Amy DeChant

Background

Amy DeChant became romantically involved with Bruce Charles Weinstein, an illegal bookmaker in Las Vegas. DeChant operated a successful carpet cleaning business. She and Weinstein eventually lived together at his home.

In the fall of 1995, DeChant became romantically involved with Weinstein, and in that period she and Weinstein planned a vacation for the week after the Fourth of July. On July 5, 1996, two days before the trip was to begin, Weinstein disappeared from his home.

Weinstein’s mother, Silvia White, went to Weinstein’s house in the early afternoon after Weinstein failed to follow his normal practice of calling in to work. Inside, she noticed that an area of the carpet was wet, smelled strongly of vinegar, and was surrounded by brown spots.

The offence

On July 5, 1996, Weinstein disappeared from his Las Vegas home. DeChant later told investigators that Weinstein was murdered by masked intruders. Her account was that the intruders came into the house, put her in a downstairs room during the shooting, beat Weinstein, and shot him. She said the intruders instructed her to clean up the mess and to remain silent about what happened. She stated that the intruders told her they were watching her and would kill her if she told anyone.

DeChant also stated that she received a call from the intruders several days after the murder reminding her that they were watching her.

After Weinstein’s disappearance, detectives conducted an exhaustive search of Weinstein’s Las Vegas home, DeChant’s car, Weinstein’s car, and the truck DeChant used for the cleaning business. A blood trail was investigated from the master bedroom, down the stairs, and into the foyer area. No murder weapon, shell casings, or bullet holes were found at the scene. No blood stains or carpet fibers were found in any vehicles.

A search of a safety deposit box that DeChant had opened at a Las Vegas hotel found $35,000.00 in sports book chips and a bag of jewelry.

Weinstein’s body was later found in a remote area outside of Las Vegas. A .38 caliber bullet was found inside the body and was determined to be the cause of death, but ballistic tests could not be performed because of the condition of the bullet. Later, a .38 caliber gun was found in a desert area outside of Vegas and was traced to Mathew Hunt, a friend of Jones’s son. Hunt testified that he had traded the gun to Jones’s son.

DeChant and one of her employees, Robert Wayne Jones, were indicted for conspiracy to commit robbery and/or murder, murder with the use of a deadly weapon, robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, and accessory to murder.

Investigation

The investigation began after suspicious circumstances surrounding Weinstein’s disappearance. The family hired a private investigator, Michael R. Wysocki, to determine what happened to Weinstein. Wysocki’s investigative efforts focused on DeChant because Weinstein’s acquaintances suspected her.

Wysocki testified that when he first asked DeChant about the night of the disappearance, she maintained that Weinstein told her that he was going out and would meet her on vacation if he did not come back in time. Wysocki testified that on Thursday, July 11, 1996, DeChant said she was planning to leave the country and that she did research about which countries would not extradite her. Wysocki also testified that on cross-examination he was unsure of whether he or DeChant first brought up the topic of extradition.

On Friday, July 12, 1996, Wysocki testified that DeChant gave a new version of events, stating that four masked intruders came into the house, took Weinstein upstairs, beat him up, shot him, and then took his body out of the house. She said the intruders told her to clean up and to say that Weinstein had gone out but not say where he was going. She said the intruders told her they were watching her and would kill her if she told anyone what happened.

The next day, DeChant gave a taped interview to homicide detectives repeating her story about the masked intruders. The account implied that Weinstein was killed by organized crime figures, i.e., “the mob,” because of Weinstein’s illegal bookmaking activities.

Detectives investigated DeChant’s relationship with Jones and Jones’s possible involvement in Weinstein’s disappearance.

In addition to the criminal case investigation, a separate fugitive issue developed. DeChant was in Maryland after being pulled over by police for speeding, and authorities found $101,000 in cash strewn about the car, along with a Passport and wigs. She posted bail set at $5,000 and then fled again. She remained a fugitive for more than a year, including being spotted at a nudist colony in Florida. She was arrested and later extradited back to Nevada to stand trial.

While DeChant was on the lam, Jones was charged as an accessory in the case for allegedly helping DeChant dump Weinstein’s body in the desert.

A .38 caliber gun was found in a desert area outside of Vegas and was traced to Mathew Hunt, a friend of Jones’s son.

Arrest

DeChant was arrested in Bel Air, Md., after police found more than $100,000 in cash, false birth certificates and wigs in her car. Metro homicide Sgt. Ken Hefner said:

"She is a suspect, although she has not been charged in this case,"

Police also searched for Robert Wayne Jones, and a warrant was issued for Jones’s arrest.

Later, DeChant was arrested again in Florida at Sunnier Palms Nudist Campground near Fort Pierce, and she was tracked and arrested at Port St. Lucie. Authorities found research in her car she had done on extradition treaties that the United States has with other nations.

DeChant was returned to Nevada and jailed without bail.

Trial

Indictment and pretrial motions

On September 12, 1997, DeChant and Jones were indicted for conspiracy to commit robbery and/or murder, murder with the use of a deadly weapon, robbery with the use of a deadly weapon, and accessory to murder.

DeChant subpoenaed Wysocki’s notes and billing records regarding his investigation. The district court quashed the subpoena duces tecum for Wysocki’s notes, concluding that the notes were privileged under Nevada law based on NRS 648.200.

Witness testimony about DeChant’s “mob” explanation

The State sought to introduce testimony from Alfred Leavitt, a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective with thirty years of experience investigating homicides, including organized crime cases. DeChant objected on the grounds that the testimony impermissibly commented on the veracity of DeChant’s statement.

The district court allowed Leavitt’s testimony as lay opinion. Leavitt testified that he reviewed DeChant’s statement and found inconsistencies. Leavitt highlighted DeChant’s claim that the “mob” committed the crime while DeChant was at home and commented that when the “mob” killed somebody they did not leave witnesses. He explained that if this were a “mob hit,” the “mob” would have waited for Weinstein to be alone or would have killed DeChant as well. Leavitt testified that he had never experienced a case where the “mob” would call a witness to remind her that she was being watched.

Leavitt testified about DeChant’s claim that Weinstein’s body was removed from the scene and stated that, in his experience, the “mob” would have left the body. Leavitt also commented generally that nothing about DeChant’s statement fit with his experience.

Leavitt used the term “fairy tale” in connection with DeChant’s story and testified that he did not believe it. The district court instructed the jury to disregard Leavitt’s opinions about DeChant’s veracity and ordered some testimony stricken.

Despite those rulings, during closing argument the prosecutor repeated Leavitt’s description of DeChant’s story as a “fairy tale,” and used Leavitt’s testimony as a basis for inferring that DeChant was a liar.

Jury findings and sentencing at trial

At the conclusion of the trial, DeChant was convicted and sentenced for first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon and robbery with the use of a deadly weapon. DeChant received two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During the same trial, the jury convicted Jones of accessory to murder, and Jones was sentenced to five years.

At sentencing, Weinstein’s mother, Silvia White, asked the judge to give her and the others in her family “peace of mind” and said:

"There are family gatherings and there is a chair that is always vacant,"

White added:

"I hope to find justice. I want the person who has committed this crime to answer for the pain she has caused."

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger argued against a life sentence with the possibility of parole. He told the court:

"Weinstein's murder 'wasn't a result of passion. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment situation. This was a murder based on greed. This was a woman who loved the dollar,'"

Appeals

The Nevada Supreme Court vacated DeChant’s conviction in 2000. The court concluded that the admission of Leavitt’s testimony and the State’s reference to it in closing argument impermissibly commented on the veracity of DeChant’s statement.

The Nevada Supreme Court also held that the district court erred in concluding that NRS 648.200 created a privilege that prevented disclosure of Wysocki’s investigative notes. The Supreme Court concluded that the district court had discretion to compel disclosure of documents relevant to trial and not covered by any other privilege. Because of the effect of these errors, the Supreme Court reversed and remanded for a new trial.

Outcome

Rather than go to a second trial, DeChant accepted a plea bargain for second-degree murder.

DeChant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison on September 20, 2001, with credit for time served. She addressed members of the victim’s family at sentencing and said:

"Although the mystery has not been solved, I am accepting this agreement so everyone involved can hopefully find peace and go on with their lives,"

She also said to the victim’s mother:

"We both feel a tremendous loss due to Bruce's death."

DeChant was described as being denied freedom at her first parole eligibility in 2008, and she was scheduled for release early next year.

Other details

Weinstein’s remains were positively identified after delays due to decomposition. Clark County Coroner Ron Flud listed the case as a homicide.

Detective Wysocki testified about his investigation and stated that all information in his notes was included in a ninety-eight-page report prepared after a police interview. Wysocki testified that if he had anything to add to the report, he would have informed the police verbally without preparing additional writings.

DeChant said in a taped statement played during her trial that on the night her boyfriend disappeared, four men who identified themselves as “the mob” entered the house and shot Weinstein. She said they warned her to clean up the mess and keep her mouth shut.

Prosecutors presented testimony at trial that DeChant was conniving to relieve Weinstein of cash, and witnesses testified about Weinstein’s cash presence in the home. Police found no money in Weinstein’s home after he disappeared.

Dan Albregts, DeChant’s attorney, told jurors:

"Jones was also charged with murder."

Deputy Special Public Defender Lee McMahon asked the judge to impose probation for Jones, noting that the jury essentially convicted him of cleaning the carpet.