News briefs for June 19, 2001

Tuesday, June 19, 2001 | 10:51 a.m.

Man found shot to death

A man in his late teens or early 20s was found shot to death in a desert area near Gibson and Warm Springs roads in Henderson Monday morning.

Residents in the area of Kelso Dunes Avenue and Gibson told police they heard shots about 3 a.m. Monday, but no one called authorities. The body was discovered about 5 a.m., Henderson Police said.

Police were still trying to determine the man's identity this morning.

The man's death is the fifth homicide in Henderson so far this year, compared with the same number last year at this time.

Boyfriend arrested, charged in slaying

A 45-year-old man has been booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a charge of murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend.

Howard Brown Sr. faces the charge after his 47-year-old girlfriend, Joanne Williams, died Monday afternoon at Sunrise Medical Center from severe brain injuries, Metro Police said.

Williams was taken to the hospital about 7 a.m., after Brown called police to report that she was unconscious in the apartment that they shared in the 1500 block of East Karen Avenue, police said.

Earlier in the morning officers had responded to the apartment over a family disturbance, but only Williams was home, and she showed no signs of injuries at the time, police said.

Fire restrictions being re-evaluated

Four local fire prevention agencies are re-evaluating fire restrictions in order to prevent wildfires.

Clark County, the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, Desert National Wildlife refuge and the Las Vegas District BLM have prohibited activities such as building fires outside recreation sites, smoking except at developed recreation sites, welding or operating torches without a permit or using any types of fireworks or explosions without a permit.

Those who do not comply with the restrictions can be fined more than $10,000, imprisoned for up to 6 months, or both.

Dismissal sought on murder charge

YERINGTON -- A woman accused of carving her niece's unborn baby out of her womb -- killing mother and child -- cannot be charged with murder in the infant's death, because there's no proof the baby was born alive, her lawyers claim.

Erin Rae Kuhn, 31, a former Sacramento, Calif., emergency room technician, is charged with two counts of murder for killing Kathaleena Draper, 17, and Draper's baby boy last June at the Lazy Inn motel in Fernley.