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According to news accounts, court records and interviews with court officials, Rehn-Bonwell's father, Scott L. Rehn, 40 and Rehn's friend Jimmy Sorenson, 28, went to Hinger's mobile home in the 3700 block of East Lake Mead Boulevard in February 1994.
Exactly why they went to Hinger's mobile home still is in dispute. Rehn-Bonwell said Hinger's girlfriend, Marnie Peot, had told the men Hinger was beating her and she needed help.
"They basically went over there to rescue her," Rehn-Bonwell said.
Once they arrived at the trailer; they were shot by Hinger and peot.
The gunshots did not kill the victims. Retired Las Vegas homicide Sgt. Bill Keeton said he remembered the case and that, after the shootings, the victims were restrained with duct tape, which cased them to suffer a slow death. They were buried in a grave near Calville Bay.
"I remember very vividly how they looked when we dug them up," Keeton said. "It was the tape put on them that killed them."
The shootings were not reported to the police by Hinger or Peot. For several months, parents, police, a private dective and even psycics searched for the men, according to news accounts. An anonymous caller eventually tiped off police to the grave. Once the defendants were arrested, they claimed self-defense.
"My thoughts were at the time that, if this was a spur of the moment, protect yourself, self-defense thing, why didn't they call the police?" Keeton said. "Especially after they were restrained, they were not a danger anymore."
Hinger and Peot were convicted of murder; and each received four life sentences.
Just two years ago, Hinger was denied parole.
But Jorgenson said the federal public defender's office learned a snitch who testified against Hinger-a man Jorgenson identified as Dennis Minor - may have lied in the case about whether he received a plea deal in exchange for his testimony.
Prosecutors are required to tell a jury such information.
"If he was getting a deal for his testimony, he lied to me," Jorgenson said. "Because I specifically asked him a number of times. I had no clue."
Also, the federal public defender's office secured information that the victims went to Hinger's house in an argument over stolen weapons. In addition, Jorgenson said defense attorneys planned to argue that Hinger and his girlfriend were strung out on a cocaine binge, causing them to act the way they did after the shooting.
His appeal made its way through the state courts and on to the federal court, where it was sent back for further review.
Jorgenson said an evidentiary hearing was scheduled, but it became clear to prosecutors that Loehrer might grant Hinger a new trial. Prosecutors then reached an agreement that ccalled for Hinger to plead to two counts of second-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon. "We thought that was the most we would get, at best, if we went back to trial," Jorgenson said.
When the plea agreement was reached, Jorgenson asked Loehreer for a sentencing hearing; but Loehrer decided to sentence Honger immediately.
When Loehreer handed out the 12 - year sentence, Forsman noted at the time that Hinger had not received a single write-up in prison. He served on an education committee and painted murals at the prison, according to court records.
"The court is taking that into consideration, plus his age, and prior criminal activity," Loehrer said at the time. "The court does not feel the defendant is a danger to the community."
Under old Nevada statutes, Jorgenson said, Hinger had accumulated 17 1/2 years of credit because of his work in the prison system.
Unfortunately, the prosecutor said, he did not have up-to-date information about the victims' family members, meaning they weren't contacted before the plea deal and sentencing took place.
"I didn't have any way to contact them," Jorgenson said.
Rehn-Bonwell said she should have been contacted.
"The parole board even didn't know he was out," she said. "I was the one who told them. I found the reduction in his sentence to be unbelievable, and can't help to wonder what happened."
"This has honestly been reliving my dad's murder all over again."
Jorgenson said he told Loehrer he wanted her to send Hinger back to the penitentiary.
"I feel he should be in prison," the prosecutor said.


 News paper Clippings
Click each title to view PDF file

Two Men Missing

Car Found

2 Bodies Found

Burley Man Found Dead

Police Arrrest 3

2 Indicted

Accessory Pleads Guilty

Marnie Peot also convicted(Picture)

Woman Convicted

Woman Senenced

Man Convicted

Man Sentenced

Obituary