Witness in Vagos trial, 27, found dead

A witness against a Vagos Motorcycle Club member in a recent trial was found dead in her Fernley apartment Sunday evening, two days after the jury returned a guilty verdict.

The death of Heather Fenton-Green, 27, is under investigation by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office. There is no obvious link to the motorcycle club, and the cause of death is unclear, said Lyon County sheriff's Sgt. Johnny Smith.

Fenton-Green testified in court to having had a long history of drug use and also suffered from diabetes. Smith said autopsy and toxicology reports will take some time to complete.

"Anytime we find a 27-year-old female who is for any reason deceased, we investigate all circumstances as suspicious," Smith said.

Fenton-Green testified early in the trial of Patrick Ouellette, 30, of Reno, saying she had watched him kick Cody McChesney in the head and ribs repeatedly during an alleged abduction in September 2011.

The jury was undecided on one kidnapping charge against Ouellette, the former president and current member of the Carson City chapter of the Vagos, and found him not guilty of another kidnapping charge. He was found guilty Friday of battery with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon. He faces up to 16 years in prison when he is sentenced.

The jury was deadlocked on the gang enhancements for the crimes, which are applicable to crimes being committed in affiliation with or to benefit a criminal gang. The Vagos are designated an outlaw motorcycle gang by the Department of Justice.