Shootings, two bodies keep police busy

Emily Richmond and Jen Lawson

Monday, April 21, 2003 | 10:45 a.m.

Area homicide detectives this morning were busy investigating several deaths that were discovered since Friday, including one killing early today in Henderson.

About 4:30 a.m., a man was found dead next to his vehicle on Patrick Road between Whitney Ranch Drive and Stephanie Street, Henderson Police said.

Witnesses told police they heard yelling, then heard a gunshot and a car speeding away, Officer Shane Lewis said.

Investigators were canvassing the area this morning and had stopped several cars, but have not made any arrests. Police did not have a description of the suspect's vehicle, Lewis said.

That shooting came after a deadly weekend. A woman's corpse was discovered Sunday morning in the desert near Boulder City, and two men in their 30s were fatally shot early Saturday in Las Vegas. And just prior to the weekend, a dead man was found stuffed in a suitcase near an apartment complex in Las Vegas on Friday morning.

Boulder City police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered in a dry wash Sunday morning.

They were called about 11:30 a.m. by a group of ATV riders after they found the body near mile marker 2 on State Route 165 near Nelson Highway, Sgt. John Chase said.

The Clark County coroner's office said this morning that the identity of the woman is pending.

Metro Police are asking for the public to help them with their investigation into the shooting deaths of two men in their 30s and another who is in critical condition.

At about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to several callers who heard gunfire near Lexington Street and Bartlett Avenue.

Officers were also told that a caller in the 1100 block of Blankenship Avenue was reporting an injured man at a front door.

Patrol officers found two men lying in the intersection of Lexington and Bartlett. One man identified by the coroner's office as Wayne Williams, 31, was dead at the scene. The other man, Eddie Stevenson, 34, was taken to University Medical Center where he died shortly after arrival.

The third man, also in his 30s, was taken to UMC's Trauma Center where he underwent surgery. He is listed in critical condition, but is expected to survive.

When that triple shooting occurred, Metro officers were still following up on the discovery of a man's body, crammed into a black nylon suitcase, found Friday behind an apartment complex just a few blocks from the Boulevard mall.

The dead man was described as Hispanic, in his mid- to late 30s. He weighed approximately 135 pounds and was about 5 feet, 4 inches tall, Metro Police Sgt. Kevin Manning said. The man's head was shaved and he had a mustache and numerous tattoos, Manning said. On his upper left arm is the outline of a naked woman.

The coroner's office said this morning that the identity of the man is pending.

The cause of death won't be released until the completion of the autopsy, but there were visible signs of trauma to the upper body, Manning said. A preliminary examination suggested the man had been dead for less than 24 hours when the bag was discovered.

Police hope to identify the man through his fingerprints, or that a friend or relative will call authorities to report him missing, Manning said.

Two maintenance workers at the Boulevard Park Apartments, located in the 1400 block of East Desert Inn Road, called police Friday about 8:45 a.m. to report finding a suitcase with what appeared to be human remains inside, Manning said.

One of the workers became suspicious when he was unable to lift the suitcase and toss it into the Dumpster, Manning said. The two men unzipped the bag slightly and saw "enough to be concerned," Manning said.

The maintenance workers told police they believed the body was that of a young child, Manning said. In order to preserve any potential evidence, police waited until the bag had been transferred to the coroner's office before unzipping it, Manning said.

"We didn't know what we were dealing with until that moment," Manning said.

Tontalea Griggs, who lives in an apartment unit facing the Dumpster where the suitcase was found, said she heard loud banging noises at about 2:30 a.m. Friday and then a loud car with a noisy engine speeding quickly down the alleyway toward Maryland Parkway.

"I didn't get up and look, and now I wish I had," Griggs said. "It may not have anything to do with the suitcase, but maybe I'd have seen somebody or something that would help tell who did this."

Anyone with information about any of the deaths can call CrimeStoppers at 385-5555.