Burton offers reward in cabbie’s death

Karen Zekan

Tuesday, March 24, 1998 | 10:06 a.m.

Lance Burton, a master magician performing at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino, has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman who shot and killed a Vegas-Western cab driver over the weekend.

Burton told authorities his generosity is in recognition of the cooperation so many other cab drivers have shown on his behalf in past years, according to Metro Police homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning.

Investigators have determined that robbery was the underlying factor to cab driver John Harris's murder early Saturday morning.

Police made the deduction after studying notations on Harris's trip sheet -- a form listing what fares the driver transported -- and comparing the trips with the taxi's meter.

"A sum of money is missing," Manning said. "It is assumed a motive for the murder was robbery."

The last entry made on Harris's trip sheet revealed that he picked up two people at a local hotel and dropped them off at the "Smoke Ranch Apartments" at approximately 2:55 a.m. Saturday, Manning said. Investigators have been unable to locate an apartment complex with such a name.

Police are hoping to locate Harris's last fare to explain what Harris may have done after dropping them off. His body was discovered about four hours later in the parking lot of the Sahara Palms apartment complex, 2900 El Camino Ave., by a resident.

Anyone with information on Harris's murder is asked to call the homicide section at 229-3521. Authorities request that informants call Secret Witness at 385-5555 to obtain a "SW" number to become eligible for the $1,000 being offered by Secret Witness and/or Burton's contribution.