Nevada insurance examiner found dead, four suspects charged with murder, police say

(CBS/AP) RENO, Nev. - Authorities said four Carson City suspects were arrested Saturday in the death of Nevada's chief insurance examiner, whose body was found in a river after the suspects allegedly stole property from his apartment.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said Sunday that 23-year-old Michael Evans, 20-year-old Anthony Elliot, 22-year-old Raul Garcia and 20-year-old Makyla Blackmore were booked on murder charges in the death of 62-year-old William McCune, whose blanket-wrapped, duct-tape-bound body was found Saturday.

Investigators found evidence of a bloody, violent struggle in McCune's apartment on Thursday, the same day he was reported missing after he failed to catch a business flight with a co-worker.

Detectives believe McCune knew two of the suspects socially, but authorities were unsure how long two of the suspects and McCune knew each other or how they met. Furlong said the possible motive in McCune's death was theft of property or money driven by illegal drug use. Authorities are still processing evidence at McCune's apartment and trying to compile an accurate list of stolen items.

"We think stealing was quite apparently the motive because they took so much from him," Furlong told The Associated Press. "The mystery is if you intended on robbing and killing him, why did you have to take the body out? That doesn't make sense to me."

Three suspects were arrested Saturday on the Las Vegas Strip after allegedly trying to sell a "computer item," the sheriff said. Investigators were trying to determine whether it belonged to McCune.

All four suspects were spotted near McCune's apartment around the time of his disappearance, and businesses frequented by the suspects provided important tips that led to their arrests, Furlong said.

McCune held his position as Nevada's chief insurance examiner since December 2009 and worked similar jobs for two decades before that. As head of the division's corporate and financial affairs section, McCune worked to ensure the solvency of insurance companies in the state. He was charged with ensuring each company had sufficient money in their reserves to cover all claims and obligations.

Furlong said McCune was single and without any known children, and there was no forced entry at his home.

Investigators believe the body found in the Carson River Saturday was that of McCune, even though a positive identification and cause of death are not expected to be officially established by the Washoe County medical examiner's office until later this week, he said.

Furlong added that there was no indication yet of the weapon or weapons involved in the death, but investigators would have a better idea after autopsy results are released.

While authorities have not found McCune's pickup truck, they located its license plates Friday night at a Carson City residence that suspect Michael Evans was known to have frequented, the sheriff said.

Investigators do not expect any additional arrests in the case. "We believe all the people involved have been taken into custody," Furlong said.