Sins & Survivors: A Las Vegas True Crime Podcast - Murdered by a Dead Man - Suellen and Lexi Roberts

Episode Date: June 4, 2024

A Las Vegas mother and daughter set out on a road trip to Arizona with Suellen’s new boyfriend, but they never returned. Weeks later, hunters in rural Louisiana stumbled upon a horrifying discovery, unraveling a case that spanned multiple states and led to an unexpected suspect. What really happened to Suellen and Lexis Roberts?Suellen Roberts moved to Las Vegas with her 4-year-old daughter Lexis in 2001, looking for a fresh start in a place with more opportunities, just as many people do. At the time, Las Vegas was booming.Suellen’s dad Gary only wanted the best for Lexis and Suellen, so he encouraged them to make the move, but a decade later he was plagued with guilt over their murders.http://sinspod.co/episode30sourcesDomestic Violence Resourceshttp://sinspod.co/resourcesClick here to become a member of our Patreon!https://sinspod.co/patreonVisit and join our Patreon now and access our ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content & schwag!Apple Podcast Subscriptionshttps://sinspod.co/appleWe're now offering premium membership benefits on Apple Podcast Subscriptions! On your mobile deviceLet us know what you think about the episodehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2248640/open_sms Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sins-survivors-a-las-vegas-true-crime-podcast--6173686/support.

Some things just take too long. A meeting that could have been an email, someone explaining crypto, or switching mobile providers. Except with Fizz. Switching to Fizz is quick and easy. Mobile plans start at $17 a month. Certain conditions apply. Details at fizz.ca. To listen to ad-free episodes and premium bonus content, visit sinspod.co slash apple to subscribe on the Apple Podcast app on your mobile device. Hey listeners, we want to hear from you. Head over to our fan list page Podcast app on your mobile device. discusses topics related to domestic violence, including detailed accounts and descriptions that some listeners might find distressing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised. Sue Ellen Roberts moved to Las Vegas with her four-year-old daughter Lexis in 2001,

looking for a fresh start in a place with more opportunities, just as many people do. At the time, Las Vegas was booming. Sue Ellen's dad, Gary, only wanted the best for Alexis and Sue Ellen, so he encouraged them to make the move. But a decade later, he was plagued with guilt over their murders. Hi, and welcome to Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast where we focus on cases that deal with domestic violence, as well as missing persons and unsolved cases. I'm your host, Sean, and with me, as always, is the one and only John. I'm the only John in the room. This week, we're talking about a case that started in Las Vegas, but ended up spanning most of the southern United States, ending up in Louisiana, with some pretty shocking aspects. Do you want to start by telling us about Sue Ellen and Lexus?

Sure. Sue Ellen Roberts was born on March 24, 1979, in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Gary Roberts and Mary Woodburn. She had one brother, Joseph, and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews, most of whom lived in her hometown of Manchester. When she was 18, she had her daughter, Lexi, and didn't end up finishing high school, but she later went back and got her GED. In 2001, when Lexi was four, as we mentioned, Sue Ellen decided to move to Las Vegas, which was absolutely exploding with growth back then. The Las Vegas metropolitan area grew at a staggering 41.3% between 2000 and 2010, from about 1.4 million people to nearly 2 million, and as of 2024, we're getting close to 3 million. Her father, Gary, who lived here in Las Vegas, supported the move because he wanted her to be

successful, both for her and for Lexi, and I'm sure it was just an extra bonus to have them living nearby. Sue Ellen was studying computer operation, and she was very spiritual, having recently started studying Buddhism and enlightenment. She also had a great passion for the environment and preserving the earth for future generations. She and Lexi also had a dog named Chico and a cat named Bob, which is undeniably a great name for a cat. Sue Ellen was working doing administrative work at a medical supply company and things were going well. Lexi Roberts had just started the seventh grade in 2010 at Silvestri Middle School in the south part of the Las Vegas Valley, not far from where we're recording this

episode. Lexi's second grade teacher described her as a loving, vibrant young soul. She recalled how Lexi loved telling stories and loved to write. They said that although she had struggled a bit in school with some subjects, she was very hardworking. For example, she had increased her reading level an entire grade level by participating in a tutoring program. They also described her as innocent, shy, and vulnerable. Her aunt was quoted as saying that bad things didn't affect her. She was not afraid to smile big with that mouthful of braces. She smiled big, hugged big, and loved big. She encouraged Lexi to write in her journal,

and Lexi once wrote that she believed that nothing bad would ever happen to her. There were also several accounts by Lexi's friends recalling how silly and fun they remember her being. She loved iCarly, her favorite color was purple, she played the viola, and she had just signed up for the band. As you're probably aware, the U.S. economy basically imploded in 2007, and the effects peaked here in Las Vegas around 2010, with the unemployment rate reaching 14.5%, the highest in the country. Most of that had to do with Las Vegas' job market being highly dependent on tourism and hospitality, and the fact that in a down economy, these are among the first industries to suffer and among the last ones to recover. Famously, in 2010, the president told the country not to go and blow a bunch of money in Las

Vegas, which did the hurting tourism industry here no favors. Unfortunately, like so many people, Sue Ellen lost her job in 2010, and she was forced to move in with her mom. Because of this, she had to downsize and put some of her furniture in storage, so she headed on down to the Pacific Mini Storage on Pecos and Russell. While she was there, she met Thomas Stephen Sanders, who worked at the mini storage, and was about 20 years older than she was. He was immediately smitten with her. Sanders met Sue Ellen at a time in her life when she was at a really low point. She was down on her luck, had just lost her job, and was planning to move back in with her mom with her 12-year-old daughter at age 31.

Because of that, it was relatively easy for him to worm his way into her life very quickly. We should note that Lexi was not a fan of her mom's new boyfriend, and she made that clear. Sue Ellen and Sanders started a whirlwind romance pretty much right away. Sanders was constantly giving Sue Ellen gifts, jewelry, and constant attention. It was pretty clear to Sue Ellen's mother that Sue Ellen was being love-bombed, although she didn't use that term. About two months after they met in September 2010, they decided to take a trip to Bear-A-Zona and the Grand Canyon over the long Labor Day weekend. If you've never heard of Bear-A-Zona, it's a 160-acre wildlife park in Williams, Arizona.

One of the things you can do is a drive-thru where you can have very close encounters with the animals who are just roaming around in their own secured areas. It's really cool, and we highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance. Sue Ellen's mother was not a fan of this vacation idea, given that they had only started dating two months before, and as Sue Ellen's mother tells it, they hardly knew each other. She's been quoted as saying she didn't think Suellen should go out of state with someone she's been dating that short a period of time. She even offered to have Lexi stay with her while they went, but Suellen wasn't interested in that. The three of them left for Barizona on September 3, 2010, in Suellen's 2001 Kia Spectra.

On September 4, there's surveillance footage of them driving through Arizona, and on September 5th, they were seen at the Grand Canyon. This would be the last time that Suellen used her mobile phone. They were supposed to return on September 6th, but they didn't show up as expected. By Wednesday, September 8th, Suellen's mother filed a missing persons report with Las Vegas Metro Police. She told Action News 13, it's not like my daughter to turn cold and leave and not call me for so many days, and I think maybe he did something to my daughter, and now my granddaughter is with him all alone. All I want to do is hear their voices and know they're all right. The Coconino County Sheriff's

Office in Flagstaff was able to track them to a motel, finding that they signed the motel's guestbook on Saturday the 4th. After the visit to Barizona and the Grand Canyon, their whereabouts were just unknown. Initially, while the investigators didn't rule out possible foul play, they did allow for the possibility that Sue Ellen and Stephen just ran off to begin a new life together, which their family dismissed as not even a remote possibility. That just didn't seem reasonable to them. The search continued across several states and jurisdictions and made national news. Authorities had no leads in the case or about what might have happened to the three of them

until the investigation led them to Harrisonburg, Louisiana. Harrisonburg is located in Catahoula Parish in the northern part of Louisiana, about 160 miles east of Shreveport, closer to the Mississippi River, but not on the river directly. Harrison Berg is an extremely small town. The town is about one square mile in area, and the population is only 277 people, which is actually less than it was in 1850. According to census report, the population has dropped dramatically over the past 20 years, and it's likely to become a ghost town. On October 8th, 2010, a hunter stumbled upon human remains outside of this small town along a dirt road called Booth Cemetery Road. The remains were described as skeletal and that of a female of small stature with long dark hair and braces on

her teeth. The remains discovered did not match any missing person's description in the area, so in order to identify who this young woman or girl was, the investigators had the remains taken to the Louisiana State University FACES lab. That's the Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory, where forensic anthropologists use tools such as DNA analysis and facial reconstruction to identify John and Jane Doe's. The director at the time was Mary Mannheim, who founded the FACES lab. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, her team was extremely moved by this case in particular, and they were determined to identify her. Since the skeleton had braces on her teeth, she was obviously a young girl, and the team really connected with solving this case.

Based on the braces, the lab team estimated the girl was between 12 and 16 years old. They consulted with an orthodontist in New Orleans, and they were able to narrow was between 12 and 16 years old. They consulted with an orthodontist in New Orleans, and they were able to narrow down her age to 13 years old. While that was helpful, the lab still was unable to identify the girl, and the police still had no leads on her identity. Mannheim was well aware that solving the case depended on being able to have accurate information made available to investigators as quickly as possible. She is quoted as saying that her team does not normally play detective, but they were so struck by this case that they are willing to use every tool at their disposal. On October 25th, Mary Mannheim told her team,

We are identifying this girl today. They expanded the search and searched the internet for cases of missing 13-year-old girls and quickly zeroed in on Lexi's case. Mary reached out to the detective investigating Lexi's missing person case in Arizona, and he sent the lab a copy of Lexi's dental records. The lab was able to match those dental records to the remains in just nine hours. Mary said that going from having no clue in the afternoon to having a positive identification by the next day was an extremely rare thing.

Lexi's cause of death was quickly ruled a homicide. She had been shot four times, and her throat had been cut with such extreme and violent force that it left marks on her cervical vertebrae. Suellen was still missing, but the horrific realization that Lexi was dead turned the missing person search into a nationwide manhunt for Sanders. Numerous investigative agencies were involved in the case, including the Louisiana State Police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General, as well as additional law enforcement agencies throughout the country. As they began to dig into Thomas Stephen Sanders' past, they discovered something truly shocking. He had been declared dead in 1994. In the 1980s, Sanders was living in Mississippi. He married a woman named Candace, and the two of them had three sons together. In 1988, Candace divorced him for, quote, habitual cruel and inhumane treatment, or as I would put it simply, abuse. But after that,

Sanders just disappeared from her life. He just walked away. His mom, his kids, and his ex never heard from him at all for years. In 1994, they petitioned to have him declared legally dead so that his sons could collect his Social Security benefits. It wasn't until Lexus and Sue Ellen disappeared that his mom, ex-wife, and the kids knew he was even still alive. As part of the investigation, the FBI went to Candace's house in Mississippi, and her new husband, Paul Tarver, told the press, I don't know why they came here looking for him. He shows up on my doorstep. He's a dead man. He abandoned three kids in my eyes. This raises many questions about how was Sanders able to

remain dead for 15 years without ever being detected, especially when he had more than a few brushes with the law in that time especially when he had more than a few brushes with the law in that time, and he had even gotten married again and divorced again. Investigators determined a lot of that was due to Sanders' lifestyle. He lived off the grid. He dealt in cash, and he would sometimes give his name as just Steve or his nickname, which was Spider. He was a drifter, traveling around a lot and just staying under the radar. He lived in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and finally Nevada. He worked as a laborer, a welder, and a scrap metal collector. We mentioned earlier that he

was working at the storage place when he met Sue Ellen. there is some reporting that he was actually living there as well. Sanders wasn't buying property or applying for loans. He wasn't collecting social security. There wasn't a way to search and determine that he had been declared legally dead. And he himself may not have even known that he was legally dead. Time magazine called him a legal zombie. It is truly shocking that he was able to go undetected and remain missing since he had been arrested under his true legal name multiple times for drug crimes and motor vehicle accidents, and he'd even been incarcerated for two years in Georgia on a battery charge. Law enforcement stated that some of his past crimes did involve minors,

but any reporting we uncovered noted that the authorities would not release details about those charges. The FBI issued a warrant for Sanders for the kidnapping of Lexis. That's probably going to sound weird to a lot of people, and I can see why. What you should know is that since Sanders kidnapped Lexi and crossed state lines with her, that crime became chargeable under the U.S. federal penal code. It just became a federal crime. Under the federal kidnapping statute, the sentence can be as severe as life in prison or even the death penalty if the kidnapping results in the death of another person. Murder is rarely prosecuted as a federal crime unless the victim is a government official of some kind. It was also clear at this point that Sue Ellen was in extreme danger and the FBI had no way to locate her.

As we said, since the case spanned several states, several law enforcement agencies were involved. And the crime was featured on America's Most Wanted on November 13, 2010, resulting in a good number of tips coming into the FBI's tip line. One of the tips indicated that Sanders was hiding in the Gulf Coast, and finally they received a tip that he was at a Flying J truck stop in Gulfport, Mississippi. The FBI acted quickly and was able to apprehend him there the very next day, November 14th. Sanders was alone, unarmed, and he was driving Sue Ellen's Kia Spectra. The FBI reported that when they caught him, he told them, I'm surprised it took you so long to find me. In the interrogation that followed, Sanders was strangely helpful to the FBI, confessing to everything. Hi, it's Sean and John from Sins and Survivors.

We think it's so important to bring you new podcast episodes centered on the victims of domestic violence, but we need your help. Head over to SinsPod.co slash Patreon and join one of our membership tiers starting at only $3 a month with a discount if you purchase a full year. You get access to our behind-the-scenes swing-shift episodes where we talk about the episode right after we record it and tell you more about our theories on the case going beyond what you just listened to. And you'll also get ad-free versions of all episodes and we'll even send you members-only schwag. You get all this and you can feel good about yourself that you're helping defray the cost of producing the show every week. So head over to SinsPod.co slash Patreon today. His confession and his detailed description of the crime were chilling. After they visited Barizona and the Grand Canyon, on September 8th, he pulled off of Interstate 40 in a remote location in the Arizona desert so that Sue Ellen could try shooting his gun.

As Lexus was sitting on a blanket a few feet away, Sanders shot Sue Ellen in the head, leaving her body where it fell, forcing Lexus back into the car and started driving. The horror Lexus must have felt must have been unimaginable. In the trial, he is quoted as saying, I just shot her. I didn't know what to do after that. We're not exactly sure how long he was driving. And during the trial, his lawyer said that he wasn't sleeping and he didn't know where he was trying to go. Initially, he said he wanted to go to New Jersey, but he ended up in northern Louisiana. At some point, though, just a few days after murdering Sue Ellen in cold blood, he pulled the car over in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, and shot 12-year-old Lexus three times in the head,

once in the chest, and then slit her throat. As we said, hunters would stumble across her body a few weeks later. The FBI investigators told him that her body had decomposed where he left her, and weirdly, Sanders said, she didn't deserve that. Sanders disclosed the location of Sue Ellen's body, and they recovered it on November 15th, just a day after he was arrested. On November 18th, a grand jury indicted Sanders on one count of kidnapping Lexus Roberts. There was some discussion of Sanders being charged with first-degree murder in Louisiana, or for the murder of Sue Ellen in Arizona, but the decision was made to go with the federal

kidnapping charge. We'll talk more about our thoughts on this in the Swing Shift episode right after this, so please be sure to subscribe today so you can hear that. Just visit sinspod.co slash subscribe. As you said, Sanders could have been charged and tried in numerous jurisdictions for the many crimes he committed across multiple states. He was charged federally with one charge of kidnapping resulting in death for Lexus's murder and an additional charge of using a firearm in a violent crime. The government announced they would seek the death penalty. His trial began in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

The first phase of the trial, the guilt phase, began on September 3, 2011, approximately one year after the crimes took place. The prosecution's case focused on the fact that Sanders had confessed on tape to killing Lexus and Sue Ellen. They also had surveillance footage from a Walmart in Las Vegas where Sanders was seen purchasing ammunition that was the same caliber used in Lexus's murder on the same day the three left for their Labor Day road trip. Pages of Lexus's journals were also read during this phase to emphasize her innocence and vulnerability. Sanders was represented by Christy Gibbons. She said, quote, we agree with the government on almost all of the facts and that Sanders, quote, accepts full responsibility for the death of Lexis Roberts. Gibbons' strategy was largely

to introduce factors showing that Sanders either wasn't fully culpable or shouldn't be given the death penalty as he was a victim of childhood abuse, as well as neglect, and that he suffered from brain damage. She also argued that he should not have even been tried in federal court, but should have been charged in local courts instead. She claimed that Sanders was in love with Sue Ellen. She claimed he himself didn't know why he had shot her. He had said, I just shot her. I didn't know what to do after that. The trial lasted five days, and after just one hour of deliberation, the jury found Sanders guilty of both one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting

in death. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell said, This is a heartbreaking case. A girl witnessed the murder of her mother, was held captive for days, and had her life tragically cut short by a senseless, brutal murder. We hope today's verdict will help Lex's family as they continue to struggle with the loss of their loved ones. The next phase of the trial was the penalty phase. Sanders had made it clear that he wanted the death penalty. Both the prosecution and the defense presented evidence regarding the sentence.

During this phase, some pretty horrifying things came out about Sanders' past. One of the main witnesses for Sanders was his mother, Mary Sue Booth. She testified about his family's history. One of the main witnesses for Sanders was his mother, Mary Sue Booth. She testified about his family's history. One of the main witnesses for Sanders was his mother, Mary Sue Booth. She testified about his family's history. His paternal grandmother was an orphan who had married her first cousin. His maternal grandfather was born out of wedlock from an affair between two cousins. As a result, his grandfather did not have any inheritance and was poorer than the other family members. His mother also described her own traumatic childhood.

She was one of 11 children and grew up in extreme poverty. They didn't have any electricity or running water in the 1940s and 1950s. She and her siblings had been put to work to earn money while they were still in grade school. They performed hard labor tasks such as cotton picking and commercial fishing, and as a result, they did not attend school. She never saw a doctor, and her family relied on home remedies, including using kerosene. She ended up running away from home at the age of 16. She became pregnant with Sanders and gave birth to him when she was just 18.

Thomas Sanders suffered a severe head injury when he was only three years old. According to Mary Sue, the injury was so severe that Sanders had to relearn how to walk and talk. His father was Edward Kilby Sanders. He's been described as a suicidal alcoholic. Edward Sanders was paralyzed as the result of a drunk driving accident and committed suicide in 2005 after being paralyzed for years. He was buried in Mary Sue's family's cemetery. As we said, Mary Sue's maiden name was Booth, as in Booth Cemetery Road, which is the plot of land where Sanders killed Lexis and left her body. The jury was given a long document to complete in order to determine if Sanders would be given the death penalty. There were 106 mitigating factors brought forth by the defense. Many of these questions related to Sanders' brain damage and his mental health. either before, during, or after Sue Ellen was murdered or Lexi was kidnapped and murdered. They all did agree that his life had value and that he had shown kindness during his life.

However, after seven hours of deliberation, they ultimately found that he had premeditated the murders of Sue Ellen and Lexis and that he had no remorse. The jury unanimously voted to impose the death penalty. He did try to appeal the verdict in 2020 based on arguments that there should have been a competency hearing before the trial even began. His attorney argued that Sanders had brain damage and is mentally ill. She even included the fact that he believes he has descended from space aliens. Despite the evidence of his childhood injuries and these delusions, his conviction and sentence were not overturned. Thomas Stephen Sanders is still alive at age 67. He's currently on death row in a federal correctional institute

located in Terre Haute, Indiana. In July of 2021, the United States halted executions. It's unclear at this point when and if his sentence will be carried out. Lexi and Sue Ellen's family still deal with the pain of losing them. Sue Ellen's father, who encouraged her to move to Las Vegas, continued to struggle with his guilt over that, blaming himself for what happened to them. Sue Ellen's mother, Mary, told KTNV News, It's beyond words. There are no words for it all. I warned her not to go out of state with this person, to check his background. You don't know anything about him. I was just concerned. This is really difficult. I will always have an empty spot in my heart. It's like my heart has been

ripped out. This case is profoundly sad, and we're just heartbroken to talk about the death of a girl and a mom from our community. This is another story of a man preying upon a vulnerable family and is such a senseless, horrific crime. I'm so very thankful for the hard work of the team at the FACES lab for being able to identify Lexi. It's unclear if her grandparents and family and our community ever would have had answers if they hadn't been able to identify her. As I mentioned earlier, Sean and I are going to continue this conversation in our Swing Shift episode, so you need to be a subscriber to hear that. So head over to SinsPod.co slash Patreon or SinsPod.co slash Apple to subscribe. If you have a case that you'd like us to cover, please send us a message on Instagram at Sins and Survivors.

Thank you as always for listening and supporting the show. And remember, what happens here happens everywhere. To be continued... content and to listen ad-free. Remember to like and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads at Sins and Survivors. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice. You can contact us at questions at sinsandsurvivors.com. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence or needs support, please reach out to local resources or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. A list of resources is available on our website, sinsandsurvivors.com. Sins and Survivors, a Las Vegas true crime podcast, is research written and produced by your hosts, Sean and John. The information shared in this podcast is accurate at the time of

recording. If you have questions, concerns, or corrections, please email us. Links to source material for this episode can be found on our website, sinsandsurvivors.com. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast creators, hosts, and their guests. All individuals are innocent until proven guilty. This content does not constitute legal advice. Listeners are encouraged to consult with legal professionals for guidance.