Man arrested after faked kidnapping ends in double homicide

By Kailyn Brown

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 | 7:24 p.m.

A man was arrested Tuesday in connection to a faked kidnapping that resulted in a double homicide in Henderson.

Brian Kleynen, 38, was arrested at a Las Vegas apartment and was taken into custody without incident, Henderson Police said.

Officers responded about 12:20 a.m. April 12 to a house in the 100 block of Trenier Drive, near Mission Drive and Horizon Ridge Parkway, to report of a car fire and crash, police said.

Detectives later determined the incident was a planned kidnapping that resulted in a double homicide.

The victim received a series of calls and texts from Kleynen the evening of April 11 saying it was of “dire importance” for them to meet, police said.

Kleynen; Lanard Wilson, 36; and Selvy Auston, 27, arrived at the house in a blue Nissan Altima and demanded the victim get inside the car, police said. The victim initially refused but later complied after seeing Kleynen, whom he considered a friend, zip-tied in the back seat.

The victim was then zip-tied to the headrest in the car and was driven around the neighborhood, police said. The men asked the victim about accessing a jewelry store he worked at, but he told them he needed the store keys to get inside.

The men returned to the victim’s home to get the store keys, police said. The victim was able to break free from the zip-ties and used his concealed firearm to shoot at the men, striking and killing Wilson and Auston.

The vehicle, which was traveling at a slow rate of speed, went off the road, hit a house and caught fire, police said. The fire was extinguished by Henderson firefighters.

Henderson Police questioned Kleynen at the scene but did not arrest him until their investigation was complete.

Kleynen told police he and Auston planned and staged the kidnapping for the purpose of deceiving and robbing the victim, who will not be charged with any crimes, as detectives determined he acted in self-defense.

Kleynen is being held at the Henderson Detention Center on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree kidnapping, first-degree kidnapping, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery with a deadly weapon.

Auston and Wilson had criminal histories and one had a known gang affiliation, police said.