Reduced bail granted suspect

Thursday, April 15, 2004 | 8:19 a.m.

A Henderson justice of the peace reduced bail Wednesday for a woman charged with the April 7 shooting death of her longtime live-in boyfriend.

Justice of the Peace Stephen George granted Tanja Fracica, also known as Tanja Markese, a chance to be released from the Henderson Detention Center by reducing her bail to $150,000 from $500,000. The reduced bail mandates Fracica be kept under intense supervision.

Fracica, who faces a charge of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon, was not released from the Henderson Detention Center Wednesday.

Fracica, 45, told police she shot Robert Markese, 64, after he pointed a gun at her after a domestic dispute on April 7 at their home in the 1800 block of Avocado Court, a police report says.

The couple had been together for 20 years, Fracica told police, and she had legally changed her name to Markese without marrying the victim.

Fracica was intoxicated during her interview with police, the report says, and that the details of her story altered through the interview. Fracica told police Markese had "held a gun to her face in the past, but they had 'worked through it.' "

Fracica also told police Markese was ill and had asked Fracica to kill him, the report says.

"Fracica advised that Markese feels like a burden to her and that he did not like her to see him in his current condition," the report says.

Fracica said Markese became angry with her and her dog, was calling her names and was "thinking of killing her," the report says.

At some point she took the gun from Markese, Fracica told police, and Markese said "You know what to do ... you know what to do."

Markese was sitting on the couch when Fracica shot him, she told police. Police found Markese dead of an apparent gunshot wound in the apartment. Fracica reported the shooting to 911 around 11 p.m.

Police recovered four firearms from throughout apartment, the report says.

Fracica is scheduled for an initial arraignment in Henderson Justice Court April 19.