Man indicted in death of girlfriend

Malia Spencer

Thursday, July 17, 2003 | 9:35 a.m.

A Las Vegas man was indicted Tuesday in the May beating death of his live-in, on-again off-again, girlfriend Charla Gowan, 34.

Eric Salis Wright, 20, was indicted on a charge of murder with use of a deadly weapon. Prosecutors allege Wright beat Gowan with a metal baseball bat.

He was being held on $500,000 bail in the Clark County Detention Center, Deputy District Attorney Kam Brian said.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of May 18 in a bedroom of an apartment on the 5100 block of Tropicana Avenue, according to the indictment.

"No one else was in the bedroom where the incident occurred," Brian said. The last person to see the couple said they were watching movies and did not appear to be arguing.

Two other people were in the apartment at the time -- a roommate who is also Wright's cousin and Gowan's 8-year-old son. Gowan's son "heard noises coming from the bedroom," Brian said.

The child is staying with relatives out of state who may adopt him, Brian said.

There was no documented history of abuse in the relationship, Brian said, but people will testify the relationship between Wright and Gowan was rocky. Wright does not have a previous criminal record, Brian said.

Wright was arrested on May 19 at a hotel on Boulder Highway. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Michael Douglas.

Public Defender Howard Brooks, who has been assigned to defend Wright, was unavailable for comment.