Las Vegas sends three murder suspects back to Carson City

Three former fugitives were heading Tuesday from Las Vegas to Carson City in police custody to face murder charges in the slaying of Nevada’s chief insurance examiner, authorities said.

Carson City sheriff’s detectives were in a Las Vegas courtroom to take custody of Anthony Elliot, Makyla Blackmore and Raul Garcia after their appearance by videoconference before a judge, a court official said.

Elliot and Blackmore, both 20, and Garcia, 23, had been held at the Clark County jail as fugitives and didn’t face local charges, said Chryste Domingo, executive aide to Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure. They weren’t represented Tuesday by lawyers.

The three were arrested Saturday in Las Vegas while Michael Paul Evans was arrested in Carson City on murder warrants in the slaying of William McCune, 62.

Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong has said the slaying didn’t appear to be related to McCune’s work for the state.

McCune was reported missing Thursday after he failed to make a business trip and authorities found a bloody robbery scene at his home.

His body was found Saturday, wrapped in a blanket and duct-taped, in the Carson River.

It could take several weeks for blood test results to help determine McCune’s cause of death, Carson City Coroner Ruth Rhines said Monday.

Investigators think that McCune knew at least one of his assailants and that evidence at the scene suggested illegal drug use was a motive for the slaying and robbery. Furlong didn’t detail what was taken from the home but said there was no sign of forced entry.

McCune was Nevada Division of Insurance chief examiner since December 2009.

He oversaw whether companies had sufficient money in reserves to cover claims and obligations.

Furlong said authorities didn’t find McCune’s pickup, but they found its license plates late Friday at a Carson City residence associated with Evans.