CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE SLAIN AT EDWARDS : SHOOTING OF MILITARY CLUB MANAGER CALLED APPARENT ROBBERY.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Daily News Staff Writer

A civilian employee carrying money from a military personnel club was shot to death early Sunday in an apparent robbery, Air Force officials said.

The murder of Edwards Consolidated Club night manager James Elling shocked residents, and base officials quickly set up a ``rumor control'' taped telephone message outlining the facts of the shooting and asking for witnesses or anyone else with information to come forward.

A base spokesman was unable to say when the last murder occurred at Edwards, but he said such crimes are ``very, very rare.''

``It'll probably be Tuesday before we can figure that out - it's been a long, long time,'' spokesman John Haire said.

The base's main entrances are guarded by Air Force security police, and access is generally restricted to military personnel, their families, base workers and others with reasons for being at the base.

``It's just a different environment, but that doesn't mean anything,'' Haire said. ``You've got the same cross section, in fact a wider cross section, of society. And it doesn't necessarily mean it was done by a military person. Sometimes people get in that aren't supposed to be here.'

Elling, who lived on base with his wife, was found between 3:30 and 3:50 a.m. Sunday lying unconscious at the curb outside Club Muroc, which is Edwards' combined officers' and noncommissioned officers club, located near the Muroc Lake Golf Course at the south side of the main base housing area.

Elling was taken to the hospital, where personnel discovered he had been shot, and he was pronounced dead at approximately 4 a.m., officials said.

Elling, who was employed by the Edwards Services Division, was transferring funds, probably to another office, when he was killed, Haire said. An undetermined amount of money is missing.

The crime is being investigated by base security officials. Anyone with information that may help in the investigation was asked to call the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at [phone] or the Edwards Security Police Desk at [phone].