Nevada Assembly approves bill that would get rid of death penalty

CARSON CITY (KTNV) — The Nevada Assembly has approved Assembly Bill 395, which would abolish the death penalty in the state of Nevada.

The Assembly voted 26-16 to send the bill to the Senate. If also approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, anyone who is currently on death row would have their sentenced changed to life without the possibility of parole and no one would be sentenced to death in the future.

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There are currently 74 people on death row in the state of Nevada, many of them from the Las Vegas area. The last execution in Nevada was in 2006.

From the Las Vegas area, Ammar Harris was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2016 for the deaths of three people on the Las Vegas Strip.

In May 2017, Javier Righetti was sentenced to death for the murder of 15-year-old Alyssa Otremba.

Zane Floyd was sentenced to death for killing 4 people inside of an Albertson's grocery store in 1999.

Others with Las Vegas connection who are currently (or were) on Nevada’s death row:

• Ralph Jeremias was sentenced to death in 2014 for a 2009 double-murder inside of a Las Vegas apartment. Jeremias shot and killed Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson.
• William Keck was sentenced to death in 2012 for fatally shooting 26-year-old Jonathan Lestelle and an 18-week-old fetus in Las Vegas.
• Bryan Hall was sentenced to death in 2012 for the 2009 murder of his former friend, Brad Flamm, at Caesars Palace.
• Gregory Hover was sentenced to death in 2013 for two 2010 murders in Las Vegas. He killed Prima Contreras and Julio Romero.
• Norman Belcher killed 15-year-old Alexus Postorino in 2010 in Las Vegas.
• Timothy Burnside sentenced to death in 2010 for murder of Kenneth Hardwick in Henderson.
• Charles Reese Conner was sentenced to death in 2010 for the murder of Beth Jardine in 1985.
• Thomas Richardson was sentenced to death in 2009 for the robbery and murder of Estelle Feldman and her grandson, Steve Folker.
• Will Sitton killed Brian Kaskell in 2009 in Las Vegas.
• Frederick Mendoza was sentenced to death in 2008 for raping and killing 69-year-old Rita Kremberg.
• Eugene Nunnery was sentenced to death in 2008 for the robbery and murder of Saul Nunez.
• Thomas Randolph killed Sharon Causse and Michael James Miller in Las Vegas in 2008.
• Donte Johnson was sentenced to death in 2005 for killing Matthew Mowen, Tracey Gorringe, Jeffrey Biddle and Peter Talamantez during a robbery.
• Avetis Archanian killed Elisa Del Prado and Juana Maria Quiroga in 2004.
• Alfonso Blake sentenced in 2004 for deaths of Priscilla Van Dine and Sopher Choy.
• James Walker was sentenced to death in 2003 for the robbery and murder of Christine Anziano.
• Timmy "TJ" Weber was sentenced to death in 2003 for killing his girlfriend's 15-year-old son, Anthony Gautier.
• Fernando Hernandez was sentenced to death in 2000 for the Las Vegas murder of his ex-wife, Donna Hernandez.
• Travers Greene was sentenced to death in 1997 for the murders of Deborah Farris and Christopher Payton.
• Michael Mulder was sentenced to death in 1997 for the robbery and murder of John Ahart.
• Donald Sherman was sentenced to death in 1997 for the murder of Lester Bauer.
• Gregory Bolin sentenced in 1996 for killing Brooklyn Ricks.
• Anthony Dole sentenced in 1996 for murder of Ebony Mason in Clark County.
• William Castillo was sentenced to death in 1996 for the robbery and murder of Isabelle Berndt.
• Joseph Smith was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1990 strangulation and hammer slaying of his two stepdaughters, 20-year-old Wendy Cox and 12-year-old Kristy Cox.
• Sterling Atkins killed Anthony Doyle. Sentenced in 1995.
• James Chappell was sentenced to death in 1995 for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Panos.
• Gregory Leonard was sentenced to death in 1995 for strangling his roommate, 65-year-old Thomas Williams.
• William Witter was sentenced to death in 1995 for the death of James Cox.
• Kevin Lisle was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of a North Las Vegas police chief's son, and also for a freeway shooting that killed Kip Logan in Las Vegas.
• Robert Byford sentenced to death in 1994 for murder of Monica Wilkins outside of Las Vegas.
• Curtis Guy was sentenced to death in 1992 for the murder of Caesor Evans.
• Michael Rippo was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1992 murders of Denise Lizzi and Lauri Jacobson.
• Jose Echavarria was sentenced to death in 1991 for shooting and killing off-duty FBI agent John Bailey during a bank robbery.
• Jimmy Kirksey was sentenced to death in 1989 for the murder of Michael A. Fox in Las Vegas.
• Charles McNelton was sentenced to death in 1989 for the murder of 16-year-old Monica Glass in Las Vegas
• Rodney Emil was sentenced to death in 1988 for the murder of his stepfather, Charles Howard Emil.
• Richard Haberstroh was sentenced to death in 1987 for the kidnapping, rape, robbery and murder of Donna Kitowski.
• Paul Broning was sentenced sentenced to death in 1986 for the murder of Hugo Elsen.
• John Valerio killed Karen Blackwell in 1986 in Las Vegas.
• Dale Flanagan was sentenced to death along with accomplice Randolph Moore in 1985 for the murders of his grandparents, Carl and Colleen Gordon.
• Randolph Moore was sentenced to death along with accomplice Dale Flanagan in 1985 for the murders of Flanagan's grandparents, Carl and Colleen Gordon.
• Thomas Crump was sentenced to death in 1984 for robbing and killing a prostitute, Jodie Jameson.
• Manuel Lopez was sentenced to death in 1985 for the torture-murder of his 4-year-old stepdaughter, Jessica Cevallos.
• Michael Hogan was sentenced to death in 1985 for the murder of his girlfriend, Heidi Hinkley.
• John Snow was sentenced to death in 1984 for the contract killing of Harry Wham
• Marlo Thomas was sentenced to death in 1997 for the murders of Matthew Gianakis and Carl Dixon.
• Samuel Howard was sentenced to death in 1983 for murdering George Monahan in Las Vegas.
• Patrick McKenna was sentenced to death in 1979 for killing his cellmate, Jack Nobles, in the Clark County Jail.

The ACLU sent the following statement:

“This is a historic moment for Nevada. For the first time a retroactive death penalty abolition bill has passed the Assembly, and we are one step closer to ending this racist, barbaric practice. Now the Senate needs to take heed. The fight is only just beginning, and we will not rest until this bill is sent to the Governor's desk," said ACLU of Nevada Policy Director Holly Welborn.

A death penalty bill was also introduced in the Senate on March 15. However, Senate Bill 228 would only ban the death penalty for future cases. It has not been scheduled for a hearing at this time.