$10,000 REWARD OFFERED IN EDWARDS SLAYING.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

Hoping to solve Edwards Air Force Base's first murder, base officials have posted a $10,000 reward for information about the Sept. 1 robbery-slaying of a nightclub manager.

In a statement released Friday, base officials said the $10,000 reward will be given to anyone who has information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who murdered and robbed James Elling.

``They feel this may help them,'' said Gary Hatch, deputy chief of media relations. ``This is strictly within policy.''

Officials say Elling, a night manager at a base nightclub, Club Muroc, and a base late-night restaurant, The Stripes Lounge, was killed in the early morning hours of Sept. 1 while carrying three bank deposit bags - containing more than $1,000 cash - from one location to another.

``He was transferring funds from The Stripes Lounge to Club Muroc,'' Hatch said. ``He was shot once at the entrance to the club.''

While club officials aren't certain when Elling was shot, he was found unconscious between 3:30 and 3:50 a.m. Sept. 1 outside the main entrance of Club Muroc, near the Muroc Lake Golf Course at the south side of the main base housing area.

Elling was a civilian employee who moved to Edwards three months ago when his wife was transferred there from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

Elling's wife, an active-duty senior airman, is assigned to the base's 412th Equipment Maintenance Squadron.

Officials say this is the first murder ever at Edwards.

Anyone with information relating to the case is asked to call the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at [phone].