Police: Suspect was alone with bartender before slaying

Jen Lawson

Friday, March 12, 2004 | 9 a.m.

Kevin Martinette waited until everyone else left the Odyssey Lounge early Monday morning, then allegedly beat the 70-year-old bartender to death in order to steal his car and $500 for an intended drive to California, according to a Metro Police report about his arrest.

Martinette, 27, also took some expensive pool cues in leather cases, some of which 33-year-old Randy Stafford, his roommate at the Valley Hotel, sold on the streets for $30.

Graveyard shift bartender Thimios "Terry" Petropoulos was found dead in the storage room of the tavern on Fremont Street near Eastern Avenue.

Detectives noticed footprints in the blood with a herringbone shoe sole pattern.

Stafford and Martinette each are charged in connection with the killing and robbery of Petropoulos and are scheduled to have initial appearances this morning in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Martinette was arrested for murder and robbery of a victim over 65. Stafford was arrested for receiving and possessing stolen property.

The swing shift bartender told detectives that when Petropoulos began his shift, Stafford, another man and a woman were the only ones in the bar, the report says. In the wee hours, Stafford and the woman left, leaving Martinette alone with Petropoulos.

Several hours later, Martinette came back to their room at the Valley Hotel carrying numerous pool cues that were valued at more than $300. He told Stafford he "had killed the bartender by beating him down with his own hands," according to the report.

An autopsy showed Petropoulos, who celebrated his birthday with a party at the tavern Saturday night, had died of blunt force trauma and asphyxiation.

Martinette also allegedly told Stafford he had secured transportation for their drive to California -- Petropoulos' 1983 Mercury station wagon -- which he had parked at the California hotel-casino on Ogden Avenue. The next day, a man called police and said he thought two men he had met the week before, Martinette and Stafford, might be responsible for the slaying at the bar.

David Payorena said he was visiting the pair at the Valley Hotel when Martinette, whom police described as a heroin user, "confided to Payorena that he had murdered a bartender down the street on Fremont and had stolen the cues from the bar," according to the report.

Payorena, 31, told detectives that Martinette also allegedly stole the victim's car and parked at the California.

Detectives found Martinette and Stafford at the Valley Hotel Tuesday afternoon. Martinette refused to talk to police without a lawyer. Detectives noticed blood on his shoes and the sole pattern was herringbone, which seemed to match the footprints found at the crime scene.

Stafford also had blood on his shoes and clothing and told police he had been in a fight the night before. An incident report regarding the fight had been filed and it was unrelated to the homicide, the report says.

Stafford told police Martinette confessed to killing the bartender but Stafford denied any involvement in the homicide. He said had sold some pool cues and planned to sell more to get gas money for their trip.

Detectives found Petrapoulos' car on the third floor of the parking garage. They watched the surveillance tape that showed a man matching Martinette's description parking there.