Makyla Blackmore, one of four people originally charged in the murder of Nevada Insurance Examiner William McCune, testified during a preliminary hearing Thursday against the remaining defendant in the case, Raul Garcia Jr.
Testimony continues Friday morning before Justice of the Peace John Tatro who must determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to district court for trial.
Blackmore, Anthony Elliott and Michael Evans have all entered pleas in the case. Blackmore, who wasn’t in the apartment when McCune was beaten to death, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery, along with possession of another person’s credit card.
She testified that the four went to the Broadleaf Apartments parking lot near McCune’s apartment twice the night he was killed because the other three “wanted to go steal stuff from this guy.” She stayed in the car while they went to the Silver Oak Drive address.
The first time they returned, she said, “they got nothing.”
She said she doesn’t know how long it took the second time they went to the apartment because she was high on methamphetamine and fell asleep but that, when they returned, they were saying “that they got a lot of good stuff.”
Under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger, Blackmore was very vague about a lot of the details from the night of April 4, when the killing is thought to have taken place. She repeatedly answered Krueger’s questions about details of the night with “I can’t remember.”
According to court records, Evans told detectives the men beat McCune, 62, and took some of his belongings.
Those records say they returned the next day to clean up the evidence, dumping McCune’s body in the Carson River wrapped in a blanket.
Like Blackmore, Evans has agreed to testify in the case as part of his plea bargain.
Forensic pathologist Ellen Clark testified the injuries to McCune’s body included at least a dozen serious blows to the head, 10 to the torso and another 10 or more to the hands and arms. She said he suffered 21 rib fractures and bleeding in the brain, as well as internal organ damage.
Because of the duct tape around his neck and chin, Clark said, she also can’t rule out the possibility it was used over his mouth, causing asphyxiation.
Garcia is accused of first-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery of a person over the age of 60, all major felonies.
