Mother demands justice in unsolved Battle Mountain murder case

BATTLE MOUNTAIN, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — A murder mystery is playing out in the small town of Battle Mountain, about 200 miles east of Reno.

The scene where 45 year old Laren Durfey was killed was a bloody one.

According to his death certificate Durfey was both shot and stabbed in his Battle Mountain home in August of 2022.

Durfey's mother spoke with us about the case from her home in Alabama.

"He was stabbed multiple times, they used a gun on him, it was a heinous crime," Marynell Tapp said. "Cold blooded killer."

Tapp is tired of waiting. Her son, an Army veteran who worked as a mechanic for a mining company, was murdered 26 months ago. There's been no arrest and very few updates about the investigation.

She says the lack of answers keeps her up at night and prompted her to reach out to us.

"I don't think I've slept 3-4 times solid since it happened," she told us. "He's still my baby, no matter how old."

The Lander County Sheriff's Office would only say they investigated the case and sent their findings to the District Attorney in July.

The D.A.'s office would only tell us the case is still under review.

But after two plus years Durfey's grieving mother says it's time for answers.

"As an example look at P. Diddy," she said. "He got a trial date already. And I keep thinking, almost 27 months. My son don't mean a thing to them but he is everything to me. And I'm his only voice he's got. I am not going to sit back and let this get washed aside."

We did check back with the Lander County D.A.'s Office to get an update, and again, they would only say the case is under review. We'll let you know as soon as there are any new developments.