226: The Stalking Murder of Lee Redmond Revisited (Special Guest: Jami Pomerleau) | USA

  NOEL You are listening to: The Evidence Locker.   This is a re-examination of a case we first covered in October 2021. While we strive for accuracy in every episode, true crime coverage often hinges on available public information, which can sometimes perpetuate misrepresented facts. Today, we're setting the record straight about Lee Redmond's case with the invaluable assistance of his sister, Jami Pomerleau. Her firsthand insights have allowed us to paint a more complete and truthful portrait of Lee and the circumstances surrounding his tragic death. We extend our deepest gratitude to Jami for coming forward, sharing her time, and helping us honor her brother's memory with the accuracy it deserves.   Our episodes cover true crimes involving real people, and some content may be graphic in nature. Listener discretion is advised. We produce each episode with the utmost respect for the victims, their families, and loved ones.   NOEL Moments after Patricia Stocker and her roommate heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots, they saw a man covered in blood, crawling towards the gate to their apartment complex on West Reno Avenue, Las Vegas. Patricia rushed over and tried to help the man, while her roommate, Victor Rizzi, called 9-1-1. When Patricia reached the man, he was badly injured and struggled to speak. In shock, he told her his name was Lee and kept mumbling in disbelief:   “I’m shot. I’m shot.”   Patricia recalled:   "He raised up and I put my legs under him. He put his arm across me and held on. He clenched his jaw. I said, 'No, you've got to open your mouth and let air in.' I said, 'It's OK,' and he relaxed. He let out his last breath of air and it was over."   Clenched in his hand was his keychain, with a picture of his two-year-old daughter. It was important, Patricia felt, that Lee’s family knew he was not alone when he passed away…   The victim of this brutal slaying was Lee Redmond, a Las Vegas limo driver. In the months leading up to his murder, Lee repeatedly sought help from authorities about a stalker who had become increasingly threatening, but his concerns were not taken seriously. And then, his worst fears came true… NOEL Charles ‘Lee’ Redmond was born on June 12, 1962, in Riverside, California. He came from a large family of 9 children, but for the most part he grew up with two sisters and a brother, as the older siblings had already left home. He always looked out for his siblings and friends, and everyone who knew Lee, liked him. He was tall and handsome, athletic and popular – but it never went to his head, it’s just how he was, and people naturally gravitated toward him.   After graduating high school, Lee’s parents and younger siblings moved to Las Vegas, where he joined them after a stint at college. In 1997, Lee’s family had been living in Las Vegas for 17 years.   His mom worked at a hospital and introduced him to a co-worker called Renee.   JAMI: She wanted him to meet a nice girl. So, she introduced him to Renee, who also worked at the hospital with her, and they hit it off and they started dating. So, they hit it off. And matter of fact, their first date was actually coming to see me sing because I sang in town.   NOEL Lee and Renee married and a year later they welcomed their baby daughter, Lexus into their family.   JAMI He was a great husband, great dad. When they had their daughter, Lexus, he spoiled her so much, you know, how parents always give that ginormous first birthday party. He was just like that. And, uh, spoiled her a lot and, uh, everything just seemed to be going really well.   They always live close by me. So, I saw them pretty often and as a singer singing in lounges, here in Las Vegas, I would, it wouldn't be unusual for me to look up from the stage out into the audience and see my brother standing in the back of the room because he was a limo driver for a hotel here. And in between, you know, driving people around, he would stop by and watch me sing. So, um, I saw him quite a bit.   NOEL A respected kickboxing champion, Lee was happy to settle down and enjoyed being a father. But he never gave up on his dreams, and was set to turn pro, with a fight scheduled for the spring of 1998. Lee was determined to make something of his life, and always had great ideas. JAMI Lee was always, he was kind of like a P. T. Barnum kind of character. He would always have these great ideas of how he was going to be rich. He wanted to make this nightclub called The Caverns, and he made this really big model of this cave, and you'd open it up, and you'd see how people would arrive at this, this place.   At this nightclub and they'd get down like these little mining cars and they'd go all the way down to the bottom of this club. It was very, um, it was very intricate how he did this.  He wanted to make movies. He wanted to be a stuntman, a martial artist. He was always doing something to make a lot of money, and he was, he didn't want to just be just a limo driver.   He always had all these grand ideas. I had met one of my favorite actors this summer of 97. I had met, um, Bill Pullman who had just come out with Independence Day. My favorite actor. And I had this picture, and I was just gushing to my brother about how I just met Bill Pullman and how, how, uh, nice he was.   And he said, yeah, well, you know, I'm making this, I'm going to make this movie. And if he's nice, I'll let him be in my movie. And I said, oh, I'm so, so kind of you to offer.   And my son at the time was very young and he was very into Batman. And I literally convinced my brother to get dressed up in the Batman suit. And I mean, not just any costume. It was the full latex with the chest plate and everything. And he surprised all the kids. Is at the birthday party dressed as Batman and him, you know, he's all I convinced him. I say that I convinced him to wear the costume because I told him he was the only one that I knew with enough muscles that could, you know, fill out the suit.   NOEL Through his kickboxing connections, the 6ft4 Lee landed a part-time job as a bodyguard at the MCM Grand Hotel-Casino. Soon, the good-looking, always smiling and gentle man was offered work as a chauffeur for resort guests.   He drove limousines around Las Vegas and brushed shoulders with many high rollers and celebrities. Stevie Wonder was one of Lee’s regular clients for more than two years. The two of them struck up a friendship, and always looked forward to seeing each other.   But even though everyone who met Lee knew him to be jovial and upbeat, behind the smiles he was struggling in the wake of a horrible family tragedy that took place in 1996. Lee and Renee spent Christmas with her family. Then, on the morning of December 26, her father James was driving her brother Roderick to the airport to so he could go back to college after the holiday break. A couple of blocks from the airport, they went through a main intersection and a 20-year-old drunk driver ran a red light and T-boned their vehicle, killing both Renee ‘s father and brother. In an awful coincidence, Lee, happened to be driving by the accident in his Limo shortly after it happened, and recognized James’ vehicle.   Until then, Lee had never experienced the death of someone close to him. The accident traumatized him, and it was a rough time for him and Renee too as they struggled to come to terms with the tragedy, each in their own way. But even at the worst of times, life carries on…   Lee’s work as a limo driver meant that he met all kinds of people. It also exposed him to the other side of Las Vegas – a world of strip-clubs and escorts. As a driver-slash-bodyguard, Lee was often expected to enter strip clubs with his clients, to make sure they were okay. He was good at his job, and always enjoyed talking to everyone. And so, it came, that one night, he met an exotic dancer while waiting for one of his clients at the Girls of Glitter Gulch nightclub. Lee struck up a conversation with her, and she was instantly taken in by his kind manner.   The dancer was 21-year-old Nicole Thornton. Nicole also hailed from southern California, but unlike Lee, she did not have much of a family life. She came from a broken home and decided to move to Las Vegas for a fresh start. However, she was very lonely and struggled to settle in. She told Lee that she felt unsafe making her way home in the middle of the night after work.   Lee had a strong older-brother instinct and offered drive her home after his shift one night. From that point on, whenever Lee took clients to the Girls of Glitter Gulch nightclub, she jumped at the opportunity to get a ride home. Lee, who was still going through a tough time after the tragic loss of two family members, succumbed to temptation and ended up having a brief fling with Nicole. But before it went anywhere, Lee realized his mistake and ended things.   He came clean to Renee and agreed to do whatever it took to work things out. They went to church together and sought counselling from the pastor, and both of them were determined to save their marriage, as they shared a deep love for one another.   However, Nicole did not take Lee’s ending their fling well. She was crazy about Lee and misinterpreted their connection – and she continued to seek a relationship with him, despite his clear boundaries. He realized her intention was to break up his marriage, and politely turned her down time and time again. He made it clear that he was in a loving marriage and was committed to his young family. Lee never considered leaving Renee and told Nicole so in no uncertain terms.   Nicole struggled to accept this, and called Lee at work every day, and most of the time he got himself out of the conversation, or he would ask his co-workers to cover for him. The daily calls escalated and soon Nicole was calling almost on the hour. When Lee started avoiding her phone calls, she showed up at his work in person. It was very awkward for Lee, who was running out of excuses to get rid of her. Nicole was oblivious to the stress she caused him and continued chasing after him.   JAMI She even had two guys that she said were her brothers confront him in his car one day and just really scary things. And those things I, I think needed to be told because that helped people to understand his mindset of why he went over her house that night to try and just make it all end and just try and talk her out of, you know, doing what she had been doing for months.   In her mind, the only obstacle was Lee’s wife, Renee. So, she went after her too, hoping to come between them. Nicole left notes on Renee’s car, claiming that she was still having an affair with Lee – and that this was not his only affair either. She lied, saying that when Lee told Renee he was at work, he was with her.   Concerned about his family’s safety when he left for work and was afraid of what Nicole was capable of. There was not telling how far she was prepared to go. However, police were not very helpful and did not think the situation was quite as dangerous as Lee described it. In fact, he told his friends and family that the duty officers laughed at him. Lee felt embarrassed, and angry all at the same time. Nicole would not leave him alone police did not take him seriously – what was he supposed to do?   Despite a restraining order against her, Nicole continued her stalking behavior. It put so much pressure on Lee and his young family, they decided to move. The couple bought property and built their new home. They had an unlisted phone number and address, and for a moment, Lee felt a bit safer.   But Nicole’s harassment continued. Lee tried everything: he ignored her, he was firm and direct with her, and when that didn’t work, he tried to be kind and patient. However, his kindness only seemed to fuel her fire, causing her to damage his personal vehicle by keying it, throwing paint on it and slashing the tires.   JAMI In the summer, I got a call from my sister-in-law Renee, and she said, you know what, you better, you better go talk to your brother. Cause he just needs to figure out what to do with this girl.  And she's driving us crazy.  And, and I said, okay, I'll, I'll see what I can do.   And then he called me not too short after Renee was at work. And he said, can you please come over and watch Lexus for a minute? Because I went out to go get in the car and she had slashed all my tires in my car. So, he's out there in the heat of Las Vegas, changing all the tires on his car because she had slashed his tires.   And I said, what is going on? And he just said that this girl won't leave him alone. And he made a mistake and that she just won't leave him alone. And he's gone to the police, and they laughed at him because he's a big six-foot five guy, real strong, muscular guy. And she was this little petite dancer, and they were treating him like he shouldn't have anything to be afraid of.   NOEL Lee diligently reported each incident as his anxiety mounted. But authorities underestimated the seriousness of his concerns, failing to acknowledge the danger posed by Nicole’s escalating behavior.   Lee felt let down by the system but was prepared to do whatever it took to protect his family. He confronted Nicole for the umpteenth time and begged her to stay away from them. But instead of coming to her senses or apologizing, Nicole pulled out a firearm and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t leave Renee for her. Through careful negotiation, Lee managed to defuse the volatile situation. The dramatic incident seemed to have shaken Nicole into reality, making her realize what she was doing. She had a gun pointed at the man she had become obsessed with – it was rock bottom.   At this point, Lee thought that he finally got through to his stalker and was positive about getting on with his life. He hoped to leave the whole thing behind him and forget that he ever met Nicole Thornton. But Nicole would not let him forget about her. In the first week of October, she sent him another threatening letter. She also vandalized his car again.   JAMI She would make really mean comments to Renee because she was like myself, light skinned African American and Renee is dark skinned. And so, she would say things like, he doesn't want a dark-skinned woman. He wants me. Nothing was working. It was not going to break the bond of Renee and Lee. And so that's when she just started doing crazy things all the time.   NOEL Lee was furious and desperate to put an end to Nicole’s behavior. In the early morning hours of Monday 13 October 1997, after he finished work for the night, he drove the MGM Grand’s limousine to Industrial Road, where it was stored, and picked up his personal car. He then drove to Nicole’s apartment in a final attempt to resolve the situation.   What followed was pure carnage…   Police concluded that Nicole pulled her weapon on Lee during the argument. He did not engage in a struggle and chose to leave. As he walked away from her, heading downstairs from her second-floor apartment, she shot him in the back. Blood on the driver’s side door handle of Lee’s car indicated that he had made it to his car. However, Nicole must have followed him and fired a second shot, hitting him in his lower back.   Nicole left him for dead and returned to her apartment. Inside, she wrote a suicide note, explaining her obsession with Lee. If she couldn’t have him, no one could. Then she turned her gun on herself and pulled the trigger.   Meanwhile, Lee must have realized he was in trouble and returned to the building, crawling, hoping someone would help. This is when Patricia Stocker and Victor Rizzi saw him and raised the alarm. Sadly, it was too late, and Lee passed away only minutes before the ambulance arrived at the scene.   Lee was announced dead at 5:20am by the Las Vegas coroner’s office. Renee was up all night, waiting for Lee. She was used to him working late, but something didn’t feel right. When a police officer knocked on her door with news about her husband’s murder, her whole world fell apart. They asked her if she knew of anyone who would have wanted to harm her husband, and she immediately told them about Nicole Thornton.   Police realized that Lee was killed outside of Nicole’s apartment and wanted to talk to her. When they entered her apartment some hours after Lee passed away, they discovered her body inside, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.   Shortly after Lee’s murder, Stevie Wonder was staying at the MGM Grand and requested his usual driver, the amicable Lee Redmond. The popstar was distraught to learn about the murder and reached out to Renee and asked if he could sing at Lee’s funeral.   It was an emotional service at the New Bethel Baptist Church. Before Stevie Wonder sang, he said:   "It was only through the love of Lee that I am here today. It is only through Lee's love that I am here as a friend. Our friendship was not based on who I was. It was based on being a friend. I knew instantly that this man would be someone special in my life. As much as I'm hurt that he is not here in the physical, I am so glad that he is looking down on us, protecting us."   He then fared his friend farewell by singing “I Won’t Complain”, and the congregation rose to their feet, clapping, crying, singing along. Stevie Wonder sang the heartfelt gospel song, ending with:   "God bless you, Lee”.   Lee’s father, Ralph Redmond, respected his son for following his dreams and putting them into reality. He said:   "Lee was not perfect -- none of us are -- he loved life."   Lee’s sister, Jami also thanked Patricia Stocker publicly for being there for her brother during his last moments alive.   Lee’s family struggled to come to terms with his death. Four months before his death he took out a restraining order against his stalker, who eventually became his killer. It was terribly frustrating to know that he feared for his safety, but nothing was done to save him.   Jami shared that the family has always been transparent about Lee’s brief mistake, emphasizing that it in no way justifies the tragic outcome. In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, she said:   “He tried to go through the right channels, and no one did anything. Then he tried to handle it himself.”   And then he was taken from his wife, his baby daughter, his family and friends. A tragic series of events unfolded, culminating in Lee’s untimely death—a devastating loss for his family and loved ones.   JAMI My sister in law's still in the same house that my brother never got to live in  because they were building it when, when he passed, and he would go over there and check on it all the time, and he was so excited to own his first house, and I just think of all the things that he missed about his only child who is now into bodybuilding and she's so amazing and is just a waste.   NOEL Despite the pain inflicted by Nicole, Lee’s family still feel compassion for her.   JAMI It’s weird because, um, from what I learned after the fact. First of all, I was really angry because we found out maybe six hours later. That she had killed herself, because they were looking for her because they were protecting Renee and Lexus because they thought maybe she was coming after them as well.   And then I got the call that, they had found her in her apartment, and she had shot herself in the mouth.  And I felt, I did feel bad because I knew that she was very young.  She was from California. So, she was in Las Vegas by herself.  She was dancing in a profession that can be very tough – obviously.   But where I had the compassion was that she must have felt so lost that she had to cling to my brother who had, who had at one time been very kind to her and she just wanted to cling to someone who gave her any bit of attention and she didn't want to let that go.   Cause she must have craved it. And then the saddest part was when she died, it took almost a month for someone to come and claim her body from California. Apparently, her mom was in prison and brothers were in prison or something. An aunt came or something like that, but who waits almost a month, three weeks to a month to come get your loved one from a coroner's office. You don't do that unless you're like a throwaway relative or no one really cares about you or they're just doing it because they have to. If it were my relative, I would be there the same day. Hey, my mom went to the coroner's office like hours after my brother was killed.   So that's where the compassion for me comes. I hate what she did, but she also, you know, wasted her life as well. And then even after she took her own life, nobody cared enough to come and get her.  And that to me is really, is really sad.   NOEL Since 1998, Nevada's anti-stalking laws have evolved to address emerging threats, especially incorporating provisions against cyberstalking. Under Nevada Revised Statutes, stalking is defined as “willful or malicious conduct that causes a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or harassed, and actually causes the victim to feel such emotions.   In 2010, the statute was amended to include electronic communications, making cyberstalking a category C felony, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.   Data from 2019 indicates that approximately 1.3% of individuals aged 16 or older were victims of stalking in the US. The experience is equally life-altering for a male victim as it is for a female.   JAMI I just hope that his death was not for nothing, that yes, that laws do change and, and people can realize that, that men are stalked just as much as women and that the police officers need to show more compassion. When people are reporting things like that, and if you can't show compassion or believe the person or help the person, then you shouldn't be in that profession.   And, and you know, had they helped him and had they talked to him, talked to her, um, maybe she wouldn't have, have killed him. You know, maybe she would have been scared off because the police were on to her or something. I don't know. There's so many things that could have happened because I don't even think him going over there that night, um, had anything that would change anything because she probably would have come to his apartment or come to his place of business and then maybe more people would have been hurt other than those just those two.   NOEL By remembering Lee, a kind-hearted and ambitious man devoted to his family, we must acknowledge the need to change societal attitudes toward male victims of stalking. Lee's only misstep was trusting someone who ultimately caused irreparable harm, and his tragic story highlights the importance of always treating stalking as a serious crime. Male victims of stalking often face unique challenges, including societal disbelief and lack of support, which can leave them feeling isolated. Let Lee’s story be a reminder that no one should have to endure such terror alone and that authorities and communities must take all stalking reports seriously to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.   We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Jami Pomerleau for her invaluable contributions to this episode. Her courage in sharing Lee’s story not only honors his memory but also sheds light on the need for systemic change and greater empathy for victims of stalking everywhere. If you'd like to read more about this case, have a look at the resources used for this episode in the show notes.   Also visit us on social media to see more about today's case – we’re on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also check out our channel on YouTube.   If you like what we do here at Evidence Locker, subscribe in Apple Podcast or wherever you are listening right now – and kindly leave a 5-star review.   This was The Evidence Locker. Thank you for listening!