Bodies found in home
Three people were found dead Wednesday evening in a southeast valley home, the result of what appeared to be a murder-suicide.
Las Vegas police said a gun was used in the deaths and that the natural gas on the stove had been turned on for up to 24 hours before their discovery.
Sgt. Steve Naegele said a note had been found in the home but would not disclose the contents.
The names of the deceased were not released.
Neighbors identified the family at the home as a husband and wife in their 40s or 50s and their son, thought to be in his 20s.
The health of the wife might have been a factor in the deaths.
Terry Muchison, the head of security for the Palm Gardens gated community, said a relative of the family had told him the wife had been diagnosed with cancer on Tuesday.
The family member, a cousin, had dinner with the family Tuesday night, and the husband had discussed suicide, Muchison said.
"He was taking it pretty hard," Muchison said of the husband.
The incident was the latest in a string of murder-suicides or attempted murder-suicides in the valley.
Las Vegas police have investigated seven this year, including six since September.
Naegle said officers had been called about 4:20 p.m. Wednesday by someone who had been trying unsuccessfully to reach the residents at 4775 Canna Drive, near Tropicana Avenue and Boulder Highway.
The first officer to arrive smelled gas and went to the side of the house to turn off the gas and the electricity.
The Clark County Fire Department was called, and the gas was cleared from the home.
Once inside, investigators found the three people dead. The gas did not cause their deaths, Naegele said. He wouldn't elaborate.
Neighbors gathered outside the police tape on the quiet street of well-kept, single-story stucco homes. They said the family was quiet but friendly.
"When I went to the mailbox they would always say 'Hi' to me," Merly Zulsdorf, 50, said. "It's kind of sad that it would happen to one of my neighbors."
Rick Altman said the family had moved in just after the complex was built.
"Never really noticed they were there, really," he said.
Muchison said the family has another son, who doesn't live at the home.
"Very nice family. Calm family. No problems," he said. "It was a total surprise."
Except for Wednesday's incident, which is still under investigation, the most recent murder-suicide cases in Las Vegas all have involved men suspected of killing women.
On Sept. 5, a Texas man shot and killed a North Las Vegas woman with whom he had a relationship before turning the gun on himself. He died a few days later.
Two days later, a 51-year-old man shot and killed his girlfriend with a rifle from a second-floor landing in their northwest valley home. He called police after shooting himself in the neck and is expected to survive.
On Sept. 14, a housekeeper discovered a 29-year-old woman shot to death by her boyfriend in her home near Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch Boulevard. Her boyfriend was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On Sept. 17, Las Vegas police received a note from Mark Bryron Helwig who claimed that he had killed his wife two years ago. He told police he was going to kill himself.
When officers arrived at Helwig's home near Charleston Boulevard and Fort Apache Road, they found him in the closet of a master bedroom. He had shot himself in the head with a shotgun.
Police discovered his wife's body stuffed in a freezer.
On Sept. 24, family members found 80-year-old Kay Woods dead and 86-year-old Joseph Woods injured in their central valley home.
Las Vegas police suspect Joseph Woods shot his wife before turning the gun on himself, and he has been charged with murder.
Police said the couple were elderly and sick.
Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.
