Man gets 10 to 25 years behind bars in Las Vegas slaying
A 29-year-old man was ordered to serve up to 25 years behind bars Wednesday for a central Las Vegas killing.
Prosecutors said Alexander Buzz shot and killed 54-year-old Bradley Sappington, who was found lying in the roadway in the 2100 block of Industrial Road, near East Sahara Avenue and South Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, two years ago.
Buzz pleaded guilty in May to one count of second-degree murder, and must serve at least 10 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
Meanwhile, District Judge Tierra Jones issued an arrest warrant for Buzz’s girlfriend, Emma Malone, who pleaded guilty to accessory to murder in the slaying, after she failed to show up to court for sentencing on Wednesday.
Another man, Joseph Aguilar, who also pleaded guilty to accessory to murder, was ordered to serve 180 days in the Clark County Detention Center.
Investigators had determined that Sappington was shot in the back of the head while inside a Toyota Tundra and shoved out of the vehicle.
Buzz told the judge that Sappington threw a drink in his face after reaching for a gun. Malone told police at the time of the shooting that the couple had met up with Sappington to buy drugs.
Buzz and Malone fled the scene together with Aguilar.
“This is a very tragic situation,” Jones said.
Sappington’s mother, Christine Sappington, told the judge that her son was living in a halfway house, after having served time in prison, and trying to rebuild his life when he was killed.
“This hurts,” she said. “There’s no amount of counseling you can give me that’s going to fix my heart. This hurts so bad, and I can’t understand it… Whatever time they get, it’s not enough.”
Buzz told authorities he feared for his life and shot Sappington in self-defense.
“There’s not an apology in the world that could show how remorseful I am for what I have done,” he said Wednesday.
Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani had asked the judge to sentence Buzz to a maximum of life in prison, rejecting a theory of self-defense. The prosecutor said Buzz shot Sappington after he made a wrong turn and “begged to get out of the vehicle” and tried to jump out.
“Mr. Buzz is the reason we are all here today,” the prosecutor said. “Rather than just pulling over and letting him out, Mr. Buzz boldly and ruthlessly shot him in the back of the head.”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.