Four plead not guilty in murder-for-hire of Nellis airman

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011 | 10:48 a.m.

Not guilty pleas were entered in Clark County District Court today by the four people accused in the December murder-for-hire death of 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Nathan Paet, who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base.

Also, prosecutors told the judge that the district attorney's death penalty review committee will meet Wednesday afternoon to decide whether to seek the death penalty against the defendants.

Michael Rudolph Rodriguez, 31; Corry A. Hawkins, 33; Jessica A. Austin, 23; and Paet's 29-year-old wife, Michelle, were formally charged this morning in connection with Paet's death at their arraignments.

All four have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon and murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Rodriguez and Hawkins also have been charged with possession of a firearm by an ex-felon.

During the arraignments, Judge Douglas Herndon made sure each had been read the charges handed down by the grand jury and made sure each had an attorney.

Rodriguez' attorneys are Ivette Maningo and Clark Patrick. Michelle Paet's attorney is Kristina Wildeveld. Austin's attorney is Susan Burke. Hawkin's attorney is Daniel Bunin.

The judge wanted to set a date for a trial, but the attorneys said they first wanted to find out Wednesday whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Herndon told their attorneys to return to court at 9 a.m. Thursday for a status check, when he is expected to hear motions to set bail and possibly set a trial date.

All four suspects remain in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

Nathan Paet was shot and killed Dec. 1 after he opened his garage door to leave for work. He went back inside the home after the shooting, in the 9200 block of Alta Monte Court in southwest Las Vegas, where he collapsed.

A police arrest report says, his wife, Michelle Paet, confessed to helping plan her husband's murder with Rodriguez because they wanted to pursue a romantic relationship. They had been discussing the murder as early as October, police said.

Police determined from military officials that Michelle Paet would receive $400,000 upon the death of her husband. She claimed she would receive an additional $250,000 from another life insurance policy on her husband, according to the arrest reports.

Rodriguez told police he was "having sex with an ex-porn star" during the time of Nathan Paet's murder, according to the arrest reports.

The reports allege the woman, who police have not identified, gave authorities the following version of events:

She said there was an ongoing plan to kill Nathan Paet that involved Rodriguez, Hawkins, Austin and Michelle Paet. The unidentified woman expected to receive 5 percent of the few thousand dollars Rodriguez was to earn for the murder, according to the report.

On the night of the murder, the woman said she, Austin, Hawkins and Rodriguez were at Austin and Hawkins' apartment in the 2500 block of North Green Valley Parkway in Henderson. Rodriguez and Hawkins then allegedly left to commit a robbery using Rodriguez's black Cadillac.

Meanwhile, Austin lit a fire in the apartment and the men burned their clothes when they returned.

Police said the unidentified woman went back to Austin and Hawkins' apartment the next day, where she noticed the smell of bleach. Rodriguez and Hawkins then destroyed their cell phones, along with the woman's, and told her to lie to police, the report says.

The woman told police Rodriguez allegedly admitted shooting Nathan Paet, and Hawkins admitted to being at the scene. Police said records and video surveillance from Sunset Station show Rodriguez and the woman checked in 40 minutes after the murder.

Police executed search warrants at Austin and Hawkins' apartment, at which point Austin allegedly told police she bought blue latex gloves and an air freshener at Walmart before the murder. She also allegedly told police Rodriguez burned his clothes in the fireplace.