The Clark County Coroner’s office in Nevada has identified the three people found dead in a Las Vegas apartment this week, and an arrest report alleges the suspect admitted to killing them.
The coroner’s office says 80-year-old Dina Raker Vail and 45-year-old Christopher Brassard died from multiple sharp force injuries. 43-year-old Andrew Graden died from blunt and sharp force injuries.
Officers responded Tuesday morning after a maintenance worker at an apartment complex on Flamingo Road near Fort Apache Road said he was attacked while performing a welfare check, according to police.
Police arrested 30-year-old Spencer McDonald, who was found holding a large “mace or sledgehammer-type of instrument,” Lt. Jason Johansson told reporters.
In an arrest report released Thursday, police wrote that Vail was McDonald’s grandmother and Graden was Vail’s boyfriend. Brassard was identified as the second maintenance worker checking on the apartment.
A friend of Vail’s told police that he would drive her to the dance studio where she taught classes and to doctor’s appointments, according to the report. On Monday, June 26, he arrived to pick her up but didn’t get an answer when he knocked on the door. He thought she might have gotten a ride from someone else, but she didn’t show up for her class. He reached out to Vail, Graden, McDonald and another of Vail’s family members but did not get a response.
The next day, the friend told police he got a message from another person saying Spencer told them Dina “took the day off,” but they hadn’t heard directly from Dina.
The friend went to the complex to ask for a welfare check, according to a report. While contacting the police, he heard apartment maintenance would check as well. Minutes later, he saw a worker running from the apartment and bleeding.
The surviving maintenance worker told police he and Brassard went to check on the apartment and saw what he believed to be blood on the walls, the report states. McDonald came out of a spare bedroom holding a hammer, and McDonald ran at them. The worker says he was hit in the back but was able to run away.
Detectives interviewed McDonald and he admitted to killing all three people. He said he killed Dina “a couple of days prior,” then waited for Andrew to come home and killed him. McDonald continued to live in the apartment until the maintenance workers arrived.
Police say he did not provide a specific reason for the killings. Investigators also recovered a large chef’s knife and sword, both with blood on them.
McDonald has been ordered to remain held at Clark County Detention Center without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, July 3.
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