Las Vegas man sentenced to prison for wife’s 2017 shooting death
A Las Vegas man who said he shot and killed his wife in the midst of a sex act was sentenced Wednesday to 20 to 50 years in prison.
John Gonzalez, 54, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in December through an agreement known as an Alford plea, which meant he did not admit guilt but acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him in the death of his wife, Nicole Nguyen.
Gonzalez called the shooting a “tragic accident” before District Judge Michelle Leavitt handed down his sentence.
Gonzalez dialed 911 after the November 2017 shooting, initially stating Nguyen had been shot in the stomach after a struggle with a gun in her home in the 9000 block of College Green Street in the southwest valley, police said at the time. The couple were in the process of a divorce, according to court records.
Gonzalez later told investigators he was performing a sexual act on her prior the struggle and shooting.
Gonzalez said his wife reached for the gun during the sex act and the gun fired once; he said he held the gun by the grip and pulled the trigger when she tugged the gun toward her.
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