On December 2, 1994, a trip to Laughlin, Nevada, among friends ended in a tragic and calculated murder. Delbert L. Haas, a male resident of Yavapai County, Arizona, was killed by his friend, George Kayer. Kayer, along with his girlfriend Lisa Kester, had convinced Haas to join them on a gambling excursion. The trip took a dark turn when Kayer lost all of his money.
He then devised a plan to rob and murder Haas, telling Haas that his own winnings had been stolen.
On the journey back to Arizona, Kayer pulled their vehicle over on the side of the interstate, pretending that he needed to use the restroom. When Haas got out of the car, Kayer shot him in the back of the head. In a chilling turn of events, Kayer realized he had forgotten to take Haas's house keys from his body. He returned to where Haas lay and shot him a second time to ensure he was dead before taking the keys. Following the murder, Kayer and Kester drove to Haas's home in Spring Valley, where they proceeded to steal guns, a camera, and jewelry. The stolen items were later sold at various pawn shops and flea markets, with the couple often using false names to avoid detection.
The crime remained a secret for approximately ten days until Lisa Kester, fearing for her own safety, went to the authorities and reported the murder. She provided law enforcement with the murder weapon and led them to Haas's credit cards, which were located in the vehicle she and Kayer had been using. This information led to the arrest of George Kayer. He was subsequently tried and convicted of premeditated and felony murder, along with other related charges. On July 17, 1997, Kayer was sentenced to death for the murder of Delbert Haas. Over the next several years, Kayer filed multiple appeals. However, his legal battles came to an end in 2020 when the Supreme Court of the United States reinstated his death sentence, effectively exhausting all of his appeals.
