Closure Can Be A Myth: The True Story of a Family Tragedy in the Las Vegas Desert. This item is unavailable.Closure Can Be A Myth: The True Story of a Family Tragedy in the Las Vegas Desert

Newlyweds, Gaynard and Norma Widick, planned a dinner date for Friday evening. Upon returning home from work that Friday afternoon, Norma was shocked by what she discovered in their home in Alhambra, California. The house had been burglarized. The police suspected that the burglary had not been random.

Yielding to an addiction that he hid from family and friends, Gaynard set a tragic series of events in motion. Missing for over a week, his abandoned truck was finally located in Las Vegas. Norma and her mother, along with her husbands' parents drove to Vegas to retrieve the vehicle. The in-laws drove Gaynard's truck home.

A career criminal, recently released from an Oregon state prison for armed robbery, hid in the back seat of a parked car. Norma and her mother Inez climbed into their car. Forcing them at gun point, he made them drive into the desert at midnight.

Mother and daughter never returned home.

Doug Eastwood loves the outdoors. He moved his family to North Idaho in 1978 and has enjoyed every day in the Idaho Panhandle. Married for 48 years, he has two daughters and two granddaughters. Once an avid bicyclist, he recorded tens of thousands of miles pedaling all over the Pacific Northwest and parts of Canada. He enjoys cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, ATV and UTV riding, and woodworking. He played softball for decades and actively enjoys the high participatory sport of bowling. He spent over 40 years in the profession of Parks and Recreation. Most of that time, he served as the Parks Director for the City of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He continues to be involved with foundations and boards that promote public outdoor recreation, including serving six years on the State of Idaho Parks and Recreation Board. He also participated in a local service club, Kiwanis, for nearly 30 years. On March 17th, 2023 he had the honor and privilege of being the Grand Marshall in the Coeur d'Alene St. Patrick's Day Parade. His first book, The North Idaho Centennial Trail-The Trail that Almost Wasn't, is a historical non-fiction documentary about an iconic multi-use trail system in the area where he currently resides.