Police: Man struck woman with frying pan before strangling her

By Cara McCoy

Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 | 7:31 p.m.

The man accused in the murder of a Las Vegas woman whose body was found last month stuffed in a trash can in her garage told police the two were practicing deep meditation in her bedroom when he decided to strike her with a frying pan and strangle her to death, according to an arrest report released Monday.

Michael Victor Lane, 37, is facing one count each of murder and robbery with a deadly weapon, as well as one count of grand larceny auto, in connection with the death of Ginger Candela, 44, found dead in her home Nov. 30 in the 3100 block of Westfield Street.

According to the report, after killing Candela, Lane told police he at first concealed her body in the home’s back yard. Police allege he then put her body in a trash can, which he filled with bleach. He told investigators he cut her body in half with a handsaw to better conceal it, then weighed it down with cinder blocks to keep it from floating, the arrest report says.

Lane remained in Candela’s home for about two weeks after her death, according to the report. He reportedly checked into a California motel under Candela’s name and used her credit card on Nov. 28, authorities said.

He told police that on the day he left for California, where he was arrested Dec. 3, he added bags of concrete to the bleach, the arrest report alleges.

The report says that through the investigation, homicide detectives learned that on Nov. 14, which police say is on or about the day Lane allegedly killed Candela, Lane went to the Home Depot store near Pecos Road and Patrick Lane. At the store, police learned he used a gift card belonging to Candela to purchase a 96-gallon trash can, bleach, a tarp and a hatchet, the report says.

Investigators later obtained surveillance video from the store that shows a man police identified as Lane making the purchases; additionally, detectives found the items purchased at Candela’s home, authorities said.

Homicide detectives responded to Candela’s home after the trash can was found and began an investigation. Candela’s body was identified through dental records. Her death was ruled a homicide and the coroner’s office said she died of strangulation with blunt force trauma as a contributing factor.

During the investigation, police found pieces of mail and other documents inside Candela’s home that indicated a man named Michael Lane had been living at the residence, according to the police report. Police said the home appeared to be ransacked and numerous items, including Candela’s vehicle, were missing.

Candela’s adult daughter had told police that a British man had been staying at the home, authorities said. Lane was raised in London, police have said, and has been involved with spiritual healing and motivational speaking.

In a separate incident, Lane is accused of using Candela’s vehicle in an attack on a transsexual male whom he allegedly solicited for sex on Craigslist and then, after an argument, attempted to run over with the SUV.

That incident allegedly happened Nov. 24, which would have been about 10 days after Candela’s death. Lane is facing one count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, one count of battery with a deadly weapon and one count of leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the alleged attack.

On Nov. 28, Lane left for California in Candela’s SUV, which contained a large amount of her property, according to the arrest report.

Candela was last seen by her daughter Nov. 1, which is the day Lane allegedly moved into her home, police said.

Investigators said that in the days following her death, Lane deposited several checks into his account written from Candela’s account and used several of her credit cards to make purchases, police said in the report.

Police have said Lane might have other potential victims who he could have defrauded without their knowledge and have asked that anyone with information about him contact authorities.

Authorities arrested Lane on Dec. 3 at a Motel 6 in Ventura, Calif., where he had registered under Candela’s name with one of her credit cards. He was still driving Candela’s vehicle, police said.

During an interview at the Ventura police station with Metro Police detectives, Lane told them, after being read his Miranda rights, that Candela was still alive and had given him permission to use her vehicle and credit cards, according to the police report.

But police allege that upon further questioning, however, Lane told them he killed Candela and continued to use her credit cards and checking account after her death.

He told investigators that he and Candela had been engaged in a meditation session in the master bedroom of the home, during which he had purposefully been compressing Candela’s carotid arteries to help her achieve a state of deeper meditation, according to the arrest report.

It was then, he told police, he decided to kill her, which he did by striking her several times with a frying pan and using an electrical cord to strangle her, police allege.

Lane reportedly also goes by the name “Chae Saville.” He is known to have spent time in Las Vegas, San Diego and Portland, Ore., and might have lived in the Philippines at some point.

Metro Police are asking anyone with information about Lane or about Candela’s death to contact the homicide section at 828-3521. Callers who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Lane is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.