Last week, a new lawsuit was filed alleging that Ed Scheetz, operator of Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, shares liability in the 2007 death of his 23 year old girlfriend, Michelle Hatchel. The lawsuit filed this past Friday in a Las Vegas court by Hatchel’s family members contains a number of allegations and revelations regarding her death. The suit was filed on behalf of Kim Hatchel, mother of the deceased, as well as her brother, grandmother and aunt. It also targets Annie Darrohn as a defendant, who is said to be Scheetz’s former girlfriend.
At the time, authorities stated that Michelle Hatchel was found dead in a leased condominium where Scheetz had been residing. According to police, Scheetz called at around 8 p.m on August 29, 2007 and reported that his girlfriend stopped breathing. The coroner’s office in Clark County concluded that Hatchel died from an overdose of a lethal combination of cocaine and the opium derived pain killer oxycodone. Three weeks following Hatchel’s death, Scheetz resigned as president and CEO of Morgans Hotel Group for personal reasons.
The lawsuit filed Friday claims that Scheetz blatantly lied when informing police that Hatchel was alive and well when he headed off to work at around 9 a.m. that day. It also alleges that in contrast to what Scheetz told the authorities, at least two other individuals were also present in the condominium when he made the call to report that Hatchel was not breathing. Now believed that Darrohn was in attendance during the time of death, those close to the deceased say that Hatchel was uncomfortable over Scheetz’s ongoing relationship with his ex girlfriend and feared for her life.
The lawsuit goes on to make a number of accusations, alleging very serious crimes such as assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy and wrongful death. Some of the claims allege that Scheetz provided the substances that lead to Hatchel’s death, Darrohn failed to seek medical assistance or aid the deceased in a timely manner, and Scheetz physically abused Hatchel somewhere between Aug. 18 and the time of her death. The suit also alleges that the condo leased by Scheets and Morgans Hotel Group was frequently used for entertaining high profiled guests, acting as a playground for Scheetz’ hedonistic lifestyle, and supplying controlled substances. Per the lawsuit, Hatchel’s loved ones are seeking a whopping $645 million in both punitive and general damages.
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The Friday lawsuit claims that Scheetz and Morgans Hotel Group were sued in January 2007 by a female employee alleging sexual harassment and unfair treatment. The plaintiffs attest that Scheetz’s lifestyle was common knowledge amongst his peers, including the wild sexual encounters as well as the distribution and administering of controlled substances. In the words of the plaintiffs, these acts were done with the full knowledge and consent of Scheetz’s employer.
As of now, Scheetz has not spoken out on the lawsuit while a spokeswoman for Morgans Hotel Group, which is a co-defendant in the case, reported that the firm does not comment on pending legal matters.
