Modesto homicide suspect arrested in Nevada

The primary suspect in the slaying of Kenneth Sedra Jr., whose body was found “stored” in a Modesto garage June 16, was captured Tuesday in Sparks, Nev.

William Eric Smith, 44, of Modesto was taken into custody without incident by a fugitive task force led by Northern Nevada’s U.S. Marshals Service. Smith is suspected of using a firearm in the homicide, but no gun was recovered during his arrest, according to the Marshals Service.

Smith was spotted in the parking lot of a department store on East Second Street in Reno and arrested a short time later in nearby Sparks. He was booked into the Washoe County Detention Facility to await court hearings and extradition to Modesto.

Acting on an anonymous tip, Modesto police found Sedra’s body in the detached garage of a triplex in the 3100 block of Coffee Road. Officers detained a half-dozen people.

Sedra, 53, died of at least one gunshot wound, Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves said. Evidence at the scene indicated the homicide occurred inside the garage some time prior to June 16, she said at the time his body was found. Detectives still are awaiting a coroner’s report to help determine when Sedra was killed, Graves said Wednesday. He had not been reported missing.

Three of the people detained at the scene were arrested, but none were charged in the homicide.

“A motive is yet to be determined,” Graves told The Bee in an email Wednesday morning. “Detectives are on their way to Nevada to question him and see if he’ll waive extradition. If he waives, they’ll be able to bring him back with them. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to go through a process to get him here.”

Sedra was from Modesto but did not live in the home on Coffee, Graves said. Neither did Smith.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Modesto homicide suspect arrested in Nevada."