Poker pro found dead in Vegas high-rise

Las Vegas police found the body of professional poker player William "The Manipulator" Gustafik in his upscale condominium last Friday - stabbed to death, they allege, by his own wife.

A former chiropractor and recently converted poker pro who, when not at the tables, considered his family his "dedication," Gustafik was found in the master bedroom of his Panorama Towers condo, believed slain during a domestic dispute.

His wife, Jill Rockcastle, 49, went missing and was subsequently found, unconscious, in a San Luis Obispo bed and breakfast on Monday.

She was sent to a local hospital, but police have a warrant for her arrest and she will be facing homicide charges upon her release.

Las Vegas homicide Lt. Lew Roberts told reporters a knife believed to have been used was found in the "trash area" of the upscale complex, which also happens to be home to Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and poker pro David Williams.

Investigators said Gustafik was stabbed several times, and it was an anonymous phone tip that led them to the condo.

Gustafik, 44, had lifetime earnings of $165,597 and turned pro in 2005, shortly after the World Series of Poker.

He leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, who police said was safely with her mother.

courtesy of Christopher Hunt

News Added: 18 April, 2007

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