DNA links inmate to woman’s death

Kim Smith

Wednesday, May 15, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

A 29-year-old man facing murder charges in connection with the slaying of an 84-year-old Las Vegas woman was tied to the crime by DNA evidence and his own statements to police.

Glenn Anderson Mundo, who is already serving a 12- to 32-month prison sentence for violating probation in a robbery case, was charged Tuesday with the sexual assault and murder of Virginia Peart.

The 84-year-old's son found her body on the floor of her home near Owens Avenue and Nellis Boulevard on June 25 and an autopsy showed she had been asphyxiated.

According to police records, Mundo's fingerprint was inside the neck of a broken beer bottle that was found on a living room chair. A dark hair found on the victim's chest and a sample of Mundo's hair were submitted for DNA testing and a match could not be ruled out, reports show.

Tests are still being conducted to find out if Mundo's teeth impressions and bite marks found on Peart's body match, Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Bloxham said.

Police got into a high-speed pursuit with someone driving Peart's vehicle at 4 a.m. June 22, but lost the driver when the vehicle crashed and the driver took off on foot. When police knocked on Peart's door, no one answered. Three days later her son found her body.

When interviewed in December, Mundo told police he didn't remember killing anyone, but acknowledged that at the time of the slaying he lived within a half-mile of Peart's home.

"He stated that he has huffed paint for several years and at times hears voices," a police report states.

When interviewed last week, Mundo said he broke a beer bottle so he could cut open a screen window at Peart's house and steal some money, the report says.

"Mundo said he knew that an elderly lady lived at the house and decided to break in to get some money," the police report states. "He looked through the window and saw Virginia asleep on the couch with the television on."

Mundo told police he ransacked Peart's home while she was sleeping, then left momentarily. She woke up when he came back into the home.

"According to Mundo, Virginia started to scream and he put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet," the police report states.

Mundo told police he sexually assaulted the victim and strangled her as he kept his hand over her mouth, the report says.

The police report indicates that when Mundo showed up dirty at his sister's Henderson home sometime last June, he told her a man he had hitched a ride with fled from police and he bailed out of the car when it crashed. He said he walked to her home through the desert.

Mundo faces one count each of burglary with use of a deadly weapon, robbery, sexual assault, murder and grand larceny auto.

Because Peart was more than 65 years old, Mundo could face double penalties if convicted on the rape, robbery and murder charges.

Clark County District Court records show that Mundo was placed on five years' probation in August 1998 after pleading guilty to attempted robbery.

His probation was revoked in December by District Judge Michael Douglas because he failed to pay restitution.