Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

3 held in LV diner slayings

Top executives from the Lone Star restaurant chain announced today a scholarship fund at UNLV in memory of two workers stabbed to death at a local steakhouse.

Jamie Coulter, chairman and chief executive officer, flew in early today from Wichita, Kan., to make the announcement. He said the restaurant at Cheyenne Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard will be closed until Friday.

"We are absolutely devastated by the events of yesterday," Coulter said. "I'm saddened. In my 30 years in the restaurant business, I've never seen anything like this."

Coulter didn't say how much money the 178-restaurant chain would put toward the scholarship fund, which will be available to hotel and restaurant administration students.

The victims were identified today as Matthew Gianakis, 21, of Las Vegas, and Carl Dixon, 23, of North Las Vegas.

Brian Butcher, general manager of the Lone Star at 3131 N. Rainbow, said the employees are "a tight-knit group. We're hard workers. Matt and Carl epitomized that."

A fired restaurant employee, his girlfriend and a 15-year-old were arrested 310 miles northwest of Las Vegas Monday afternoon and charged with the slayings.

Mineral County sheriff's deputies arrested Marlo Thomas, 23, Angie Love, 22, and an unidentified 15-year-old male about 10 miles south of Hawthorne. The trio were riding in Love's Nissan.

Mineral County Assistant Sheriff Edward Smith said they were spotted by a deputy on U.S. 95 at 2:15 p.m.

"We received a bulletin to be on the lookout for three people involved in a double homicide," Smith said. "Deputies spotted their car on the highway and pulled them over."

They were arrested after a one-mile pursuit, he said. Once caught, the three didn't resist arrest. Smith wouldn't say whether a handgun was recovered. Metro Police Lt. Larry Spinosa said Thomas was armed when he went into the restaurant.

Deputies called the Nevada Highway Patrol for backup and the three were taken into custody. They were booked into the Mineral County jail on two counts each of murder and were being held without bail, Smith said.

Metro homicide detectives were returning with the suspects today, Sgt. Kevin Manning said.

The stabbings occurred at 8:18 a.m. Monday. Police said Thomas and the 15-year-old walked through the back door of the Lone Star and confronted three workers with a knife from the kitchen and a handgun, demanding money.

Gianakis was stabbed and staggered out the back door to a Rebel convenience store next door, where he collapsed. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he died about three hours later during surgery.

Dixon, who wasn't discovered by police for about 45 minutes, was stabbed to death in the restaurant bathroom.

Spinosa said Thomas and the teenager fled on foot from the restaurant.

Thomas was fired from the restaurant six weeks ago after working there for three months. While Spinosa said robbery appeared to be the motive, he noted that "it may be revenge, we don't know."

Coulter said professional counseling is being offered to all employees to help them through the tragedy.

Marlo Thomas

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