5 indicted on murder charges in Summerlin robbery, attack turned deadly

Five people tied to a string of burglaries and robberies have been indicted on murder charges after a man who was pistol-whipped during a Summerlin home invasion died, court records show.

Raven Queen, 28; Antonio Washington, 25; Denzale Lee, 28; Howard Cavitt, 28; and Lamonte Butler, 25, have all been indicted on a charge of murder of a victim 60 or older, prosecutors announced during a court hearing Friday.

Hong Shu Liu and his wife were attacked in their home on Jan. 12 in Summerlin’s Queensridge community, court records show. Liu, who was 77 when he was attacked, has since died of his injuries, according to a superseding indictment that was returned by a grand jury last week.

Liu died Sept. 17 at Valley View Hospital, the Clark County coroner’s office said Monday. His death was ruled a homicide due to complications of multiple blunt force injuries.

The superseding indictment is the fourth filed by prosecutors since the case was initially heard by a grand jury in February, court records show.

Liu’s wife testified to the grand jury in February that four men broke into their home and hit both her and her husband in the head with their guns. The robbers threatened to kill her if her husband didn’t turn over money, and at one point during the robbery they held her head underwater in her bathtub multiple times, according to transcripts of the grand jury hearing.

She said that the men restrained her and her husband with duct tape and left them in a closet before leaving the home.

Liu was hospitalized with a brain injury after the attack, and had trouble speaking, the woman testified.

Prosecutors have written in court documents that Queen coordinated the series of “extremely violent home invasions and burglaries.” She faces 22 charges, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit a home invasion, court records show.

Queen’s defense attorney, Robert Langford, declined to comment Monday.

Queen and seven co-defendants have been tied to a series of crimes in January, which included a home invasion at a prominent YouTuber’s home shortly before Liu and his wife were attacked, according to court records.

Cordero Brady, also known as CJ So Cool, was shot multiple times during a robbery at his Henderson home during the early hours of Jan. 12.

Brady told police that he woke up inside his bedroom to two men with handguns, yelling at him. He said he tried to attack the men, who started shooting at him before running from the house.

Queen, 17-year-old Sjean Jackson, 16-year-old Antwain McDuffie and 26-year-old Derrick Roberts all face attempted murder, home invasion, burglary, conspiracy, robbery and battery charges in connection with the shooting that injured Brady. Police initially reported that three juveniles were arrested in connection with the home invasion.

Roberts pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, and has since been sentenced to between six and 18 years in prison, court records show.

McDuffie has also been accused of the armed burglary of a 2019 Mercedes Benz on Jan. 21, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors have alleged that during the burglaries, Queen would wait nearby the homes and was in “direct communication” with those allegedly committing the thefts.

“Defendant Queen often provides the target home’s address to her co-conspirators and directs movements down to providing where the co-conspirators should park getaway vehicles for best access to the target residence,” prosecutors wrote in court documents filed in April.

An arraignment on the latest indictment is scheduled for Wednesday.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.