Recently in the Sixth Judicial District Court, there were status changes in three high-profile Humboldt County cases, with the most recent updates outlined here. More in-depth background information on these cases can be found in previous editions of the Sun or on www.News4Nevada.com.
Carlos Travon Torres
Carlos Torres was scheduled for a three-week jury trial beginning on March 4, 2019. Torres was arrested for several charges 2018, including felony open murder for the death of 39-year-old Elizabeth Crawford, who was found with fatal stab wounds in the Country Hearth Motel in Winnemucca on the evening of March 27, 2018.
At a pretrial hearing on Feb. 15, the state filed a motion to continue the case, without objection from either the defendant or defendant’s legal counsel. Deputy District Attorney Kevin Pasquale told the court that they are still waiting for forensic results. The trial is set to be scheduled sometime between June 10 and Aug. 24, 2019.
Torres is facing one felony charge of open murder, three counts of attempted escape by a prisoner and one count of possession of a controlled substance for sale.
Patience Marie Frazier
Patience Marie Frazier appeared in court for a change of plea hearing on Wednesday. She pleaded no contest to one count of manslaughter, a category B felony. Deputy District Attorney Richard Haas expressed the intent of the DA’s office to dismiss a second count of gross misdemeanor concealing a birth at the sentencing hearing, pursuant to the executed plea agreement.
Potential penalties for the category B felony include a minimum of one year to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of no more than $10,000. This is a charge for which Frazier would be eligible for probation.
Frazier, now 26, previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter and concealing a birth after the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department found a deceased infant she allegedly gave birth to buried at her residence on April 26, 2018. The infant was determined to have developed between 28-32 weeks in the gestation period, according to an HCSO report.
The sentencing hearing for Frazier is to be held on April 23, 2019, as part of a 9:30 a.m. stacked law and motion calendar in Sixth Judicial District Court.
Robert Vance Wilson
Robert Wilson appeared in court Wednesday for a change of plea hearing. Wilson pleaded guilty to three counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment, a category B felony.
Wilson was originally charged with 44 counts of using a minor in producing pornography or as a subject of sexual portrayal in performance, a category A felony according to NRS 200.710. That charge was later amended to include 33 counts of the same charge, as Wilson was reported to be in possession of 33 separate digital images of a minor between age 16-18. The information filed by the DA’s office was recently amended pursuant to plea negotiations to the three counts for which he pleaded guilty to.
Wilson is facing a penalty of 1-6 years in prison for each count to either run consecutively or concurrently, will only be eligible for probation if not determined to be a high risk for re-offense after participating in a psychosexual evaluation and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The charges indicate that Wilson, now 45 years old, did knowingly or willingly cause a child over the age of 16 and under 18 years of age to be placed in a situation to be at risk for abuse or neglect due to sexual exploitation. Wilson told the court he was involved in a relationship with a minor, with whom he had digitally exchanged sexually explicit pictures.
The court set the sentencing hearing for Wilson on May 28, 2019, as part of a 9:30 a.m. stacked law and motion calendar in Sixth Judicial District Court.
