Pair Held in Murder of Teen Vegas Runaway

Aug. 4, 2008— -- Authorities today identified the body of a teenage runaway found in a shallow grave in the Las Vegas desert, while the male and female suspects in her kidnapping and murder were expected in court to face charges in her death.

The Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed that Nichole Elizabeth Yegge, a 17-year-old endangered runaway reported missing in June, had died of asphyxiation in what it called a homicide.

Yegge would have turned 18 this Friday, according to the coroner's office.

Gabriel Yates, 31, and Anne Osburn, 21, were arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder in the teen's death. Both are being held without bail and were scheduled to appear in court this morning. It was unclear whether either suspect had hired an attorney.

Authorities originally did not identify the victim, citing next of kin notification. Officials did not say when her body was found.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received a tip July 28 that a runaway who had been living at a Las Vegas apartment complex had not been seen for several days and may have been the victim of a homicide.

The tip ultimately led investigators to a remote desert area northwest of Las Vegas, according to Ramon Denby, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Metropolitan police. Yegge's body had been dumped in a shallow grave east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 95 and Kyle Canyon Road.

"Our homicide guys started piecing things together," Denby told ABCNews.com. "Do we have any 17-year-old runaways? Where do they live? Who's hanging around the apartment with her?"

Yates and Osburn were arrested at the same apartment where Yegge had reportedly been living, Denby said.

Denby said it was unclear what the motive might have been for the alleged murder. The exact relationship between the suspects and the runaway was unclear, but police believe the three were living in the same apartment. "We believe they had all been friends and all living together at that address," Denby said. "We don't know the connection, but these folks were later arrested at the same apartment."

Denby, who described the investigation as ongoing, said that police are asking anyone who has additional information about Yegge or the suspects to come forward.