Rape suspect hit with murder charge

Kim Smith

Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

A 17-year-old former Las Vegas resident who has been linked to a series of sexual assaults is now facing a murder charge in connection with the June slaying of a former monk.

According to an amended criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Justin Porter is suspected of shooting Gyaltso Lungtok, 31, to death. Lungtok's body was found June 10 in his apartment in the 400 block of South 10th Street.

Lungtok's door had been kicked in, similar to the cases of robbery and sexual assault in which Porter is charged.

Porter faces 48 charges ranging from burglary and robbery to murder and sexual assault.

Porter was arrested in Chicago about 10 days ago after DNA tests linked him to at least six rapes in the downtown area between February and June, police said. In each of the cases, Porter is alleged to have used either knives, scissors or meat cleavers to threaten the victim.

In one of the cases, court documents allege, Porter stabbed the victim with a knife, choked her and set her Charleston Boulevard apartment on fire. The victim was able to escape. In another, the victim was more than 65 years old.

The teenager also is accused of stealing from victims such things as money, cars and, in one case, a baby stroller, compact disc player and a TV.

Porter is being tried as an adult. Under Nevada law, children must be transferred to the adult court system if they are charged with murder, attempted murder or sexual assault with a weapon.

In addition, if a juvenile is found guilty of a previous juvenile offense that would have been a felony in the adult system, a child can also be certified as an adult.