Las Vegas man found competent, faces death penalty in teen’s death

The man charged with killing his grade-school friend's 15-year-old daughter in a drug-related robbery was ruled competent Thursday, setting the stage for him to plead guilty in the death penalty case.

If Norman Belcher, 36, does plead guilty to the December slaying of Alexus Postorino, prosecutors are expected to move forward with plans to seat a jury for a capital punishment hearing.

An adjudication hearing is set for Aug. 22 in the murder case before Judge Elissa Cadish.

Belcher could still maintain his March plea of not guilty and stand trial on seven felony charges, including one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon and two counts of armed robbery.

Defense attorneys declined to comment after Thursday's hearing.

Belcher's defense attorneys had asked for the competency check after he earlier attempted to plead guilty, court records show.

At a July hearing Belcher said he wanted to plead guilty to all of the charges he was facing and refused to come back to court until he could change his plea. Belcher attended Thursday's hearing dressed in navy blue jail scrubs with his arms and legs shackled.

It is rare for defendants charged in murder cases in which the death penalty is being sought to plead guilty without negotiating with prosecutors.

Belcher is charged with the Dec. 6 shooting death of the Southwest Career and Technical Academy sophomore.

Authorities have said Belcher thought the teenager's father, William Postorino, owed him a drug-related debt and had sent him threatening text messages, according to court documents.

Belcher is accused of breaking into the Postorinos' home at 3 a.m. intending to rob the residence and leave no witnesses.

Authorities said Belcher, who also uses the name Norman Bates, and William Postorino have known each other since grade school. Belcher also knew Alexus.

William Postorino, a single father who has a past conviction for drug trafficking, was at a casino at the time of the shooting.

Another man, Nicholas Brabham, was shot at the home but survived. Las Vegas police said Belcher took a 60-inch television, a laptop computer and a metal safe containing money before leaving the home in the 9700 block of Villa Lorena Ave., near Tropicana Avenue and Grand Canyon Drive.

A neighbor told investigators she heard a commotion outside her home and saw a man loading things into a white 2009 Nissan Versa, which sped off minutes before officers arrived.

The Nissan, which Belcher had rented, was found burning in a parking lot near Craig Road and Lamb Boulevard, not far from Belcher's apartment. Detectives learned he had been stopped in the Nissan by a patrol officer near the scene of the shooting and had been given a traffic citation about 30 minutes after the home invasion.

Belcher initially denied receiving the citation and claimed to have been in a bar that morning. The keys for the burned Nissan were found in his possession.

Cellphone records indicated Belcher had made calls from the area where the rental car was found. The patrol officer who issued Belcher a citation identified him.

Months earlier, Belcher had been released from prison, where he was sent after he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a 2003 homicide.

He is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.