Man charged in Summerlin restaurant killing wasn’t shooter, prosecutor says
A man accused of killing his cousin in a Summerlin restaurant has had his name cleared after prosecutors dropped all charges against him in connection with the 2021 shooting.
“We now know beyond a reasonable doubt he didn’t do it,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said after the charges against Oscar Richardson Jr. were dropped on Tuesday.
Richardson, 33, was arrested in San Antonio, Texas, after the Nov. 23, 2021, fatal shooting of his cousin, 39-year-old Marcus Larry, at a Teriyaki Madness restaurant at 10300 W. Charleston Blvd, near Town Center Drive.
Before prosecutors dropped the case, Richardson faced charges of murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, and conspiracy to commit murder, court records show.
According to Richardson’s arrest report, his distinctive neck tattoo led several witnesses identifying him after the shooting.
But DiGiacomo said that investigators began to question the identity of the suspect after Richardson’s public defender came to them with enhanced surveillance footage of the shooting. With the enhanced images, the suspect no longer looked like Richardson, he said.
Chief Deputy Special Public Defender Ashley Sisolak said that after she and her investigator reviewed the video surveillance, it was obvious to them that Richardson was not the shooter.
No one else has been charged in connection with Larry’s killing.
According to an arrest report, Larry and one of his relatives walked into the restaurant after getting a haircut nearby. About 30 seconds later, a man in a surgical mask and orange work gloves walked in and opened fire.
A woman who was taking Larry’s order at the cash register was also shot in the abdomen and arm, police said. The shooter left the scene in an unregistered white van, which he ditched at Red Rock Casino.
A North Las Vegas detective who investigates gangs and who had spoken with Richardson before could not positively identify him from the surveillance footage of the shooting, although others who viewed the footage said the shooter looked like Richardson, according to the report.
Those who knew the cousins said the men had been in a feud for more than a decade, according to the arrest report. An officer who authored the report also noted that both men are associated with the 004 Hoodsmen gang.
In February, Richardson called police to report that he and his girlfriend were shot at, and that Richardson believed Larry was the shooter.
DiGiacomo said that since Richardson’s arrest, he has not told investigators if he knows who actually shot his cousin.
“He’s remained silent throughout the whole thing,” DiGiacomo said.
After Sisolak laid out her case that her client was innocent, DiGiacomo said investigators received “additional information” that showed Richardson was not the shooter.
Jail records show Richardson has been released from the Clark County Detention Center. Sisolak said that she and her investigator are relieved that Richardson has been cleared of the crime.
“I think it’s safe to say that this doesn’t happen for us every day, and it’s a huge win for us,” she said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.