Appeal dismissed in case of wife who plotted murder

Thursday, April 21, 2005 | 9:51 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of Susanne D. Carno, sentenced to consecutive life terms in prison for successfully plotting her husband's murder in Las Vegas in an effort to collect on a $500,000 insurance policy.

Carno was convicted of murder with use of a deadly weapon and other counts. Rather than progressing to a penalty hearing, Carno entered into an agreement with the district attorney's office to drop its intent to ask for the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.

In the agreement, Carno, now 36, agreed not to appeal her conviction to the Supreme Court.

The court said Tuesday that the record in the district court indicates Carno "knowingly and voluntarily agreed to waive her appeal rights when she entered into the agreement."

Richard Carno was found shot to death in his car in a Las Vegas trailer park in January 2002. Prosecutors, who maintained Susanne Carno arranged the killing to collect the life insurance policy, said her brother John Ray, 38, was to be paid $50,000 for the killing.

Both were sentenced to two consecutive life terms with parole eligibility to come after 40 years in prison.