Death penalty will be asked in 2 cases

Kim Smith

Wednesday, May 15, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

The Clark County district attorney's office said it intends to seek the death penalty for two people accused of killing family members.

District Attorney Stewart Bell said a committee of prosecutors met Monday and decided enough aggravating circumstances exist in the John Brian Ray and Saul Lopez cases to seek the death penalty if they are convicted of first-degree murder.

Police allege Ray, 36, killed his brother-in-law, Richard Carno, 36, in January.

Carno's body was found inside his car outside the Comstock Trailer Park on Las Vegas Boulevard North on Jan. 31, one day after his wife, Susanne, reported him missing after he didn't show up for work.

James Walsh, a trailer park resident, testified Ray told him in December he was going to receive $50,000 from Susanne Carno for killing Richard Carno.

Susanne Carno, who had been married to Richard Carno four years, has denied any involvement in her husband's death.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens said his office is seeking the death penalty for Ray because he allegedly committed the crime for financial gain and the slaying happened during the commission of a kidnapping.

Saul Lopez, 35, faces an open murder charge in the Feb. 25 slaying of his wife, Maria C. Lopez, 33.

Investigators allege Maria Lopez, who had just filed for divorce days earlier, called 911 that day to say her estranged husband was in the house in violation of a court protection order.

She was repeatedly stabbed while on the phone with the dispatcher as her youngest son -- age 6 -- watched, authorities said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Abbi Silver said she will allege Lopez went to the house intending to either assault or kill his wife.