Three homeless men face trial in slaying

Thursday, March 29, 2001 | 10:58 a.m.

Three homeless men charged with the slaying of a 67-year-old Las Vegas woman in her mobile home in January have been bound over for trial.

Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith made that decision Wednesday after a preliminary hearing during which a Metro Police detective testified that one of the men, who once had lived in the home of murder victim Tiffany Averill, was so distraught he asked to borrow his gun "to shoot myself in the head."

Arraignment for Troy Schnabl, 45, Robert Lee Whitesell, 33, and Ernest M. Valezquez, 39, was scheduled for April 11 before District Judge Sally Loehrer.

On Wednesday Metro homicide Detective Jimmy Vaccaro testified that he and his partner questioned Schnabl at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where he was working as a janitor, about the Jan. 15 slaying, burglary and robbery. Schnabl had lived with Tiffany and Russ Averill at a prior address and last year helped the couple move into their mobile home.

After a 40-minute tape-recorded interview in which Schnabl gave what Vaccaro described as "guarded answers," Vaccaro said he and his partner started to leave, when Schnabl approached their car crying.

"I didn't want her to get hurt," Vaccaro said, quoting Schnabl.

After agreeing to meet again to talk on tape, Vaccaro said that Schnabl, emotional and crying, said, "Can I borrow your gun? I just want to shoot myself in the head."

Under cross examination from Schnabl's attorney, Bob Draskovich, Vaccaro said that Schnabl also had told the detective he "had nothing to do with her being killed."

On Jan. 15 thieves broke into the Averill's mobile home at 1200 N. Lamb Blvd. and stole pieces from a gun collection of Russ Averill, a former chief deputy constable of North Las Vegas.