Three Arrested in After-Party Slayings of Two Men, Woman

San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies have arrested three suspects in the roadside slayings last weekend of two half-brothers and a woman after a fistfight at a party near Chino, authorities said Tuesday.

The arrest Monday of Robert Clifton Marler, 21; his brother, Michael Wayne Marler, 18, and a 17-year-old youth, all of Chino, followed an intensive investigation and questioning of nearly 100 people who attended the party in nearby Los Serranos, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Dana Williams said.

Richard Rayburn, 28; his half-brother, Todd Moore, 23, and Cynthia Rene Speers, 23, all of Chino, were gunned down early Sunday morning near their van, which was parked at California 71 and Pomona-Rincon Road, authorities said. Speers was described as Rayburn’s girlfriend.

Survived by Hiding

An unidentified 18-year-old Oklahoma man, who survived the attack by hiding on the floor, pulled the victims back into the late-model van and then drove to a gas station to call for help, Williams said.

The man had been awakened by the noise but was unable to see the killers, according to Williams.

Based on information provided by the survivor and party-goers, authorities were able to piece together the chain of events that may have led to the murders.

Authorities said the juvenile suspect got into a fight with one of the victims at the party. The juvenile and Michael Marler then left the party and allegedly enlisted the help of Michael’s older brother, Robert Marler, “who supplied handguns for the three of them,” Williams said.

Together, they began searching the Los Serranos area for the victims, authorities said.

The suspects allegedly opened fire when Rayburn and Moore exited the van, Williams said. Rayburn was shot once in the back, and his half-brother was shot several times in the upper body, authorities said. Speers, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the van at the time, was hit once in the back.

Shot Hit Dog

Williams said one shot hit the Oklahoma man’s dog as it lay in the back of the van, but the pet is expected to survive.

Investigators later served a search warrant at the Marler residence in Chino and recovered six handguns, six rifles and ammunition, Williams said. He added that investigators are searching for additional weapons connected to the murders. Authorities said ballistics tests will be conducted to determine if any of the guns were used in the slayings.

Williams said murder charges are being sought against the suspects and that the slayings were not gang-related.