Murder Suicide Attempt by Plane in the Las Vegas Desert — True Crime
A husband that won’t let his wife go decides that if he can’t have her, no one will.
April 9, 1965
The previous October, John Covarubbias and his wife Nellie of seventeen years had finalized their divorce. But, he wanted her back.
So that Friday night, he went to the bar Nellie owned, the Branding Iron Bar, along Boulder Highway just south of Las Vegas, before Henderson.
John attempted to convince Nellie to give him another chance, but she said it was over. Which John retaliated with anger, screaming at his ex-wife and her patrons that she wouldn’t be around too much longer.
After leaving the bar, John continued to drink. Besides his marriage failing, he was also having financial problems with his contracting business.
Her Rejection, His Decision
At some point, he decided that if Nellie wasn’t going to give him another chance, he would take both their lives.
John drove to the McCarran Airport, where he kept his Cessna 310 parked and put his plan into motion.
It wasn’t a far trip from the airport to Boulder Highway, then to his destination, the Branding Iron Bar.
