Brothers charged with murder

Body found in Bonnie Lake is

missing Rosalia man.

Frank Lazcano, 24, Pine City, and his brother, Daniel Lazcano, 20, Spokane, remained in Whitman County jail Wednesday, each in lieu of posting $500,000 bonds, while they face first degree murder charges in connection with the death of 23-year-old Marcus Schur.

Coroner Peter Martin identified Schur through dental records as the man recovered from the outlet creek at Bonnie Lake March 25. The whereabouts of Schur had been unknown since a fight at a house in Malden Dec. 27. Martin said Schur died of hemorrhaging from multiple gunshot wounds.

Prosecutor Denis Tracy said he would file formal charges Wednesday, and the two brothers were set to be arraigned Friday.

Tracy Monday asked the court to set bail for pre-trial release at $1 million for each of the Lazcano brothers. Judge David Frazier set the bail at $500,000.

Tracy said he requested the high bail because the Lazcanos, if convicted, would each face a minimum sentence of 20 years plus another five years under the state’s gun enhancement provisions for using a gun during the alleged crime. He also noted the case presented the possibility that the defendants would attempt to intimidate witnesses and would be a threat to the community.

The prosecutor said the Lazcanos set out on an act of revenge which led to the shooting and that served as evidence they could do it again.

A probable charge report filed in superior court Monday alleges Schur was shot with a rifle after he ran out of the back of a Malden residence last Dec. 27.

The report said his body was loaded in the back of a 1992 Ford Escort and later dumped in the creek outlet at Bonnie Lake where it was covered by rocks.

Some of the key evidence filed in the probable cause report was attributed to witnesses who were not identified to the court.

The Escort was allegedly driven by Frank Lazcano to the Nine Mile Falls area and burned out. It was reported to Spokane County officials as an arson, the report said.

Daniel Lazcano was arrested at the home of a girlfriend on West Boone in Spokane Friday, and Frank Lazcano was arrested at the place of his employment on S. Grand in Pullman.

A third man, Lorin Travis Carlon, 35, Pine City, was arrested Monday on probable charges of rendering criminal assistance in the first degree for allegedly helping dispose of Schur’s body.

Carlon was released on his own recognizance after his first appearance Tuesday.

The Lazcano arrests confirmed reports of Malden residents who early last week said they believed Schur was the man recovered in the channel south of Bonnie Lake.

The probable cause report alleged the Lazcanos set out to get Schur who was a suspect in a Dec. 8 burglary in Rosalia in which firearms owned by the Lazcanos were taken.

Schur was last seen when Frank Lazcano chased him out the back door of a Bluebird Lane residence in Malden Dec. 27. Deputies received reports from witnesses that Daniel Lazcano shot Schur with a rifle after Schur came out of the back of the residence. The brothers then allegedly put him in the 1992 Ford Escort.

Carlon is alleged to have helped dispose of Schur’s body, according to the arrest report filed Tuesday by Deputy Keith Cooper.

After the Lazcanos allegedly loaded Schur’s body into the Escort, witnesses told investigators, they then went to Carlon’s home in the Pine City area.

Deputy Cooper’s report said Carlon and Frank Lazcano then left for an hour in the car after telling those at the residence to clean up everywhere Frank had walked.

Investigators said witnesses reported Schur was dropped into the creek below Bonnie Lake and covered with rocks.

The report said Frank Lazcano then drove the Escort north and ignited it on Burnett Road in the Nine Mile Falls area and left the scene. The Escort was not registered to Frank Lazcano.

According to the report, Carlon, when initially questioned by Undersheriff Ron Rockness, contended the department’s account of the events Dec. 27 was incorrect. Carlon then requested to talk an attorney.

Carlon allegedly told Rockness he, “did not have everything right about that night.”

Tracy said Carlon is now cooperating with detectives after initially denying any knowledge of the murder.

The sheriff’s office first responded to the case back on Dec. 27 after a neighbor of the Malden residence reported he heard what sounded like gunshots. They went to the Nick Backmann residence on Blueburd where Backmann said he was cooking dinner for himself, Marcus Schur and two others. Witnesses said Frank Laszano pushed himself into the residence and chased Marcus Schur out the back door.

Frank Lazcano turned himself into the sheriff’s office in the early morning hours of Dec. 28.

At that time he admitted he had a disagreement with Schur, but said he did not take any guns with him to the Malden residence where he went looking for Schur.

Frank Lazcano March 9 admitted a reduced charge of criminal trespass and was sentenced by Judge Pro-Tem Gary Libey to 90 days in jail. Eighty-nine days of the sentence were suspended, and Lazcano was credited with the one day he spent in jail after he turned himself into the sheriff’s office.

Sheriff Myers Monday said they were unable to bring any other charges against Frank Lazcano at the time because they lacked any evidence of a victim. He said locating Schur, who was “well known” to the sheriff’s department and had outstanding warrants, remained a priority.

Deputies Dec. 8, almost three weeks before the alleged murder, investigated a report of a burglary on W. First Street in Rosalia. Deputies said some of the items missing in that burglary belonged to the Lazcano brothers who believed Schur was involved.

Monday a large crowd of spectators turned out for the Lazcano brothers’ first appearance in court. Many were apparently in support of the brothers.

Frank Lazcano, who said he had been a resident of the area for 12 years was the first to appear in court.

Deputies guarded doors to the courtroom and asked spectators to keep out of three rows of benches behind the defendants’ table.

“I ain’t going nowhere,” Frank Lazacano replied after hearing the prosecutors $1 million bail request. “I’m innocent.”

Before leaving the courtroom, Frank Lazcano pointed at his father, also named Frank, and told him, “I don’t want to see you in here again.”

Judge Frazier in advance of the hearings arranged for defense attorneys to be present at the initial hearing. Steve Martonick appeared for Frank Lazcano and Mark Monson represented Daniel Lazcano.

Daniel Lazcano told the court he is a student at Eastern Washington University and also works part-time. Frank Lazcano said he had worked at Bill’s Welding and Machine Service in Pullman for the past month or so.

Spectators called out “we’re behind you” and “we love you, studmuffin,” as Daniel was escorted out of the courtroom on the way back to jail.