Guilty plea made in shooting

More than two years after his fiancee was shot to death, 33-year-old David Wayne Crawford pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

The admitted killer then walked out of District Judge Jeff Sobel's courtroom and won't have to return until after he spends Christmas with his family.

At the request of defense attorney Scott Bindrup, Sobel let Crawford remain free on $360,000 bail.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 6, and the lightest sentence would be 100 years or life in prison with no parole until he has served 40 years. The harshest punishment would be life with no chance for parole.

In pleading guilty, Crawford admitted that he shot and killed 26-year-old Gloria Joann Dugan in her southeast Las Vegas home in April 1997. Her body was found by coworkers when she failed to show up for work.

Crawford, who surrendered to authorities after the incident, sometimes shared the home with Dugan.

Crawford had waived his Justice Court preliminary hearing in 1997 and indicated that he was going to plead guilty to charges after spending Christmas of that year with his family.

But he did not follow through with the deal and instead pleaded not guilty. A delay in the trial until Aug. 30 allowed him to spend another Christmas at home.

Then, as his time was running out, he finally accepted the plea bargain.

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