Wife indicted in man’s slaying

Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 9:33 a.m.

Seven months after her brother was arrested in the murder of her husband, Susanne Carno is now facing charges on the same slaying.

A Clark County grand jury Thursday morning returned a four-count indictment against Carno, who is being held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail after turning herself in to authorities Thursday afternoon.

The indictment charges Carno with conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree kidnapping, robbery and murder. The latter three charges include a gun enhancement, which could double any potential sentence.

She will be arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Joseph Bonaventure.

Deputy Special Public Defender Alzora Jackson, who represents Carno, could not be reached for comment.

Carno's husband of four years, Richard Carno, was found dead Jan. 31. Her brother, John Brian Ray, was arrested and charged with open murder in the case.

Carno had been considered a suspect from the beginning, but it wasn't until a special grand jury began to meet to investigate the case that enough evidence was gathered to secure an indictment, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz said.

"During the grand jury investigation a lot of names came up that we were unaware of at the time of Ray's arrest," Schwartz said.

Schwartz declined to comment on what the new witnesses said, but noted that there is no "smoking gun" in the case.

"It wasn't one piece of evidence that led to the indictment," Schwartz said. "There was no smoking gun, but when you look at the evidence collectively, it's very compelling."

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

A black plastic trash bag with slits for eye holes, duct tape and rope were found lying across Carno's chest. An autopsy revealed Carno, 36, died as a result of asphyxia due to strangulation or suffocation.

James Walsh, a Comstock Trailer Park resident, told authorities that Ray, 36, told him in December he was going to receive $50,000 from Susanne Carno for killing Richard Carno.