Woman found in suitcase, suspect fought over handgun, report says
A Las Vegas man charged with killing a woman and storing her body in a suitcase claimed to police the victim died in an accidental shooting during a struggle over a gun, according to an arrest report.
Gary Walker, 55, is charged with kidnapping, multiple counts of sexual assault and murder after police say he carried out attacks on two women at an apartment on North Nellis Boulevard on Feb. 4. The body of one of those women, Morgan Amaya, 22, was found by police in a suitcase at Walker’s apartment the following day.
An arrest report for Walker states Amaya was Walker’s roommate. The report said Amaya and a second woman were recently released from the Clark County Detention Center, and upon their release, the two got a ride from Walker. Walker dropped Amaya and the second woman off at the apartment before Walker headed off to work. The two women started drinking alcohol at the apartment. When Walker returned, he started drinking with the women as well.
“Morgan started making dinner and she started to argue with Gary,” an arrest report states.
Argument becomes heated
The second woman said Walker became aggressive with Amaya and “the argument became heated.” Walker left the apartment, then returned with a handgun, the second woman told police.
“Morgan and Gary continued to yell at each other near the front door of the apartment,” the report states. “Gary reached into his pocket and started to pull the handgun out and point it at Morgan when she yelled at him and began to wrestle with Gary. They both fell to the floor and (the woman) heard a gunshot. (The woman) immediately ran into the laundry room located inside the same apartment where she tried to hide from Gary.”
Walker located the surviving woman and pointed a gun at her. The woman said Walker then sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. The arrest report states he forced her to help him clean up the blood from Amaya’s killing. They attempted to place the body in garbage bags, but Walker eventually opted for the use of a suitcase to dispose of the body.
“Gary took (the woman) back into the apartment where he forced her to help place Morgan into a large black suitcase that he retrieved from the bedroom,” the report states.
The surviving woman said she was sexually assaulted again.
Lied about court date to get help
“(The woman) lied to Gary and told him that she had a court date in the morning and she needed to make sure she went,” the report states. “Gary agreed to take her to the Regional Justice Center.”
Once at the Justice Center on Wednesday, the woman approached a Las Vegas marshal and told him she needed help. Walker was detained and Las Vegas police were called. Detectives eventually located Amaya’s body in the suitcase in the apartment on Nellis.
During a police interview Walker initially claimed he lived in North Las Vegas. But when confronted with the surviving woman’s account, he acknowledged giving the two females a ride to his apartment after they were released from jail.
“At some point during the night on 02/04/20, he stated he was on the couch and Morgan had ‘come at him,’ ” the arrest report states. “He stated the gun was on the couch, which is where he usually keeps it, and they had fought over it. The gun went to the floor and they both grabbed at it, at which time the gun shot one time, and Morgan looked like she had been shot in the head. Walker stated it was an accident, and he did not intend to shoot Morgan.”
Las Vegas Justice Court records show Walker is charged with open murder, first-degree kidnapping, seven counts of sex assault, and assault. He is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.
