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Thursday, October 14, 1999
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Police: Drifter admits to '79 killing
North Las Vegas officials say David Ferrell described details of a slaying that only police and the killer know.
By Glenn Puit
Review-Journal
For 20 years, police say David Ferrell kept the darkest of secrets.
But when the 39-year-old was arrested in Southern California on a simple public intoxication charge last week, the secret came out.
The dark-haired drifter was charged in a 20-year-old slaying that North Las Vegas detectives thought might never be solved.
"He told police that this crime has been eating him up for the last 20 years," North Las Vegas police Lt. Chris Larotonda said. "He said he felt guilty for what he did, and that it is time he paid the price for the crime."
The bizarre story of Ferrell started nearly two decades ago, on Nov. 21, 1979, when North Las Vegas police were called to the home of Wilbert F. Wendeburg, a 52-year-old unemployed piano tuner. When they entered the residence at 2522 Arrowhead St., near Las Vegas Boulevard North and Carey Avenue, they found a barely breathing Wendeburg covered in blood.
Wendeburg was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later. A subsequent investigation revealed he was stabbed 10 times and had his throat slashed from his chin to his collarbone.
Police spent months investigating the case, trying to find someone who would have had a motive for the crime, but they came up with nothing. Larotonda said the case eventually was stored away, and although it remained active, there were no new leads in the slaying until last week.
That new lead came in the arrest of Ferrell in Long Beach, Calif., on the night of Oct. 6. Long Beach police officer David Marander, a spokesman for the department, said the vagrant was found severely intoxicated in the downtown area.
Ferrell was arrested on a public intoxication charge, but as he was being transported to the Long Beach jail, he shocked officers by saying he had killed a man in North Las Vegas 20 years ago.
Long Beach police immediately called detectives in North Las Vegas, who at first were skeptical of Ferrell's claims.
"It is not uncommon for people to admit to things they didn't do," Larotonda said.
North Las Vegas police went to Long Beach, brought Ferrell back and asked him where the crime was committed. Larotonda said Ferrell, whom they know little about, took them to Wendeburg's home.
"He knew details of the crime that only us and the bad guy would know," Larotonda said.
Ferrell then told police what happened that night.
"He said earlier in the day he had been just walking down the street when (Wendeburg) offered him a ride," Larotonda said. "The two then went to the home on Arrowhead."
Larotonda said Wendeburg offered Ferrell a chance to sleep on his couch, and Ferrell accepted. But once the lights went out, Ferrell told police Wendeburg made unwanted sexual advances toward him, and Ferrell refused, prompting Wendeburg to call him names.
"He (Ferrell) didn't think it was appropriate," Larotonda said.
Ferrell confessed to detectives that he waited until Wendeburg went back to sleep, then attacked him with a knife.
"He said he simply lost control and stabbed him," Larotonda said.
Police reviewed the evidence in the case, all of which points to Ferrell as the killer, Larotonda said. He said the Police Department still has the knife used in the killing, along with a large volume of other evidence recovered from the crime scene.
"One of the reasons a 20-year-old case was solved is because a guy starts talking while he's drunk," Larotonda said. "I guess his conscience got to him. It is one of the stranger things I've seen."
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