Latest news with #8NewsNowInvestigators
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Las Vegas police officer denied parole in woman's 1997 killing
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada's parole board denied parole for a former police officer who is in prison in connection with the murder of a woman in 1997, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Arthur Sewell, 58, will continue to serve time in prison for Nadia Iverson's death. Sewell 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. Sewell also received credit for time already served in jail. A parole hearing was held on May 5. 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, traveled to Nevada for the parole hearing to speak against Sewell's release from prison. 'So he gets to see me and my sister,' Coker said in a previous interview. '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 said. While 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 that this was incorrect and confirmed a May 2025 hearing. Sewell will not be eligible for parole again until October 2027, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. Records show he will finish serving his sentence in May 2028. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Fake case': Michele Fiore responds to Trump pardon
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Suspended Nye County Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore, the one-time state legislator and controversial Las Vegas city councilwoman, told the 8 News Now Investigators on Friday that President Donald Trump pardoned a federal jury's guilty verdict on wire fraud charges because it was a 'fake case.' In October 2024, a jury convicted Fiore, suspended in July 2024 from her position as justice court judge in Nye County, after deliberating for two hours. The panel convicted her on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for taking money meant for fallen police officers' memorials and spending it on herself. Fiore denies she was convicted, technically speaking, and maintains she was never sentenced and the court never entered a judgment of conviction. In her first televised comments since the Presidential pardon, Fiore, in an impromptu on-camera conversation outside of an AM radio station where she completed an hour-long interview, denied stealing charitable donations to pay for her daughter's wedding. But federal prosecutors convinced a jury she did just that, with money she said she was raising for the officers' statues. 'It was a fake case, and the government knew it,' Fiore told the 8 News Now Investigators on Friday. Fiore then got behind the wheel of her pick-up truck and closed the door, ending the interview. But her conversation with well-known Las Vegas political consultant Tom Letizia, broadcast Friday morning, allowed Fiore to tell some of her story. Fiore has long criticized the media for its handling of her federal trial and its aftermath as unfair and inaccurate. Explaining her reaction to Trump's pardon, Fiore told Letizia she cried for 40 minutes. 'I just started crying because, you know, knowing what I was going through. No 1, for some reason, people think I have President Donald J. Trump on speed dial. I do not.' The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline, which suspended Fiore with pay when she was indicted on the federal wire fraud charges, revoked her pay after her conviction. Earlier this week, in a written filing, it reinstated her pay but upheld her suspension. 'I don't know what happened behind the scenes with the judicial commission, but I do know that they are dragging their feet,' Fiore said on Letizia's radio show, 'The Middle Ground.' 'And they do know that what's happening right now is not right or ethical or legal. It's an abuse of their authority.' In its decision, the commission said the allegations against Fiore present 'a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and to the administration of justice.' On Thursday, Fiore appealed that decision to the Nevada Supreme Court. First elected as a Republican Nevada assemblywoman in 2012, Fiore later served as Las Vegas mayor pro tem and unsuccessfully ran for governor and treasurer as a Republican. Nye County Commissioners appointed her to her judgeship in late 2022. Last June, before her indictment, voters re-elected Fiore, who is not an attorney, to that position. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nevada State Police leadership asks troopers, staff to complete ‘climate survey'
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Leadership at Nevada State Police have sent surveys to staff about the department's 'climate' amid a staffing shortage and low morale, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. The 'climate survey' asks employees to respond to questions about communication, challenges and the department's role in the community. Specific questions include: 'Does your leadership communicate important information openly and promptly? If not, how do you think this could be improved?' and 'Do you believe the current direction of NHP is consistent with the mission and vision? If not, why?' The department's chief and second-in-command retired in March and April, raising questions about the agency's future amid a trooper staffing crisis, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. Col. Patrick Conmay retired after 50 years of service in law enforcement, a spokesperson confirmed. Lt. Col. Martin Mleczko also retired after more than 20 years of service. George Togliatti, the director of the Department of Public Safety, was leading the agency. Earlier this month, the department announced a replacement for its assistant director who was planning to retire in July. It was not immediately clear why the assistant director position was filled before it was vacated alongside two open sworn leadership positions vacated in March and April. A letter to staff regarding the climate survey refers to the department as 'Nevada Highway Patrol,' however, the department changed its name to 'Nevada State Police' in 2021. During a legislative hearing involving the topic of recruitment, staff said the move was a marketing tool. Sometimes, the department is called both names combined: 'Nevada State Police Highway Patrol,' as it says on the department's website. Both Conmay and Mleczko appeared before committees at the Legislature in February amid the department's nearly 45% trooper vacancy rate. As of that month, 218 troopers patrolled statewide. The state budget calls for 392 trooper positions, meaning just about half of the workforce is staffed. The staffing shortage comes as death on Nevada's roads continues to rise. In 2023, Nevada reported 1.4 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled versus the national average of 1.26, according to the department. Last Legislative session, lawmakers approved wage increases totaling 23% in the first year and 11% in the second. Starting in July, the amount of money state police employees have to put into their state retirement accounts will increase, erasing gains from two years ago. Amid the pay gap, some rural substations are empty, and on some nights, just a handful of troopers are patrolling the entire Las Vegas valley. In April, an arbitrator sided with the Nevada Police Union, which represents troopers and other police, recommending 3% salary increases for the next two years. However, the budget Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo submitted earlier this legislative session did not include any wage or cost-of-living increases, according to the arbitrator. In an interview with the 8 News Now Investigators in March, Lombardo speculated the Legislature would not have the finances for any raises for state employees. Attorneys for the state and the union, however, could not agree on potential wage increases for the next two years. Democrats who control the Legislature have said there was no room for wage increases with Lombardo's budget and expected federal cuts. A spokesperson for the department did not return a request for comment about the survey. Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Las Vegas driver accused of killing student was 3 times legal limit after DUI arrest: police
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The driver accused of killing a Las Vegas high school senior was more than three times the legal limit, according to a preliminary test taken after the fatal crash. Keenan Jackson, 37, faces felony charges for DUI resulting in death, reckless driving, and a misdemeanor for driving without a valid license, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. Jackson is accused of driving impaired and hitting and killing McKenzie Scott on Friday, May 2, on Buffalo Drive near Arbor View High School, police said. A witness told police she spoke to Jackson after the crash. He said he had just gone to Starbucks and lived around the corner, police said. The first officer to arrive at the crash site contacted Jackson, noticing he smelled of alcohol with an 'unsteady gait, slurred, mumbled and slow speech.' The officer also noted Jackson 'was falling over while walking,' documents said. Jackson told officers he does not drink and last smoked marijuana two weeks ago, documents said. His preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.29 — more than three times the legal limit of 0.08. During Jackson's first court appearance, Jackson's public defender said Jackson moved to Las Vegas in December and recently started a new job. The prosecutor recognized Jackson's lack of criminal history but said he could be a danger to the community and a flight risk. Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Daniel Westmeyer set Jackson's bail at $500,000. Jackson remained in custody as of Monday. Scott's mother created a GoFundMe for funeral costs. As of Monday, it had raised nearly $30,000 of its $50,000 goal. Jackson's blood test results were not in court documents. They, not the preliminary blood screening, are admissible in court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
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 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 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 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 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 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 is serving his time at Ely State Prison. According to prison records, Sewell has used both Sewell and Sewall for his 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
