On Tuesday, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo revealed that Marilou Danley, the live-in girlfriend of Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock, was a “person of interest” in the investigation and was being brought back to the United States from the Philippines, where she had traveled two weeks before her boyfriend committed the most deadly mass shooting in the history of the country. On Wednesday, Danley, 62, arrived in Los Angeles, having reportedly traveled back voluntarily to “clear her name.”
Here is what we know so far about Danley.
1. Paddock bought her a ticket to the Philippines two weeks before the shooting.
According to multiple reports and interviews with Danley’s sisters, Paddock purchased a “cheap ticket” to her home country, the Philippines, about two weeks before he went on his rampage. In an interview with Australia’s Channel 7 (video below), the sisters, who both live in Australia and spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested Paddock “sent her away” so he could carry out his heinous act.
“She didn’t even know that she was going to the Philippines until Steve said ‘Marilou, I found you a cheap ticket to the Philippines,'” one of the women said. “She was sent away. She was [sent] away so that she will not be there to interfere with what he’s planning … so that he can plan what he is planning without interruptions.”
2. Paddock wired $100,000 to an account in the Philippines.
During the week leading up to the massacre, Paddock wired $100,000 dollars to an account in the Phillipines, where Danley was visiting her family since September 22 after he had purchased her a ticket. While it appears that the money was meant for Danley or her family, officials say they have not confirmed the purpose of the transfer.
3. Reports that Danley lived a “double life” are false.
A report by Newsweek that Danley “has used two Social Security numbers during her two-plus decades in the United States, and was married to two men at the same time” has been retracted.
Newsweek originally described her life as “convoluted,” and alleged that she married a man while still being married to another, went through a bankruptcy, gave conflicting information in government records, and lived in multiple addresses in several states, some of them simultaneously. However, the publication retracted the story on Wednesday. Here is the retraction:
Newsweek has retracted its story that reviewed the public records of Marilou Danley, the girlfriend of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock.
The initial report was based on many public records, but included an error that came to light after publication when a family member came forward.
4. Danley was “in love” with Paddock.
According to her sisters, Danley was “in love” with Paddock. The two women made the claim during their interview with Australia’s Channel 7. They insisted she was completely unaware of his intentions to carry out mass murder.
One of the sisters suggested Marilou “probably was even [more] shocked than us because she is … closer to him than us. To be able to find out [that] the person you love and live with can do such a thing. And you thought you knew the person yourself.”
The other sister stressed that Marilou is “a good person and a gentle soul … a mother, grandmother, a sister, a friend.”
The sisters maintain that Marilou would have stopped Paddock had she known what he was doing.
“No one can put the puzzles together. No one except Marilou. Because Steve is not here to talk anymore. Only Marilou can maybe help,” said one of the sisters.
5. Danley voluntarily returned to the U.S. to “clear her name.”
According to a police official, Danley voluntarily returned to the United States in order to “clear her name.”
Below is the interview with Danley’s sisters via NBC News:
This article has been updated to include Newsweek’s retraction of its story claiming Danley had two identities.