Technology helping with new leads in 2005 Henderson homicide

Danny Lee Cates was found dead in his office nine years ago and the homicide was never solved, but Henderson police think someone knows more and isn’t coming forward.

Cates, 64, was found dead by employees around 5 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2005, at his office near Sunset Road and Green Valley Parkway. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Advancing technology is to thank for recent leads. Henderson police Detective Anthony Niswonger has been on Cates’ case for two years and said advances in DNA forensics and electronic forensics — phone calls or other “electronic tranmission of information,” Niswonger said — are helping Henderson police come closer to solving the crime.

Every year since Cates was killed there have been leads, the detective said, and there have been multiple persons of interest.

“I look foward to the day where we bring the killer or killers to justice,” Niswonger said Thursday.

Cates, from California, lived with his girlfriend and owned DLC General Contracting Inc. He was involved with many government construction bids and projects, though Niswonger noted that, to his knowledge, none of them had gone sour. Niswonger remains in contact with Cates’ son and two daughters.

“Homicide investigations remain open until solved,” Henderson Police Chief Patrick Moers said Thursday. “We want to bring the guilty to justice and give the families of victims some measure of closure. It is our hope that anyone who has any information in this case will come forward.”

Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the Henderson Police Department at 702-267-4750. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or crimestoppersofnv.com.

Contact Annalise Little at alittle@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @annalisemlittle