Husband of slaying victim calls fake bomb key to case

Wednesday, March 28, 2001 | 10:25 a.m.

Three homeless men were back in Justice Court today for the second day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether they are to be bound over for trial in the slaying of 67-year-old Tiffany Averill, the wife of longtime North Las Vegas Chief Deputy Constable Herbert "Russ" Averill.

Russ Averill, testifying from a wheelchair Tuesday, told Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith that thieves broke into his mobile home at 1200 N. Lamb Blvd. on Jan. 15 to steal his gun collection, but left behind several of the weapons, an $18,000 Rolex watch and $500 in cash in two envelopes in the room where his wife was killed.

What they took was a replica of a bomb -- red wooden dynamite sticks tied together with a fake clock and fake detonator -- that was a "conversation piece" in his living room, and an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey, Averill, 73, testified.

Charged with murder, burglary and robbery are Robert Lee Whitesell, 33, Ernest M. Valezquez, 39, and Troy Schnabl, 45. Schnabl, according to Russ Averill, lived with the Averills at a prior address and last year helped the couple move into the mobile home.

Police arrested the three March 7 after Averill read a news account of a bomb scare at an area homeless shelter and thought it might be the fake bomb stolen from his home.

"The fake bomb broke the whole case wide open," Averill said outside the courtroom. He had testified that the thieves knew where his 15 guns, including a valuable 1916 German pistol, were kept, "and went right for them," and that except for family members, Schnabl was the only one who knew where the weapons were kept.

Deputy District Attorneys Frank Coumou and Lisa Luzaich presented a half-dozen other witnesses Tuesday. One was a shelter worker, Jamie Garcia, who testified that sticks of dynamite connected to a timer -- at first thought to be a real bomb -- were found in Whitesell's locker at the homeless shelter.

Another witness was Betsy Roth, a homeless woman and former girlfriend of Whitesell, who testified Valezquez had blood on his pants the afternoon of the Averill slaying. She also saw the three crack the seal on a bottle of Jack Daniel's and drink it, Roth testified.

Dr. Gary Telgenhoff, a medical examiner for the Clark County coroner's office, testified Tuesday that Tiffany Averill died from a 5 1/2-inch slash on the left side of her neck that caused her to bleed to death "in about five to 10 minutes."

Russ Averill testified that his wife was partially disabled and got around with the use of a cane. Averill said on Jan. 15 he was hospitalized and called several times to check on her, but the phone was busy. He later reached a neighbor who found his wife dead in their home.

The prosecution was expected to present several more witnesses today, including Metro Police detectives who investigated the slaying.