"Alien" lobbyist's car found

The car of the "alien" lobbyist whose body was found in Mound House last week was recovered Monday after it had been abandoned at a Carson City automotive shop.

The 1976 Monte Carlo, belonging to David Solomon, known as Ambassador Merlyn Merlin II, was found on Edmonds Drive, according to Carson City Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Scott Burau.

" The car was recovered Monday at 1:45 p.m. at Action Automotive at 2030 South Edmonds," Burau said. "The owner of the business said the vehicle had been parked and abandoned on his property since Saturday."

Owner Dave Morvay said he noticed the car right away because there is limited parking on the company's lot and the car was clearly out of place.

"It didn't look right," Morvay said. "We are very shy on parking spaces and no one in the whole complex knew who it belonged to."

Morvay said the car was a "horrible looking old car," and was filled with "girlie books and books on outer space." He said the keys were on the floorboard of the vehicle.

Morvay believes the vehicle was parked on his lot sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning.

"Lyon County investigators told me they were wondering about some silver dollars he was supposed to have," Morvay said. "They said that was the biggest thing; if anyone wanted to knock him off it would have been for those silver dollars."

Carson City sheriff's deputies checked the California license plate and discovered it belonged to Solomon.

"Our officers responded and stood by for Lyon County. Lyon County then processed and photographed the vehicle and towed it back there," Burau said. He said Carson City will have no further involvement with the case.

Lyon County investigator Cherie Rye was unavailable for comment.

Solomon's decomposing body was found July 13 at the end of Kit Kat Road. Investigators believe he had been dead at least a month.

Due to the condition of the remains, the Washoe County Coroner's Office was unable to determine a cause of death.

Investigators have been looking for Solomon's missing vehicle since his body was discovered.

Solomon, known to most as Merlin, was a colorful character in the Nevada Legislature from 1995 to 1999. A registered lobbyist, Merlin fought for the passage of a bill to rename State Route 375 in Southern Nevada the "Extraterrestrial Highway."