Herold later would tell investigators that once he and Lafave had gone to his room, he disrobed and got onto a massage table that was in the suite. About 30 minutes into the rubdown, Lafave told Herold to take off his watch so she could massage his arms.
He put the watch on the ground within his view. Five to seven minutes later, it was gone.
Herold accused Lafave of stealing the watch, charges which she initially denied. Police searched the room to no avail. Eventually, Lafave admitted to taking the watch, which she told police she'd hidden in her vagina.
To retrieve the timepiece, police took Lafave to University Medical Center.
"Prior to medical staff assisting Lafave with the removal of the watch she admitted to them that she had stolen a watch and concealed the item in her vagina," a police report said.
Lafave was arrested and faces felony charges grand larceny and possession of stolen property. She was released on $40,000 bail. Her lawyer, Chris Rasmussen, plans on fighting the case, claiming illegal search-and-seizure.
"We intend to file a motion to suppress the medical intrusion," Rasmussen told the Review Journal. "The search is an unreasonable search when medical providers have to use equipment to conduct an invasive procedure to remove what police believe is evidence."
"We believe he gave her the watch and later he tried to take it back when he wasn't satisfied with her services," Rasmussen added. "Like any person who works in these hotels, she believed she was going to be compensated for her massage."
[h/t HyperVocal/Image via Shutterstock]