Las Vegas police are once again shining a light on the unsolved killing of 29-year-old 7-Up delivery driver John Ruzzene, who disappeared after finishing his route on February 10, 1984. His blue Volkswagen was later found parked at the Castaways Hotel and Casino, and skeletal remains recovered two years later were ultimately identified as his. The Clark County Coroner determined he had been shot in the back of the head, and the case remains open and unsolved. A recent "Never Forgotten" feature from the department has pushed the decades-old mystery back into public view as detectives continue to seek tips.
How the Case Unfolded
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's open-cases page, officers took a missing-person report on February 10, 1984, after Ruzzene’s roommate, who also worked with him, reported that he had not come home and had not shown up for work. Detectives inspecting Ruzzene’s blue Volkswagen found paperwork that matched his 7-Up delivery route and determined that his last logged stop was the back dock at the Frontier Hotel and Casino around 9:30 a.m. His wallet was missing. The discovery of the vehicle in the Castaways parking lot led investigators to treat his disappearance as suspicious and to circulate photos and dental records while the search continued.
Remains Identified Two Years Later
On May 5, 1986, a passerby reported finding a human skull along Tecopa Hot Springs Highway about 3.1 miles south of State Route 160 (Blue Diamond Road). Homicide detectives later located additional skeletal remains in that remote stretch, as shown in the department’s reel on Facebook. The Clark County Coroner matched the remains to Ruzzene using dental records and ruled his death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the back of the head. LVMPD’s "Never Forgotten" video revisits the case details and asks anyone with information to come forward.
Case Still Unsolved; Detectives Seek Tips
LVMPD lists the case as open and reports that there are no publicly identified suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department’s Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521, according to its case listing. To remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or via crimestoppersofnv.com, the department notes. The renewed spotlight is aimed at reaching anyone who might recall small details that could have slipped through the cracks during the original investigation.
What Friends and Coworkers Remember
Friends, family and former coworkers described Ruzzene as dependable and responsible, "someone who would never simply vanish," a phrase used in the department's remembrance video. Investigators say that seemingly routine memories, such as an interaction at the Frontier dock or a sighting of a blue Volkswagen in the Castaways lot that day, could prove crucial. The department is asking anyone with any information, no matter how minor it may seem, to contact homicide detectives or Crime Stoppers.
