March deaths of Henderson couple ruled murder-suicide

Forensic testing has confirmed that the March incident that left a Henderson couple dead was a murder-suicide, officials said Monday.

Based on evidence found at the scene, Henderson Police Department detectives initially called the two deaths a double suicide, but the Clark County coroner’s office has concluded that only one of the deaths was a suicide.

A passer-by found the bodies of Holly Ann Guillen, 54, and Andres Guillen, 55, on March 23 in a desert area about a mile south of the M Resort.

“During the early stages of the investigation, it was believed to be a double suicide,” Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday. However, through a comprehensive investigation, the coroner’s office concluded otherwise.

Andres Guillen was found with two gunshot wounds, one of which was a self-inflicted wound to his head. But Fudenberg said it was a gunshot wound to his chest that killed him. Coroner investigator Priscilla Chavez added that the self-inflicted wound likely occurred before the shot to the chest.

Holly Ann Guillen’s death was ruled a suicide. Her official cause of death also was a gunshot wound to the chest.

“I think it’s splitting hairs to be honest with you,” Henderson Police spokesman Scott Williams said Monday. “There was a lot of speculation, which is why we’re all having such a hard time with the case.”

A suicide note with two different types of handwriting was found at the scene in March. “I can confirm that,” Williams said.

The Police Department said Monday that Andres Guillen’s death will be included in its official homicide count this year. His death marked the 43rd homicide in Clark County and the third investigated by the Henderson Police Department in 2017.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.