Man believed to have killed girlfriend, self

Karen Zekan

Thursday, July 24, 1997 | 11:02 a.m.

A handgun found near a Las Vegas man's hand leads investigators to believe that he killed his girlfriend before taking his own life.

The couple's roommate found the bodies about 5 p.m. Wednesday between a dresser and a bed inside a bedroom of an upstairs apartment at 1901 Goodwill St., at Holly Avenue off North Rancho Drive.

Their names have been withheld pending notification of their relatives. They were described only as Hispanic and in their late 20s or early 30s.

"They were young lovers who had recently moved in together," said Metro Police homicide Sgt. Bill Keeton. "The man was lying on his back and the woman on top of him, partially on her knees."

Authorities have not disclosed the location of the fatal wounds, although Keeton said a blood smear near the bodies indicated the woman may have struggled, tried to stop her boyfriend's apparent suicide or moved after being injured.

A preliminary investigation has determined that the couple may have been dead as long as a day before they were found. Authorities said three rounds had been fired from the handgun.

The victims' roommate, whose name was not released, told police he had not seen either or them or the door to their room open since Tuesday.

The door was still closed when he returned from work Wednesday evening, and he opened it out of concern after finding a parking ticket on the deceased man's car, Keeton said.

"He saw the ticket and thought the man had gone to work," Keeton said. "It seemed unusual to him."

The couple recently became involved after leaving prior relationships. One of them had left what Keeton described only as "a bad relationship."

Police assumed the man had been the gunman upon seeing the handgun under one of the bodies, near his hand.