Man, accused of pushing wife off cliff, pleads guilty to assault

Nine months ago, a federal grand jury accused North Las Vegas resident Glenn Moss of trying to kill his wife by pushing her off a cliff and into the waters of Lake Mohave.

On Thursday, Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in exchange for a promise of probation. A judge also lifted a restriction that barred him from having contact with his wife, Lucia, who did not attend the hearing.

No one, including Moss, wanted to comment Thursday on his favorable plea deal.

"Except one should never believe what one reads in the paper," Moss told a reporter as he descended in a courthouse elevator.

Moss, 63, was indicted in November on charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Moss pushed his wife off a 20-foot-high cliff on Nov. 3 within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

The woman, identified in some court documents as "L.M.," told authorities that she and Moss had a picnic at Nelson's Landing before he told her to look at the fish in the lake. When she came to the edge of the cliff, according to the complaint, Moss "suddenly pushed hard" in the center of her back and sent her into the water below.

"L.M. stated that she screamed for help and that she looked up and observed Glenn Duane Moss watching her without speaking," according to the document. "L.M. stated that she felt she was going to die because she cannot swim but that she managed to get back to the shoreline."

The woman attracted the attention of someone on a personal watercraft who took her away from the area. She then met a friend and called 911.

According to the complaint, Moss told authorities that his wife had lost her balance and that he had tried to grab her around the waist to prevent her from falling. He denied telling his wife to look into the water for fish, and he denied pushing her off the cliff.

Federal prosecutors later entered into a binding plea agreement with Moss. The defendant may withdraw the plea if U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Johnston refuses to accept its terms.

The deal calls for a five-year period of probation.

As part of the agreement, Moss admitted he traveled with his wife to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Nov. 3 and assaulted her "by striking her, resulting in L.M. falling over the edge of a cliff" and into the water below.

After prosecutors offered no objection, Johnston granted a defense request to end the electronic monitoring of the defendant's whereabouts and to end the restriction on contact with his wife.

"Lucia desires contact with Mr. Moss and is assisting him with his medical needs," according to the defense motion.

At Thursday's hearing, Assistant Federal Public Defender Shari Kaufman said Moss suffers from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells.

According to the complaint, Lucia Moss told authorities that she and her husband were married in 1998 in the Philippines.

Johnston is scheduled to sentence the defendant Nov. 15.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@review journal.com or 702-384-8710.