Man arrested in 2006 death

A Henderson man was arrested this week in connection with the death of a man whose body was found in California by hikers in May of 2006, Henderson police said.

Shawn Pritchett, 38, was arrested by Henderson police on Monday in connection with the death of Lawrence Thomas, 47, of Henderson, whose body was found in the Mojave National Preserve west of Interstate 15 near Baker, Calif., on May 14, 2006.

Henderson police have been investigating Thomas' death since April 2006, when his brother-in-law called police to say he had not heard from Thomas.

Thomas' wife, Stephanie, was contacted by police and said that he had left home after an argument on April 13, 2006.

Days prior to Thomas' body being discovered in the desert, detectives interviewed Pritchett, who had moved into Thomas' Henderson home, and was said to be a business partner with Thomas' wife.

Police said detectives found evidence that contradicted Pritchett's statements about his whereabouts on the evening of April 13. They found evidence linking Pritchett to the crime and putting him in California the night Thomas disappeared, Henderson police said.

"It was a very long and exhaustive investigation," Keith Paul, a spokesman for Henderson police, said.

Pritchett was being held in Henderson jail without bail on murder charges.

He has a court appearance scheduled for today in Justice Court.