Las Vegas jury convicts man in woman’s 2018 rape, murder

Alice Garcia clutched a silver cross that contained her sister’s ashes moments after a Las Vegas jury convicted a 52-year-old man Friday of first-degree murder and sexual assault for raping and killing the victim.

Kelly Deanne Kazoon, 55, had become homeless after her husband died and, prosecutors said, was brutally attacked in November 2018 by a man she had considered a friend.

Jurors deliberated about three hours before returning their verdict in the case against Charles Talley Jr. His sentencing is scheduled for March 5, when he faces life in prison.

Outside court, after watching the jury of seven women and five men return their verdict, Garcia spoke of her sister’s compassion for others and her “genuine heart of gold.” Garcia also thought of the defendant, and his family.

“I feel sorry for his family,” she said. “That’s a hard thing to have to go through. But not as sorry as I do for our family. I’m happy with the verdict, and I’m sure she is, too.”

Countering arguments from defense attorneys that Kazoon consented to sex with Talley, prosecutors said during the trial that Kazoon likely was dragged down a hallway, her fingernails scratching the carpet.

Pictures from crime scene investigators displayed during closing arguments on Thursday showed blood-spattered walls, a blood-covered countertop and bloody handprints in carpet.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Hamner argued that Talley savagely beat Kazoon and sexually assaulted her “in a variety of ways.”

The jury also saw images of Kazoon’s bloody face with her eyes bruised and shut. She suffered from multiple injuries, including a fractured jaw, a brain bleed, lacerations in her mouth and contusions in her throat.

“Her injuries really told the story about what happened to her,” Hamner said. “It’s one of the most tragic ways I could ever imagine someone dying.”

Special Public Defender Michael Hyte argued at trial that Talley was intoxicated at the time of the attack, and that he should not be convicted of first-degree murder. Hyte and fellow defense attorney Clark Patrick said they plan to appeal the verdict.

Police found a naked Talley inside the apartment on Nov. 24, 2018, before a dying Kazoon came into view, gasping for air, according to prosecutors.

Kazoon’s husband died in early 2016 after a battle with cancer, and she later walked away from the east Las Vegas home she had shared with him near Nellis Boulevard and Desert Inn Road, family members told the Las Vegas Review-Journal at the time of her death.

After the attack, Kazoon was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where she died from injuries caused by strangulation and blunt force trauma.

Talley told police that he had known Kazoon for several years and insisted during an interrogation with detectives that their sex was consensual. He claimed to have “blacked out” from alcohol, but prosecutors pointed out that he recalled specific details about the day of the attack.

Kazoon’s brother-in-law, Pas Martinez, said she took homeless friends into her home and tried to help them before it burned down.

“She was a real good woman,” Martinez said. “She was a good woman.”

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.