Teens indicted in slaying of girl’s father

A Las Vegas teenage couple charged in the slaying of the 16-year-old girl’s father recorded video of themselves laughing together after the fatal stabbing, prosecutors said Friday.

Sierra Halseth and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Aaron Guerrero, are accused of killing 45-year-old Daniel Halseth in early April before fleeing to Salt Lake City, where they were later apprehended.

On the girl’s phone, investigators found a video of the teens lying together, Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly said Friday as the two were indicted on charges of murder, conspiracy, arson, robbery and fraudulent use of a credit card.

On video, the two “announce that this is their YouTube channel, and it’s been three days since the murder,” Weckerly told Chief Judge Linda Bell, who ordered the two held without bail. “And they kind of laugh about the fact that Aaron Guerrero committed the murder in exchange for … having sex with Sierra Halseth.”

Daniel Halseth’s body was found badly burned April 9 in the garage of his northwest Las Vegas home, near Durango and Alta drives. It appeared that the killers tried to dismember his body, according to Weckerly.

The living room and backyard of the home had also been burned, the prosecutor said. Throughout the home, investigators found Home Depot and ATM receipts. Surveillance video from Home Depot showed Guerrero buying saws and gloves that were later found inside the Halseth home, Weckerly said, while ATM surveillance video showed Sierra Halseth using her father’s debit cards.

Sierra Halseth and Guerrero dated from June to December but were kept from seeing each other after their parents learned they planned to run away to Los Angeles, according to court documents.

Sierra Halseth and her two older siblings also were at the center of a bitter custody battle between Daniel Halseth and his first ex-wife, former state Sen. Elizabeth Halseth, who remarried and now goes by the name Elizabeth Helgelien.

In August, Daniel Halseth was ordered to return Sierra to her mother’s custody after a judge found that he was in violation of their agreement, records show.

The day before Daniel Halseth’s body was found, Guerrero ran away from home and the teenagers purchased a circular saw, saw blades, bleach, lighter fluid, disposable gloves and drop cloth from stores near the victim’s home, according to police reports.

Guerrero’s attorney, Gabriel Grasso, said he had not read the indictment and declined to comment Friday. Sierra Halseth’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.