As reported by the Daily Mail and other local news media, a former America’s Got Talent contestant, whose wife had died the day of his audition, is now suing the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in a wrongful death scenario.
The couple was staying at the Los Angeles hotel, surrounded by other auditioning hopefuls, at the time of the woman’s death.
Joe Finlay was unable to locate his wife, Laura Finlay, 48, the morning of his audition on Saturday October 23, 2010. Assuming that she had just left before him to have breakfast, he attended the audition that was being held at the hotel.
When she failed to appear during the tryouts, he reported her missing to the hotel’s security. Later that morning she was discovered at the bottom of an 8-story stairwell.
It was believed that she had fallen to her death from the eleventh to the third floor at approximately 8:25 a.m.
Investigators are still working on the case but the preliminary report showed that the death was presumed to be accidental.
Joe Finlay now contends that his wife’s death was due to the actions of an unchecked transient – and that the hotel is liable for actions that may have led to her death.
Documents obtained by media giant TMZ state hotel staff were aware that there were security problems at the hotel, and had a number of previous disturbances by both “transients and other uninvited third parties.”
Sean Macias, Joe Finlay’s attorney, told TMZ, “The tragic death of Laura Finely was preventable and The Biltmore failed to provide basic security measures and precautions. There have been prior serious criminal incidents at the hotel. They were understaffed with security and they had construction on first and second floors where uninvited transients and third parties were staying.”
Mr. Finlay was arrested in the beginning of the police investigation, as a person of interest, but he was later released on a $10,000 bail.
The couple, per Finlay, had taken the drug Ecstasy the night before Laura Finlay died.
Finlay said, “She was supposed to get us breakfast because I had to get up and get in line (to audition). She didn’t come back so I just left and got in line and figured she was still out. I didn’t think anything of it.
We were partying, we took ecstasy, but it wasn't out of control.
She was really happy, I was happy, we were excited about my music. I wrote her a poem. We went down to a jazz bar in the hotel and then took a tour of the hotel because apparently it's an historic place. We were having a great time.”
The Biltmore has denied comment on the pending litigation.
If you have lost a loved one in what may be deemed a wrongful death, you may acquire monetary compensation for your pain and suffering. Contact a personal injury lawyer from our directory to discuss the merits of your case.