Sniffer dogs called in to search for missing Aussie tourist
Updated . First published
Sniffer dogs have been called in to search for a missing Australian tourist who failed to board her flight home from the US almost a fortnight ago.
Las Vegas Police have appealed to the public for information to help find Sally Grace Contarino, who was due to return home on Sunday, June 21.
There have been numerous sightings of Sally Grace Contarino before her disappearance. Supplied
The 26-year-old was last in contact with her family on Saturday, June 20.
Police said Contarino was last seen on CCTV after leaving Smith’s Marketplace in Las Vegas at 1.02pm (local time) on Saturday, June 20.
It is understood she was walking in the direction of a mountain before beginning a hike.
A Las Vegas resident with knowledge of the police investigation said sniffer dogs have since followed the tourist’s scent from Smith’s Marketplace to an area several kilometres away closer to the edge of town.
Nine.com.au has contacted Las Vegas Police for comment.
The disappearance of the 26-year-old, who travelled to the US for a solo trip last month, has captured the attention of locals and armchair internet sleuths who are determined to bring her home.
A woman who matches Contarino’s description was approached by a social media pick-up artist on June 17 outside of a 7-Eleven convenience store on the Boulder Highway.
The man later posted the video of the interaction to Instagram with the caption “trying to pick up a beautiful woman”.
There is no suggestion he is connected with her disappearance.
The video was later reposted by Real Vegas Locals and amassed more than 600,000 views in less than 24 hours.
“The overwhelming majority of those views coming from Vegas locals,” a spokesperson told nine.com.au.
A new video has shown a woman matching the description of Sally Grace Contarino being filmed by a content creator days before she went missing. Instagram
“Regardless of how people interpret the interaction itself, it provides investigators and the public with a much clearer look at what Sally was wearing, the bag she was carrying, her demeanour, and where she was on June 17, three days before she was reported missing.”
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has confirmed its missing persons unit is aware of the video and the investigation into the tourist’s disappearance is ongoing.
The Boulder Highway is an area locals tend to avoid, according to the Real Vegas Locals spokesperson.
“Las Vegas is generally a very safe city for the millions of tourists who visit every year, but like any large city, there are parts of town that have very different reputations. Boulder Highway is one of them,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s a long road that runs through the eastern side of the Las Vegas Valley and has been known for decades for higher levels of crime, drug activity, and prostitution than most other parts of the city.
“It’s not somewhere most locals would choose to walk around for no reason, day or night.
“That doesn’t mean everyone there is in danger, but if someone asked us where to avoid as a visitor, Boulder Highway would almost certainly be on that list.
The 26-year-old last made contact with her family on June 20. Supplied
“That’s one of the reasons so many locals were surprised to learn Sally had been there.
“Like any major city, Las Vegas has neighbourhoods with very different reputations, and it’s also every traveller’s responsibility to know where they’re going.”
It is understood the 26-year-old wasn’t a typical first-time tourist in Las Vegas.
“She had visited Las Vegas before and appeared to travel more like a local than someone who only stayed on the Strip,” the Real Vegas Local spokesperson said.
“She may have had a perfectly legitimate reason for being on Boulder Highway, but we simply don’t know what that reason was, and we don’t want to speculate.
“That’s exactly why locals have been asking questions about that part of her timeline.”
The 7-Eleven where Contarino was seen is located directly across from Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, one of Las Vegas’ best-known off-strip casinos.
“It’s a longtime local landmark and was even the inspiration for The Killers’ second studio album, Sam’s Town,” she said.
“It’s entirely possible Sally was simply visiting the casino, but we don’t want to speculate.”
Her disappearance has sparked a level of concern from the Las Vegas community that has been “remarkable”, the spokesperson said, adding everyone wants to see Contarino home safe with her family.
The young Aussie’s disappearance has become the most widely followed missing persons case locally in the last few years.
“Unfortunately, many missing person bulletins in Las Vegas receive very little public attention,” the spokesperson said.
“Sally’s case has been different.
“Our social media has been flooded with comments and DMs from Las Vegas locals offering local insight, checking old dashcam footage, discussing the timeline, and sharing anything they think could assist the search.
“The Websleuths community has also been incredibly active, carefully analysing the publicly available information and helping piece together Sally’s timeline.
“We’ve also seen locals heading out to areas with drones, searching for possible clues, and doing what they can to support the search.
“The response from both the Las Vegas community and people following the case around the world has been extraordinary.
“Everyone is hoping one small piece of information helps bring Sally home safely.”
Anyone with information on Contarino’s disappearance is urged to contact Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
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