberry lemonade, white peach and rainbow sherbet. Liquid IV is more than just a drink. It's scientifically formulated to hydrate better than water alone. Break the mold and own your ritual. Get ready for summer with extraordinary hydration from Liquid IV. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to LiquidIV.com and use code husband at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code [e-mail] this episode is brought to.

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[Shayla]

So after all of this, they're like, we have circled back around to her.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Shayla]

But when the police decide to go question Amy again, they realize they can't find her. She's gone.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, she's out of the country.

[Shayla]

So now they're thinking one of two things happened. Either Amy skipped town or the people came back and killed her like they said they would.

[Garrett Moreland]

I guess I didn't think about that part.

[Shayla]

Maybe whoever threatened her came back after she talked to police. So they try to reach out to her a few times and nothing. But then, on August 11, a little over a month after Bruce disappears, there's a break in the case. A body is found in the Las Vegas desert. A couple of hunters are out in this isolated part of the desert when they notice this strong chemical odor hit them all of a sudden. And near that smell are a bunch of stones on top of skeletal remains. So the police are called out to the site, but the remains are pretty decomposed. It's kind of hard for them to make out any identifying features. All they can tell is that the body belongs to a man. But they also notice the smell. And they say it doesn't smell like the normal odor of a decomposing body. As gross as that sounds, they're noticing that it smells like a cleaning solution of some kind of. But that's not even the most shocking part of this entire thing is they're scanning the area, looking for clues. 400 yards away, there's a second body.

[Garrett Moreland]

No way is it Amy.

[Shayla]

It has long reddish hair and appears at first glance to be a female. So police have these bodies bagged, taken back to the lab, and the Las Vegas police are feeling like they think it's Bruce and Amy.

[Garrett Moreland]

Holy crap. No. I feel bad, but no way. So no way.

[Shayla]

They look at the first body, the one that's Mel, and they find there is a bullet wound in the chest. And after getting a hold of Bruce's dental records, they do in fact prove that this body is Bruce Weinstein and Amy's. Now we have the second body. And when they examine it closely, they realize, oh, this isn't a woman, it's a man. Oh, and it's a victim of a completely unrelated crime. A total coincidence that the bodies were so close together.

[Garrett Moreland]

Wow.

[Shayla]

Police don't know. But what they do know is that Amy might still be alive somewhere. And Bruce's family is encouraging the police to look for her. Their guts are telling them that she had something to do with this. So the police issue a fugitive warrant for Amy. And about a month later, they get a hit all the way in Maryland. Turns out Amy has been pulled over for speeding. She tries to get out of it. However, there is something else in the vehicle that catches the officer's eye. The big bag of cash stacked with hundred dollar bills amounting to about a hundred thousand dollars. There's also another woman's birth certificate, a passport, a bunch of wigs. And at first the officer thinks the road she's on is a well traveled path for drug traffickers. So that's what they think. But then he sees that she has a bunch of newspaper clippings about Bruce Weinstein's case in her car. And when he finds out there's this felony warrant out for her arrest in Vegas, he puts her in handcuffs. She's thrown in jail in Maryland. And the Las Vegas police are working to get her back to Nevada. But before they can extradite her, someone comes and pays her bail. And she escapes before the LVPD can get her into their custody. But there's still this big missing piece for detectives. I mean, that's crazy. Amy did not do this alone. At least she did not move this body alone. So they are thinking that she has someone else involved. And that's when they figure out a little bit more about this case. In January of 1997, someone finds a.38 caliber pistol in the desert close to where Bruce's body was found. By the way, the bullet wound in Bruce's chest matches this. So they run the serial number on the gun, and they find it belongs to a 58 year old man named Robert Wayne. Bobby Jones, Bobby, turns out, is also on the run. And he was employed by Amy's upholstery cleaning business. So the gun they find near the body belongs to one of Amy's employees.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Shayla]

Now, when they see pictures of Bobby, they realize this is definitely the guy that could have helped Amy move a body. So they get a warrant to search Bobby's property. And then they get to his house and they notice something odd. It's that same weird chemical smell they noticed when they discovered Bruce's body. And that's when they realize it's a chemical they use for the upholstery business. But as I mentioned, Bobby's nowhere to be found. He's also mia. So the police issue a fugitive warrant for him as well. And to place even greater attention on the case, they get America's Most Wanted to run an episode about Bruce's murder. And shockingly, it works. In June of 1997, six months after they discovered Bobby's involvement and knew who they were looking for, but couldn't find Bonnie and Clyde, someone reported seeing Bobby in New Mexico. Turns out he had been hiding out at his son's house. There he's taken into custody, refuses to speak with police, which is why they think, okay, we also need to find Amy so we can put all the pieces together.

[Garrett Moreland]

I think I need to say something real quick too. How do the neighbors go? Oh, yeah, I think someone did come in, tie me down and a bunch of people came in.

[Shayla]

Well, they just said that they heard the gunshots, but. Oh, they didn't say that they saw people. They're just saying. Yeah, I mean, if she's saying there were gunshots that night, yeah, we did hear that.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay, so they're probably. I mean, there was gunshots though, but.

[Shayla]

Yes, but I mean, they could have been hers.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yes, exactly.

[Shayla]

So six more months go by, they can't find Amy. So they decide, let's reach out to the producers of America's Most Wanted and see if we can run the episode again. And it works. Again, someone says they know where Amy is. Currently, she's bartending at a nudist colony in Fort Pierce, Florida. So cops storm the campground, but Amy's already a step ahead of them. They say she left mere hours ago, though it only takes a few more days to track her down. On January 28, she is tracked down to a friend's home 16 miles away and finally placed in handcuffs. And this time, police aren't letting her get away, she's sent back to Vegas, where she tells the police the same thing she originally did. The same exact story. She thinks the mobsters killed Bruce, but they aren't buying it, especially because they know that she had Bruce's cash on the road with her. So later that year, In October of 1998, Amy and Bobby are tried together for the murder of Bruce Weinstein. The prosecution paints the story as an extortion plot gone wrong. Turns out Amy had hinted to a few friends in the week leading up to the murder that she had actually wanted to kill Bruce, but she wanted to find a way to keep his money after he was gone. So in order to do that, she needed a bit of help. That's when she recruited her employee Bobby, who she knew was already strapped for cash. She told Bobby he should pretend to break in one night and hold Bruce at gunpoint until he gave him what he was looking for. That evening, Bruce recognized Bobby. He could make out his voice. So Bobby panicked. He shot Bruce, dragged him out of the house, and the two used cleaning supplies to cover their tracks. Amy came up with the fake story and mopped up the house while Bobby brought Bruce out to the desert. Then they took his cash. Whether or not that's exactly what actually happened, the jury believes it. Amy was found guilty of first degree murder and given two life sentences, while Bobby was also found guilty for his part in the crime and given five years. But it doesn't end there. Two years after this, both of their convictions are overturned. Apparently during the trial, one of the former homicide detectives called Amy's story a complete, quote, fairy tale, which Supreme Court justices agreed should not have been allowed during testimony because that's a matter of opinion, but could sway the jury. So as a result, Amy and Bobby were granted a new trial. But instead of risking her life in the hands of another jury, Amy pled guilty to second degree murder and was given a new sentence of 10 to 25 years. She was actually released in 2011. Bobby was not retried at all. The judge felt he had already served the majority of his time for the case, so they decided to release him. And while both of them are back out living their lives now, the lives of Bruce's family are changed forever. His daughter Jacqueline has made the most of this next chapter, though she's decided to avoid the dangers of the family business. She's gone on to become a doctor. But I think there's definitely something heartbreaking in these cases. When killers get out and the victims are still dead. And that is the case of Bruce Weinstein. Thank you guys so much for listening to today's episode. Garrett actually had to run out like three minutes ago to go jump in a meeting, so I love it and he still hates it. We'll see you next time. Goodbye.

[Unknown]

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