Witness in quadruple killing can’t recall key points

Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 6, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

The mother of a 4-year-old who witnessed a quadruple killing eight years ago took the stand Thursday, but denied remembering key prosecution points.

Alicia Ventura was at her boyfriend's home on May 1, 1992, when prosecutors allege Richard Powell and Vernell Evans went to her apartment and killed Samantha Scotti, 24, Lisa Boyer, 26, Jermaine Woods, 19, and Stephen Walker, 19.

Authorities believe Powell, an alleged drug dealer, wanted Scotti dead, because she set up him for police to get herself out of trouble. The others were killed to eliminate witnesses.

Police discovered the bodies after Ventura's daughter called them. The girl told police that a man she knew as "Little Ray" or "Uncle Ray" and a man with "Scary Eyes" walked into the apartment with "real guns" and killed everyone.

She later identified Powell as "Scary Eyes" through a photo lineup.

Evans was convicted and is on Nevada's death row. Powell's trial began Wednesday. He, too, faces the death penalty if convicted.

Ventura told prosecutor Mel Harmon that she left the girl with Scotti so she could do laundry at her boyfriend's apartment. That turned out to be about the only thing she said she remembers from that night.

Ventura said she doesn't remember testifying at Evans' preliminary hearing and trial that he had called her earlier that night and warned her that Scotti "was going to get it some day." She also couldn't recall talking with the girl on the phone shortly after the slayings.

Her daughter may have told her that "Uncle Ray" and a bad man with "Scary eyes and Boogeyman eyes" killed everyone, but she can't remember, Ventura said.

In addition, Ventura said she couldn't recall her boyfriend threatening the life of her other daughter if she told police she knew someone named "Little Ray."

Harmon, who came out of retirement to try Powell, methodically read over parts of Evans' trial transcript and preliminary hearing to try to jog Ventura's memory. She maintained she did not remember making those statements.

Deputy Special Public Defenders Lee McMahon and Bret Whipple opted not to cross-examine Ventura.

The defense attorneys contend that several people could have killed Scotti, because she had snitched on at least nine other drug dealers besides Powell. The other three victims were not without enemies, either.