A man with uncertain motives is accused of a "savage" murder spree that left two women and a 10-year-old girl the alleged victims of sexual assault.
Las Vegas resident Brian Clay was arrested by police in Nevada on Friday. The 22-year-old suspect told investigators that he had no recollection of allegedly raping a 50-year-old woman, murdering a mother and her daughter and using a hammer beating a man so senseless that he is now unable to communicate with authorities, according to an arrest report obtained by The Huffington Post.
"This was a complete stranger killing a mother and daughter and attacking the father," Steiber told the Associated Press Saturday. "I've been doing this 24 years, and you don't see cases like this. I can't even put this into words."
Police learned of the incident on Monday, April 16, when nine-year-old Christopher Martinez, the victim's son, "told school officials that his mother and sister were dead" at his home. Martinez also said that his father "had two holes in his head" and was "acting strange," according to the arrest report.
Clothing left at the scene of the crime, a series of cell phone calls and a tip from the suspect's mother eventually led detectives to Clay.
Investigators say that before the April 15 attack, Clay ingested a combination of "dark liquor" and several doses of ecstasy, which he called "transformers," in addition some "Sherm," or cigarettes dipped in PCP.
Clay eventually made his way to the streets, where he encountered his first alleged rape victim. The woman later told detectives that she called 911 as Clay approached, but that didn't stop the suspect from forcing her into a tall desert brush area where he violently sexually assaulted her, police said.
“He punched her in the head, put his hands around her neck and squeezed, choking her,” according to the arrest report.
The alleged victim managed to hit Clay in the left side of his face and head with a rock she was holding in her hand. Police say that when Clay heard sirens, he grabbed the woman's cell phone and fled the scene.
Shortly after, for no apparent reason, the suspect entered the home of Igancia and Arturo Martinez for the second half of his violent spree. Once inside, Clay allegedly raped and killed Ignacia, 38, and her daughter, 10-year-old Karla Martinez, the report claims. The suspect also allegedly assaulted Arturo Martinez, leaving him with severe head trauma.
On April 16, when police entered the Martinez home, they found the ailing father and the bodies of the mother and her child.
Both deaths were ruled homicides. Authorities are unsure why Clay spared the two Martinez boys.
Several phone calls placed on the first alleged rape victim's cell phone linked Clay to the incident, while multiple abandoned articles of clothing placed Clay at the Martinez home. DNA samples collected from both crime scenes connected Clay to the attacks.
On April 27, the suspect's mother, Latasha White, contacted authorities to report that her son was at her residence and that she "knew police were looking" for him, according to the report. Authorities soon took Clay into custody.
During police interrogation, Clay repeatedly insisted that he "did not remember what happened" and he "did not deny being involved," police said. The suspect told detectives that they "should have killed him instead of arresting him," the report said.
Clay is charged with two counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon, one count of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon, one count of attempted murder, one count of first-degree kidnapping, four counts of sexual assault, one count of robbery and one count of burglary. He is also charged with one previous outstanding count of child abuse and neglect.
Clay is scheduled for an initial court hearing on Wednesday.