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SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, September 27, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 8, 2003 Police lack clues in robbery of Seven Feathers Casino customer By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune While driving from Seattle home to Northern California, Jesse Emery stopped in Canyonville to gas up early Sunday, then spied the Seven Feathers Casino and decided to give luck a try. In six hours of playing the $5 slots, the 28-year-old cable-television installer won close to $5,000 that he stuffed into an envelope before jumping back in his Nissan Sentra for the long haul south to Turlock in time for work Monday. What Emery says happened next, however, has stumped police and gaming officials who so far are unable to corroborate his story. Emery says he was kidnapped, pistol-whipped and robbed of his winnings by two men in an unknown location along the I-5 corridor. "It sounds a little unbelievable," Emery said Tuesday. "I have a knot on my eye and I’ma little wiser now. I’m broke, but that’s life. "Easy come, easy go." Oregon State Police officers are continuing to investigate Emery’s claims, but so far they have been unable to confirm any of the alleged crimes he described. "We corroborated a part of it — that he was at Seven Feathers and he did win some money," OSP Lt. Dan Durbin said Tuesday. "From that point on, it’s all his information without any corroboration at this point. And we have no strong leads to follow up. No witnesses." Seven Feathers officials are cooperating with police, and the Oregon Gaming Commission is also looking into the case because Emery told police he was convinced the robbers targeted him after seeing him win at the casino. "I don’t think we’ve had any other cases where something like this has been alleged," said Wayne Shammel, general counsel for the Cow Creek tribal enterprises, which include the hotel/casino near the Douglas/Josephine county line. Emery, who calls himself "street-wise white trash," does not expect police to find his robbers and blames himself for not wrestling the gun away from his assailant. He said he is not leaving any relevant details out of his story, and acknowledged that police acted very skeptical, yet professional, about his account. Emery also said he is willing to take a polygraph test to verify his story. Emery said his ordeal began around 5 p.m. when his car was bumped twice in the back by a bright white Honda with no license plates while both were heading south on I-5. Emery pulled over alone at an unknown exit and got out, but the Honda re-appeared and parked in front of his car. A large white man jumped out and pointed a gun at Emery’s head, then hit him with it, he said. "I should have taken the gun from him," he said. "I know I could have, but I froze." The man then got into Emery’s car and ordered him to drive south, following the Honda. Eventually, the two cars pulled off the freeway and onto a secluded side-road where the robbers ordered Emery to kneel near the car while they searched it, Emery said. After the men took his cash, they sped away, he said. Emery said he then got into his car and started driving south and did not call police for at least a half-hour. "The money’s gone, what’s the point?" he said Tuesday. "It’s a done deal. Just live with it." Instead, he telephoned his mother in Seattle, and she persuaded him to report the crime. "The events that occurred were unusual, in the manner that they were reported," said Durbin, who declined to elaborate. Detectives lifted fingerprints from Emery’s car, but they had not been run through a nationwide fingerprinting database as of Monday afternoon, Durbin said. Police have yet to determine what county Emery was in when he said the gunman first confronted him, nor where he said he was robbed and beaten, Durbin said. "It’s just a lot of loose ends right now," Durbin said. "It’ll take a real break and some significant effort to establish some sort of lead." Emery said he has no reason to lie or embellish his story, and that he’s resigned never to see the fruits of his trip to Seven Feathers. "Money comes, money goes," he said. "I had a bad weekend." But he won’t rule out playing the slots there again someday. "Next time," he said, "I’ll ask for a check." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times