47-year-old man sentenced in 2010 slaying
A 47-year-old man who said he killed another man in self-defense was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon.
Mark Hoffman was sentenced to prison this month by Judge Valorie Vega for the death of Steven Kelly, 35, on Jan. 14, 2010.
Kelly was found dead with blunt-force trauma to the head in an apartment at 150 E. Hoover Ave., near Main Street and Charleston Boulevard.
Las Vegas police began canvassing the area and found Hoffman hiding in a portable toilet at a nearby construction site.
He had an apparent self-inflicted injury to the abdomen, police said.
Investigators said Hoffman and Kelly were in the apartment together with a woman who had been dating Hoffman.
Hoffman suspected Kelly was having sex with his girlfriend while Hoffman was in jail on a separate misdemeanor charge, police said. During the confrontation, Hoffman took a pipe and beat Kelly to death, authorities alleged.
Hoffman told police he had been stabbed by the victim and fought him in self-defense, according to his arrest report.
Hoffman originally was charged with murder. However, days before his trial was to start in September, he took a deal from prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. As part of the deal, his prison sentence was stipulated to eight to 20 years.
Hoffman was given credit for already serving more than 21 months in jail.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@
reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.
