Former Las Vegas police officer up for parole in woman's 1997 killing
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada's parole board will decide whether a former police officer who is in prison in connection with the murder of a woman in 1997 should be a free man. A parole hearing is scheduled for Arthur Sewell, 58, on Monday.Sewell, a former Las Vegas Metro police officer, began serving a six to 15-year prison sentence in 2023 after entering a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon enhancement.Nadia Iverson, 20, died of a gunshot wound in May 1997. Her body was found inside a home under construction in downtown Las Vegas. An investigation revealed that Iverson may have been sexually assaulted.Marie Coker, Iverson's sister, who lives out of state, told the 8 News Now Investigators shewill attend the hearing to try to prevent Sewell's release from prison.'Still making the trips on my own finances,' Coker said. 'So he gets to see me and my sister. Every chance, I get up there to stand to be a voice for her.'The crime was unsolved until 2018 after the state of Nevada tested decades-old rape kits. Sewell's DNA was found to be a match in Iverson's killing, police saidWhile Las Vegas Metro police said Iverson was a sex worker who struggled with a drug problem, Iverson's loved ones told the 8 News Now Investigators she was not a sex worker. Coker said that she had only been in Las Vegas for a short period and had been going through a tough time after a failed relationship, and her mother was in a serious car accident.In a video obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators, two cold case detectives interviewed Sewell and told him a gun that he owned was connected to the crime scene. For more than an hour, Sewall denied involvement before admitting to killing Iverson.'I went out with the intention of sexual gratification, and when my .357 went off, it freaked me out and I bolted and panicked,' Sewall told the detectives.A Clark County District Court judge later determined Sewell's confession could not be used in the murder case because detectives kept questioning Sewell without an attorney. The judge also determined that his Miranda rights were violated.Months before Iverson was killed, Sewall resigned from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He was convicted of abusing his power as a law enforcement officer after he was caught on video exchanging favors for sexual acts.Sewell is serving his time at Ely State Prison. According to prison records, Sewell has used both Sewell and Sewall for his surname.Coker said the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners initially informed her Sewell would be up for parole in 2026. A victim services coordinator later informed her this was incorrect, and confirmed a May 2025 hearing.
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