Jill Rockcastle, 49, was indicted in Clark County District Court for premeditated murder in the slaying of William Gustafik, 44. Known as “The Manipulator,” Gustafik is a former California chiropractor who became a Las Vegas poker pro.
His body was discovered April 13 in the blood-spattered master bedroom of a 23rd floor unit at the Panorama Towers, an upscale condo located just west of the Las Vegas Strip where the pair had leased a unit from an investor who owned several units in the building.
Bedding in the room was washed, but police crime scene investigators found blood on the pillows. The police also found the murder weapon, a knife that they recovered near the building’s rubbish chute.
Rockcastle vanished, only to be captured three days after the murder, when a tip received by the police paid off. Police found her unconscious in a room at the Petit Soleil Bed and Breakfast in San Luis Obispo, California. The police believe she overdosed on an unknown medication. Rockcastle was hospitalized and then extradited from San Luis Obispo to Nevada. Since May she has been held without bail at the Clark County jail where she is represented by the Clark County Public Defender.
In a long, rambling 10-page confession, Jill Rockcastle describes their lives as a crumbling façade built on lies, deceit, and an insatiable craving for a high-rolling lifestyle. She claims Gustafik was addicted to drugs and poker and tells how they made changes to his income tax returns so that his support payments to his ex-wife would be less. According to Rockcastle, Gustafik’s chiropractor practice was running into the ground as he focused more and more on poker tournaments, his obsession with getting on television, and living the lifestyle of a poker pro. She stated that Gustafik was losing $70,000 a month at poker.
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