LAS VEGAS – A man and woman walked into a Las Vegas courthouse, where she reported that he had kidnapped and sexually assaulted her, leading police to human remains at the home where she was allegedly held against her will, police said Thursday.
That murder victim has been identified as 22-year-old Morgan Briel Amaya.
The strange case unfolded Wednesday morning when an unnamed woman and Gary Walker, 55, strolled into the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas, reported NBC 3 Las Vegas. The “female victim told Marshals that she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted” by the man, according to a police statement. The reason for the visit to court was unknown.
Walker was arrested and the woman told sex crimes detectives that she was assaulted in a residence in the 400 block of North Nellis Boulevard. Moreover, detectives “were also advised that Walker murdered another female at the same” location, according to police.
As a result, homicide detectives “responded to the residence where a deceased female was found in a suitcase,” the police statement said.
Walker was held Friday in the Clark County Detention Center and booked on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and eight counts of sexual assault.
It wasn’t immediately clear on Friday if Walker had an attorney.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner told NBC News that its office took charge on Wednesday of a body, identified as Amaya. They said she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Amaya’s sister-in-law, Nicole Marie, told News 3 that Morgan had been battling drug addiction and trying to get clean so she could take custody of her 1-year-old daughter.
Marie and her fiance Victor Hougesen said they did all they could to help keep her on the right track.
Even eerier is the couple says they talked to the man accused of murdering her.
Woman walks into Las Vegas Courthouse escorted by 55-year-old Gary Walker, she tells officers he kidnapped & sexually asssaulted her. She then leads police to another woman’s body found hidden in a suitcase, the coroner identified that woman as 22 yr old Morgan Amaya. @News3LV pic.twitter.com/VuK5E3hK99
— Gabby Hart (@GabbyHartNews) February 7, 2020
“We just talked to her Tuesday; everything was fine, and I talked to the guy he seemed like he was cool,” Hougesen said.
They say they thought he was a friend who was helping Amaya by giving her a place to stay since she and her husband separated.
