Murder case witness caught after fleeing

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Friday, Oct. 8, 2004 | 11:12 a.m.

A key witness in a high-profile murder case was in custody this morning after failing to testify on Thursday.

The girlfriend of Raymond Garrett, a 37-year-old ex-con accused of beating a retired Air Force major to death, had been scheduled to testify against Garrett at his preliminary hearing on Thursday, but she fled the Clark County Courthouse because she was intimidated, authorities said.

Sebrina Lewis walked into Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle's courtroom to testify but quickly left after, according to witnesses, Garrett told her to "get out of here."

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens said Lewis returned to court at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and was immediately taken into custody, on Oesterle's orders. Owens said Lewis was scheduled to testify this afternoon.

Garrett is charged with murder, two counts of battery, five counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to murder. Lewis was arrested with Garrett on June 30 on charges of felony aiding and abetting a murderer, but was granted immunity from the District Attorney's office in exchange for her testimony.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens said after she fled the first time, Lewis was brought back to the courthouse, but after reading a copy of her statement she ran again and couldn't be found. A bench warrant was then issued for Lewis.

Upon hearing of the alleged intimidation, Oesterle told Garrett her staff would be watching him very closely for the remainder of the hearing and if he were seen intimidating any witness, he "will have a problem with me and the state will probably file additional charges."

Garrett told Oesterle, "I got no problem."

Special Public Defender David Schieck said if Garrett did intimidate Lewis, Schieck didn't see it.

Lewis had previously told authorities that Garrett told her about his involvement in the slaying of 51-year-old Michael Born, but on the witness stand during Garrett's first preliminary hearing she said only she couldn't remember what he told her.

Prosecutors asked Lewis during her testimony at the first preliminary hearing if she was being intimidated by Garrett's family, which she repeatedly denied. She had been driven to the courthouse by Garrett's brother.

Raymond Garrett is currently being held without bail because authorities believe he is a danger to the public.

Garrett was initially arrested on June 11 on charges of robbery, battery and being a felon in possession of a gun. Garrett was released two days later after paying $16,000 bond, even though he had been charged with felonies in a similar robbery in February and had served 15 years in prison for a 1990 robbery conviction.

The attack on Born June 2 in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store at Stewart Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, which left Born in a coma, was captured on surveillance videotape. Police said that helped them identify Garrett.

Born, a retired Air Force major and father of a young daughter, died June 15 at University Medical Center after being on life support for more than two weeks. Police obtained a murder warrant and began searching for Garrett.

Garrett's preliminary hearing was scheduled to continue today before Oesterle with another alleged victim of Garrett scheduled to testify.

Hector Mendoza identified Garrett at the first preliminary hearing as the man who assaulted him on Feb. 10 in front of the Vons grocery store on West Sahara Avenue.