Henderson man accused of killing second wife denied bail

A man suspected of killing his wife was denied bail again Wednesday morning during his preliminary hearing in Henderson.

Alan Sylwester, 62, was arrested May 17 by Henderson police after his wife, Karen Byer, was found dead in the bedroom of their Lake Las Vegas home.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo argued during a hearing at Henderson Justice Court that the deaths of Byer and Sylwester’s first wife, Laura Rhea Gilliom, were too similar to ignore.

Gilliom was found dead in the couple’s bedroom in Livermore, California in 2011. Sylwester was questioned by police, but was never charged.

In both cases, police found handcuffs in the bedroom as well as bruising on each woman’s body. Both women were nude and appeared to have been suffocated. Police found evidence of an excessive level of medication in both women’s bodies.

Sylwester’s attorney, Craig Mueller, argued that the district attorney’s office was delaying court proceedings and asked that Sylwester’s bail be set at $200,000.

Henderson Justice Court Judge Stephen George declined to change Sylwester’s bail. He remains in custody on one count of murder.

Sylwester will appear in court again on June 13 for a status check.

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.