Two people accused in the murder of Nevada Insurance Examiner William McCune were sentenced to prison Monday.
McCune, 62, was beaten to death in his Carson City apartment April 2. His body was dumped along the Carson River two days later.
The motive for the crime was robbery; McCune was forced to give up PINs for his bank accounts.
Michael Paul Evans, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He received 10 years to life in prison, the sentence recommended by parole and probation.
His lawyer, Kay Ellen Armstrong, conceded that Evans “willingly went to Mr. McCune’s house and yes, there was a robbery that went very bad.”
She said Evans was high on methamphetamine at the time of the crime but that three days later, when he woke up and realized what had happened, he reported it to investigators, identified the others involved and led investigators to McCune’s body. She pointed out he wasn’t even a suspect at the time.
His mother, Ginger Patterson, testified that despite the charges, “my son is not a bad person.” She said he was diagnosed with ADHD when he was a child, but the family couldn’t afford medication.
“Because we couldn’t afford medication, he medicated himself, unfortunately, and unfortunately, he did get in with the wrong crowd,” she said.
Patterson asked District Judge Todd Russell to give him a chance to repair his life.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger acknowledged that Evans, “out of all the defendants, was the first to come forward and help solve this case.”
But he added that not only was Evans present when McCune was beaten, he later helped dispose of the body.
In imposing the sentence, Russell pointed out that, under a Category A felony, Evans will see no “good-time credits” to reduce the minimum sentence.
Lawyer Noel Waters argued Makayla Blackmore, 20, had the most minimal involvement in the killing. She wasn’t in the room at the time and, according to her co-defendants, was not only extremely high on meth throughout the crime but wasn’t aware McCune had been murdered until her arrest.
She pleaded to three counts including conspiracy and robbery, both Category B felonies, and illegal use of McCune’s credit card.
Waters argued she should get probation and extensive drug treatment, adding that she has no prior criminal record.
Russell rejected the idea of probation but agreed she has a chance to become a good citizen if she stays away from drugs. As part of the sentence, he called for an extensive treatment program for her. He sentenced her to a minimum of one year on the conspiracy and credit card charges but, on the robbery charge, imposed two to seven years. Because no good-time credits are allowed against the minimum sentence in Category B felonies, she must serve at least two years.
That is reduced by the 255 days she has already been in jail, so she will see her first parole hearing in about a year and three months.
“It appears your involvement was clearly more limited than the other defendants,” Russell said in letting all three sentences run concurrently.
District Attorney Neil Rombardo said that even if Blackmore serves seven years, that is much less time than the 20-25 years his office sought in the case.
“A man died here, and she was involved,” he said.
Two other defendants remain: Anthony Elliott, 20, and Raul Garcia, 22. No dates are yet set in their cases. Elliott has entered a guilty plea. Garcia, according to the DA’s office, is undergoing a psychological evaluation.
