Judge sets 2021 trial for defendant in Las Vegas murder case
A judge set a 2021 trial date on Wednesday for a man who remains out of custody while facing the death penalty in a Las Vegas double homicide.
Durwin Allen and Terrell Stewart, both 34, were charged with murder in the January 2017 killings of Myron Manghum, 33, and Alyssa Velasco, 27, who were found dead in an apartment north of downtown. Manghum died of a gunshot wound to the head, police said at the time. Velasco died of gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Stewart, who also is awaiting trial, remains in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
The shooting also left 29-year-old Johnny Brooks injured.
Before shooting Velasco, prosecutors have said, Allen turned toward Brooks and fired, striking him in his hands.
When Brooks did not show up for Allen’s capital murder trial last month, the case was continued while prosecutors tracked him down in Texas. In the meantime, District Judge Michael Villani ordered Allen released to house arrest, because prosecutors had requested the trial be continued.
On Wednesday, the judge set Allen’s trial for early January.
Brooks showed up for a preliminary hearing in May 2017, which could have preserved his testimony for the record, but Allen and his lawyers waived the hearing.
Before granting Allen’s release, Villani had expressed concern for the defendant’s safety on the streets.
During Wednesday’s brief hearing, the judge warned Allen not to violate conditions of his release while he remained on house arrest.
“There’s going to be no tolerance for that, sir,” Villani said.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.