Trial set for final defendant in McCune case

Raul Garcia Jr., the last of four defendants in the murder of state Insurance Examiner William McCune, will go to trial on murder, robbery and other charges Sept. 9.

Two other defendants have entered pleas and been sentenced for their part in the April 2013 beating death in Carson City. The other defendant, Michael Evans, was allowed to enter a plea as well — securing him a minimum 10-25 sentence — but he reneged and refused to testify against Garcia. Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger told District Judge Todd Russell on Monday that he is looking at proceedings to reverse Evans’ sentence, reinstate the full murder charges against him and listing Evans as a co-defendant at Garcia’s trial.

Garcia, who remains in jail pending trial, quietly entered a plea of not guilty to each of the five felony counts against him, including the first-degree-murder charge, enhanced by the fact McCune was older than 60.

The murder charge carries a possible death penalty, and Krueger said the DA’s office hasn’t decided whether to ask for that. In any event, the charge carries a potential 20-years-to-life sentence plus up to another 20 years for the senior victim enhancement.

According to detective Doug Speegle, Garcia admitted that he, Evans and Anthony Elliott, who also has been sentenced, went to McCune’s apartment on Silver Oak Drive to rob him. Garcia said he was the first one to hit McCune and that the others followed, beating McCune with an umbrella and a golf club in an attempt to get personal identification numbers for his credit cards.

The other charges against Garcia include burglary, robbery, conspiracy and illegal possession of McCune’s credit cards.

The fourth defendant in the case, Makyla Blackmore, wasn’t in the apartment when McCune was beaten to death. She was allowed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and possession of McCune’s credit cards. She testified against Garcia at his preliminary hearing.

Russell set the trial for eight days.