Nye County couple faces second trial

Kim Smith

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2002 | 8:54 a.m.

A former Nye County public administrator and his wife will face a second trial on charges that they stole from several estates they oversaw, prosecutors said.

The first trial of Robert Dyer, 60, and Jennette Dyer, 53, who was his assistant, was stopped Dec. 27 because a witness blurted out information that could have unfairly prejudiced the jury against the couple, said Nye County Deputy District Attorney Peter Knight.

Senior Clark County District Judge Joseph Pavlikowski declared a mistrial after a witness, despite being told not to mention it, testified that Jennette Dyer had allegedly tried to hire him to kill her husband, Knight said.

The couple was charged in 1999 with 35 theft-related counts each, many of them felonies. They are being tried in Clark County because a judge found the couple couldn't get a fair trial in Nye County.

According to police, the couple took vehicles and other items, including televisions and refrigerators, from the estates and then sold the items.

The public administrator is responsible for protecting the property of decedents who do not have any known heirs or a will, but the Dyers are alleged to have stolen and sold the property of decedents who had either heirs, wills or both.

Robert Dyer was recalled from office by voters on Jan. 18, 2000. Jennette Dyer resigned about three months earlier.

The mistrial was declared four weeks into the trial and after 125 witnesses had already testified, Knight said. Only four witnesses remained to be heard in the trial.

The couple maintain that the charges against them have been fabricated by Nye County Sheriff Wade Lieseke, who denies the allegation.

Knight said the trial has been rescheduled for April 1. The witness who caused the mistrial will not be called, he said.