Two found guilty in 2006 killing

Michael McClain's slaying was as gruesome as in any slasher film.

Authorities said he was struck with a baseball bat, tied to a wheelchair and had a screwdriver driven into his head. He then had a pencil shoved into the bottom of his skull, causing him to convulse violently. McClain was hog-tied and dumped in the desert, where police found his skeletal remains. Duct tape had been placed over his mouth.

On Monday, two of the three people accused of carrying out the killing were convicted in District Court.

A jury convicted Joey Salas, 32, and Cassandra Thomas, 25, of second-degree murder. The jury also convicted Salas and Thomas of other related charges, including robbery with a deadly weapon.

A third defendant, Corey Pearce, is still scheduled to go to trial.

Authorities said Thomas wrote about the killing in her diary, which was found by police in Florida.

The case began June 2006, when the defendants were staying with McClain at a friend's condominium near Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway.

Authorities said Salas, the 42-year-old McClain, Thomas and Pearce were all taking drugs. Salas' defense attorney, Susan Burke, described the night of the killing as "shrouded in a cloud of methamphetamine."

Attorneys said Salas and Thomas were asleep on a couch inside the condominium when Thomas woke up to find Pearce and McClain fighting. McClain tried to leave but prosecutors argued that Thomas tried to block his exit; her defense attorney, Craig Mueller, said she was just trying to break up the fight. Salas struck McClain with a wooden dowel, authorities said.

Pearce then hit McClain with the baseball bat, dragged him to an upstairs bedroom and shoved the screwdriver and pencil into his head.

"He certainly didn't deserve to die like he did," county prosecutor Pam Weckerly told the jury.

Pearce and Thomas, who were a couple, fled to Florida and were caught on June 26, 2006 by police in Jacksonville Beach. They were charged with possession of a stolen car and drug possession.

Police said Thomas also left incriminating notes inside the Las Vegas condominium. In one, she wrote instructions on what to do "if the cops come," according to Las Vegas police. In another, she wrote: "Don't be nervous, be confident, no stuttering," according to police reports.

Mueller said Thomas wasn't responsible for McClain's killing. He said she was afraid for her life and Pearce had threatened to kill her if she spoke to police.

"This case is about the long shadow of Corey Pearce," he told the jury.

Members of McClain's family who attended the trial said McClain was born in Utah but moved with his family to Southern Nevada at an early age. A graduate of Rancho High School, McClain was married once and divorced. He worked a variety of jobs, including as a truck driver, and was a member of the National Guard.

"He was always willing to help people," said LeAnna McClain, his mother.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.