Trial set in fatal shooting

Friday, March 18, 2005 | 9:37 a.m.

A 28-year-old schizophrenic who allegedly went on a deadly shooting rampage in late September 2003 near the Spaghetti Bowl pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Frank Robert Lyles is slated to stand trial in October after being determined competent. He is charged with murder with the use of a deadly weapon and four counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon.

In addition to allegedly killing one man, he also allegedly shot and wounded two Metro Police officers in a gun battle in an area along Martin L. King Boulevard near Bonanza Road.

On Jan. 1, 2004, Lyles was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was sent to Lake's Crossing, the state's mental facility in Sparks. Late last year the state's doctors said he had improved enough to stand trial.

Lyles appeared lucid in court Thursday as he told Bonaventure that he was pleading not guilty and that he had completed his GED and the equivalent of two years of community college coursework since he has been in the custody of the state.

He was originally charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, but that case was closed and on March 11 a grand jury indicted Lyles on the original charges plus an additional three counts of attempted murder.

Lyles is accused of going on a shooting spree two days after he had gone to the Nevada Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services clinic at 2121 Las Vegas Blvd. North. His lawyer at that time, James "Bucky" Buchanan, said Lyles had not been able to get the medication for his mental illness that day because he had been late for his appointment.

Lyles' arrest report says he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was under a doctor's care. He bought a .22 caliber handgun several days before the shooting to carry out what he called his "dream" to kill someone, the police report says.

The report says he walked down Bonanza Road near Martin L. King Boulevard and randomly killed Kevin Chandler, firing at him numerous times as the man pleaded for his life, according to the report and witness accounts.