Outcall employee describes terror

Kim Smith

Wednesday, July 12, 2000 | 11:07 a.m.

Something told Traci Rose Carter not to go to Zane Floyd's house on June 3, 1999, but she went anyway.

As a result of that decision, Carter found herself on the witness stand this morning telling jurors about the events that led up to what prosecutors are calling the "day Las Vegas will never forget."

According to police, Floyd, a 24-year-old former Marine, walked into a grocery store at Sahara Avenue and Valley View Boulevard shortly after 5:15 a.m. and shot just about everyone he encountered. Four people were killed.

But in the hour before Floyd allegedly began his bloody rampage, he was raping Carter repeatedly. Carter was an outcall service employee who had been sent to his house at his request.

Carter, 21, told jurors that her dispatcher pleaded with her to take the assignment because no one else was available. Carter said something "didn't feel right," but she went when the dispatcher said "please, please, please."

As soon as she arrived, Carter said Floyd grabbed her by the hair. The ordeal that followed "seemed like hours, 10 hours," but was less than two.

Under careful questioning from Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Koot, Carter painted a vivid picture of what happened during that time frame, sometimes in graphic terms. She apologized repeatedly for rambling and giggling, saying that is how she reacts when nervous. She noted Floyd got angry with her because she acted the same way with him.

"He told me it wasn't a f...ing joke, and I told him I knew that," Carter said.

Carter testified that throughout much of the incident she was doing everything she could to save her life, from offering to strip for him in the beginning to submitting to the acts that followed.

She testified that although she had a condom, she didn't ask Floyd to use it because "it wasn't the right time," and "I had other things on my mind."

Floyd spoke about killing himself, killing her and at the end, killing the first 19 people he came across, Carter said.

At one point, Floyd showed her a bullet, Carter said.

"He said this one has your name on it, and if you're lucky and if you run fast enough, maybe you'll live," Carter said.

District Attorney Stewart Bell presented his opening statement Monday afternoon with the help of two flat TVs upon which images of the grisly scene were interspersed with a map that showed Floyd's movements step-by-step, slaying-by-slaying and quotes lifted from Floyd's statement to police.

Bell told the nine-woman, three man jury that on the night before the rape and slayings Floyd picked up his paycheck, quit his job and spent the night gambling and drinking with his girlfriend.

After his girlfriend went home following an argument, Bell said Floyd began thinking about life and decided he wanted to end his. However, before Floyd carried out his final act, he wanted to live out two fantasies -- one involving sex and the other killing someone.

"And while he wanted to know what it was like to kill a human being, one wasn't going to be sufficient," Bell said.

After raping Carter repeatedly, Bell said Floyd changed into his camouflage clothing "because he was moving on to his fantasy, part two."

Floyd left after telling Carter he was going to kill the next 19 people he saw and she should watch the TV news.

Floyd then walked seven-tenths of a mile to the Albertson's and began his bloody rampage, Bell said.

Those shot were Thomas Darnell, 40, Chuck Leos, 41, Dennis Sargent, 31, Zack Emenegger, 21, and Lucy Tarantino, 40. All but Emenegger died. He is expected to take the stand late today or tomorrow.

Public Defender Doug Hedger told jurors that his client does not dispute most of what happened that day. And while the photos are graphic and the witness testimony intense, Hedger asked the jurors to wait until the end of the trial to form any opinions about Floyd.

Floyd's mental status will play a large part in the trial, Hedger said, and even Carter will testify that Floyd seemed "out of it" during her ordeal.

Hedger said police will testify that Floyd was also highly emotional during his statement to them, repeatedly asking "Why did I shoot those people? Why? What's wrong with me?"

Floyd could get the death penalty.