Accused cousins plead not guilty to murder

Bill Gang

Friday, March 27, 1998 | 10:17 a.m.

Two cousins have pleaded not guilty to the execution-style murder of one of their girlfriends.

District Judge Donald Mosley set a Nov. 9 trial date for Christian Walker, 19, and Johnny Walker, 18, on the charges they killed Christian Walker's 17-year-old girlfriend.

Before Maureen McConaha was shot to death execution-style, Christian Walker had told a friend he wanted to kill her to prevent her from telling police he was the graffiti "tagger" they were seeking, according to preliminary hearing testimony earlier this month.

McConaha died Oct. 3 from four shots to the head from a .25-caliber pistol. Her body was found the next day in a desert area near U.S. 95 and Tropicana Avenue.

Testimony at the preliminary hearing indicated that McConaha had left a party with the Walkers, who said they were driving her home. She never made it home and the cousins returned alone to the party about an hour later.

Testimony indicated that McConaha's stormy relationship with Christian Walker occasionally involved violence and led to the girl obtaining a temporary protective order against him in August.

Despite the past violence, the couple reunited and attended the party together, but court testimony indicated that Christian Walker had become angry because McConaha had been talking to another man.

The evidence against Johnny Walker primarily came from his jailhouse roommate, who said the defendant had admitted that Christian Walker had fired the first shot during an argument over the other man.

Johnny Walker then took the pistol and fired the other shots to "finish it," according to the testimony of four-time felon Mark Smith.

Testimony from a man who had heard the gunshots indicated the first shot was followed by a pause and then several more in quick succession.