Supreme Court rejects killers’ appeals

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday rejected the appeal of Duke Cranford, who was sentenced to a life term without parole for the murder of an auto executive in Las Vegas in 1976.

Cranford maintained his conviction should be reversed because the jury was prevented from finding him guilty of a lesser charge.

The court rejected his argument and added that the petition for a writ of habeas corpus was filed past the deadline.

The court turned down his first appeal in 1979, more than 25 years after that case. It said this petition "was untimely filed."

Cranford and two other men stole the car of Lloyd Booker, the controller for Cashman Cadillac, then killed him and dumped the body in the desert.

The court also dismissed the appeal of Paul D. Fowler, who was sentenced to a life term without parole for the killing of his ex-wife Loci Merchant in April 1993.

The court rejected Fowler's claim his law was ineffective.

In another case, the court dismissed the appeal of Las Vegas killer Johnny Walker Jr., who claimed his lawyer was ineffective at trial.

Walker claimed his trial lawyer made 26 errors, which he said merited the reversal of his first-degree murder conviction. The court upheld District Judge Donald Mosley in denying the petition of Walker.

Walker, now 26, was convicted in May 2000 and sentenced to two consecutive life terms with the possibility of parole after 20 years. He and his cousin, Christian Walker, were charged with the murder of Maureen McConaha, who was shot five times in the head.

Christian, also 26, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 10 years.

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