Two receive sentences in torture, slaying case

Two people were sentenced this week in the gruesome slaying of a 42-year-old man who was tortured and whose body was dumped in the desert in 2006.

District Judge Valerie Adair on Tuesday sentenced 25-year-old Cassandra Thomas to 26 years to life in prison and 32-year-old Joey Salas to 16 years to life for killing Michael McClain. A jury in April convicted Thomas and Salas of second-degree murder and other charges, including robbery with a deadly weapon, in connection with McClain's killing.

A third defendant, Corey Pearce, is set to go to trial.

Salas' attorney, Susan Burke, said she would file an appeal. Thomas' attorney could not be reached for comment.

The defendants were staying with McClain at a friend's condominium near Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway. Authorities said the four were taking drugs together and got into a argument, which led to McClain's slaying inside the condominium.

Authorities said McClain was hit with a baseball bat, tied to a wheelchair and had a screwdriver driven into his head. McClain also had a pencil shoved into the base of his skull and was dumped in the desert.

Thomas wrote about the killing in her diary. Florida police read her diary after they stopped her and Pearce on unrelated charges in 2006.

McClain's mother, LeAnna, said Thursday that she was satisfied with the sentence.

"They were involved with meth," she said of the defendants. "That will be two less people doing the drug, and as a society, we'll be safe."

She described McClain, a graduate of Rancho High School and a member of the National Guard, as a helpful, popular man.

"Michael was a friend to many people and was loved by everyone that knew him. He will always be a part of our lives," she said.