Murder trial begins for 2 teens charged in 2018 Henderson killing
An image that captured blood pooled near the head of a 17-year-old’s lifeless body appeared on monitors inside a Las Vegas courtroom Wednesday, as prosecutors gave opening statements in the murder trial for two teens charged in Matthew Minkler’s death.
One of the defendants, Jaiden Caruso, then 16, had recorded video of the shooting’s aftermath on a cellphone. His words hung in the air of the packed courtroom.
“Bro,” he said as he panned over Minkler, “I just caught a body.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Sarah Overly told jurors that in June 2018 Caruso and co-defendant Kody Harlan had planned a robbery, or “lick,” as they called it.
Witness Alaric Oliver, now 20, testified that he was at the abandoned Henderson home on the 2000 block of Cool Lilac Avenue, with Caruso and Harlan, who had been smoking marijuana and taking Xanax. Oliver said he watched Caruso pick up a .357 revolver, walk toward Minkler in the kitchen and fire once into his chin. Harlan had been lying on a couch in the adjacent living room.
Oliver said he ran from the home, afraid for his safety.
Defense attorneys argued that Caruso, now 17, and Harlan never intended to shoot Minkler, whom they said was a friend. Caruso’s lawyer, Mace Yampolsky, said the teen had been “zonked out on Xanax.”
“It’s a case of stupid kids doing drugs and playing with guns,” the lawyer told jurors, “with an absolutely tragic result.”
Harlan’s lawyer, Ryan Helmick, placed the blame squarely on Caruso. Helmick acknowledged that the now-18-year-old Harlan was guilty of being an accessory, but said he should be acquitted of murder.
“This case is about one drugged-up reckless kid who killed someone for no reason,” Helmick said. “But it’s not about some robbery; it’s not about some lick.”
Harlan told police after his arrest that Caruso shot Minkler during a modified version of Russian roulette.
Minkler’s family and friends have said they do not believe that explanation.
The prosecutor said Caruso and Harlan cleaned up the scene and hid Minkler’s body in a downstairs closet under a clear plastic tarp. On the door of the closet where his body lay, someone had spray-painted the words “F—- Matt” in black.
Rather than call police after Minkler was shot, Caruso and Harlan took about $300 from the victim’s wallet and went shopping at Galleria at Sunset mall before attending a party at a nearby apartment complex.
Both were carrying handguns at the party, the prosecutor said, where Harlan repeated the words of Caruso.
“Not ‘a horrible accident occurred,’” Overly said. “Not ‘I can’t believe what just happened.’ But ‘I caught a body.’”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.