Arrest made in four deaths

A 19-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested early today in connection with Friday's quadruple homicide.

Donte Johnson was arrested by Metro Police homicide investigators at 3:45 a.m. at an acquaintance's home, not far from the house at 4825 Terra Linda Ave. where the bodies of Tracey Albert Gorringe, 21, Jeffrey Charles Biddle, 19, Matthew David Mowen, 19, and Peter Chris Talamantez, 17, were discovered bound and shot about 6 p.m. Friday.

Johnson was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on four counts each of murder with a deadly weapon, robbery, kidnapping and burglary. Formal charges and potential prosecution are pending a review of the case by the district attorney's office.

Homicide investigators working the case developed information implicating Johnson and recovered several items of evidence at the house where he was arrested this morning. Homicide Sgt. Ken Hefner declined to disclose the nature of the items. Police also remained mum on whether the murder weapon has been found.

"It's always gratifying when a murder investigation is progressing quickly, especially this one," Hefner said this morning. His team worked all night piecing together the case that culminated in Johnson's arrest.

"Given the scale and magnitude of this one, where four people were bound, gagged and shot helplessly, it makes it that much more rewarding. Considering that there are people capable of committing a crime like this, it's good to know that at least one of them is off the street."

The investigation, however, is not over. Police were continuing to follow up leads this morning that could result in the arrest of other suspects, Hefner said.

Since Friday's murders, police estimate nearly a dozen calls from the community have produced fruitful tips for detectives working the case.

Among those was information leading authorities to Johnson, with whom the victims were at least acquainted, Hefner said.

Police were still trying to narrow down when the killer or killers entered the dilapidated home near Tropicana Avenue and Nellis Boulevard and committed the crimes, tying up the victims before shooting three of them in the living room near the front door and the fourth near the kitchen.

Neighbors interviewed by police did not recall seeing anyone leaving the home or hearing any suspicious sounds. Detectives have an unconfirmed report that the last anyone heard from the victims was an 11 a.m. telephone conversation one of the men had with a friend.

Talamantez was apparently visiting the others, who police said had been sharing the rental house for about a year when he the killings happened.

Homicide investigators remain confident that drugs and robbery motivated the killer. Police found some narcotics at the murder scene, but could not confirm if drugs were being dealt out of the Terra Linda home.

"Generally the two go hand in hand -- drug dealing and robbery," Hefner said. "People dealing drugs are potential robbery victims because they have money, but we have not gathered any information to confirm that any (drug dealing activity) was going on at the home."

Friends and family remain in mourning for the slain men.

Mowen, Biddle and Talamantez were students. Gorringe, a native of Burley, Idaho, was employed as a chef and Biddle, born in Santa Monica, Calif., worked as a security guard.

A visitation was scheduled for today from 4 to 7 p.m. at Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave., for Biddle, Gorringe, and Mowen.

Mowen's funeral will be held at the same location Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Services for Biddle and Gorringe will be out of state.

Plans for Talamantez's services, which will be handled by Davis Funeral Homes, had not been finalized as of this morning.

The last quadruple homicide in the valley happened May 1, 1992. Vernell Ray Evans Jr. now sits on death row for the murders of Samantha Scotti, 24, Lisa Boyer, 26, Jermaine Woods, 19, and Steven Walker, 19. Police believe the killings were planned as revenge against Scotti, who served as a confidential informant to police in a drug case.

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