Carlos Gurri, a Las Vegas resident, has filed a lawsuit against Clark County, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department after spending nearly 33 years wrongfully incarcerated for a murder conviction.
Gurri was convicted for his involvement in a botched bank robbery that led to the death of FBI Special Agent John Bailey in June 1990.
On that fateful morning, Gurri’s roommate, Jose Echavarria, entered the Security Pacific Bank, located near Desert Inn Road and Maryland Parkway, disguised as a woman.
He threatened a bank teller with a gun, demanding money.
At the time, Bailey was present in the bank for unrelated matters and confronted Echavarria when the teller screamed.
This led to a violent struggle, during which Echavarria shot and killed Bailey.
Witnesses reported seeing Echavarria flee the scene in a blue vehicle with another individual.
Evidence collected from the crime scene ultimately led police to Gurri and Echavarria’s shared apartment.
While investigators were at the apartment, Gurri returned home and was taken into custody for questioning.
During the interrogation conducted by FBI Special Agent Edward Preciado, Gurri faced language barriers as questions were asked in both Spanish and English, making it difficult for him to communicate effectively.
Preciado had a personal connection to the deceased agent, as the emotional weight of the interrogation affected his demeanor.
Gurri’s lawyers noted that the interrogation was not recorded and that Preciado documented Gurri’s responses, which lacked proper oversight, raising questions about their accuracy.
Days after the incident, Echavarria was apprehended in Mexico and provided statements indicating he had acted independently during the crime.
Gurri, on the other hand, consistently maintained his innocence.
In July 1990, a grand jury indicted both Gurri and Echavarria on multiple charges, including murder with use of a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Gurri was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole.
Despite several challenges to his conviction over the years, it wasn’t until September 18, 2019, that significant progress occurred, when the District Court granted him a new trial based on newly unveiled FBI records.
These records revealed that Judge Jack Lehman, who oversaw Gurri’s trial, was previously under investigation by the FBI for serious allegations, including corruption and perjury—issues directly related to Bailey, the murdered agent’s case.
According to statements from Gurri’s trial attorney, David Wall, had this information been available before, he would have moved to disqualify Judge Lehman from the case due to the apparent conflicts of interest.
Wall further indicated that Lehman’s behavior during the trial seemed disproportionately harsh toward the defense, raising concerns about fairness.
Acknowledging these discrepancies, it became clear there were serious questions regarding the judicial process that led to Gurri’s conviction.
Notably, Preciado faced legal troubles in his own life; he was convicted of second-degree murder for the brutal killing of his son’s girlfriend, which has cast doubt on his credibility during Gurri’s interrogation.
In court documents, it was argued that Preciado’s later conviction undermines the validity of the evidence presented against Gurri, emphasizing that there was no credible basis for the conviction.
On May 31, 2023, the state officially dismissed all charges against Gurri, marking the end of his wrongful incarceration.
In the lawsuit, Gurri’s legal team is seeking $100,000 for each year he spent imprisoned, rounded to the nearest six months, in addition to the reimbursement for attorney fees.
After nearly 33 years behind bars, Gurri ultimately served 32 years, 11 months, and 22 days in prison for a crime he insists he did not commit.
While authorities from Clark County and Metro declined to comment on the ongoing case, Gurri’s story highlights the profound issues surrounding wrongful convictions and the need for reform in the judicial system.
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