Judge refuses to reduce murder suspect's bail

FALLON - Justice of the Peace Daniel Ward denied a bail reduction request Friday for a Sparks woman accused of murdering her husband here last week.

Defense attorney Paul Drakulich asked Judge Ward to reduce Devonya Camara's bail from $500,000 cash to $25,000 during a hearing in Churchill County Justice Court. The judge noted that Nevada law allows for a no-bail hold on homicide suspects. She is charged with murder with the use of a firearm.

"This is a no-bail violation and I'll leave bail where it's at," Ward said.

Camara, 29, is accused of fatally shooting her husband, David Camara, 33, alongside Highway 50, six miles west of Fallon, early Sunday morning.

David Camara was shot once in the chest with a 9 mm Glock handgun during an alleged argument. He died at the scene.

Drakulich told the judge it is important that his client be released from custody so she can help him prepare a defense.

"The purpose of bail is to make sure someone appears in court and to protect the community," Drakulich said. "This young lady has no criminal history. There's nothing about her history to indicate this is a part of her personality or that anyone else in the community would be endangered by her."

Drakulich said he also wants Devonya to get a psychological evaluation, which cannot be done while she's in jail.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Stockard opposed a reduction in bail. He told the judge he had letters from David Camara's family asking that bail remain the same because Devonya Camara might be at risk to harm herself.

"The penalties for this offense are very, very severe," Stockard said. "Mrs. Camara is not a homeowner and could be at risk of flight given the nature of the charges."

He said David Camara's parents live in Arizona and his father is a former police officer.

David Camara played bass for Twenty4seven, a four-member alternative rock band. The group had just finished a show at Jive-n-Java in Fallon and were on their way home when the shooting occurred. Minutes before he was killed, David Camara called friends traveling in a separate car to ask for help, saying his wife was "out of control," Sheriff Richard Ingram said.

The Camaras lived in Fallon until about two years ago. David Camara worked as a guard at the Lovelock Correctional Center and Devonya Camara worked at the Fallon Wal-Mart.

They moved to Fernley from Fallon and just recently moved to Sparks where David Camara worked as a Realtor at Realty World.

A memorial service for David Camara is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at the Elks Club, 597 Kumle Lane in Reno. Condolences may be left at the group's Web site www.twenty4seven.info.

n Contact Marlene Garcia at mgarcia@lahontanvalleynews.com