Man gets prison for killing Las Vegas woman who stole his wallet

The family of a woman shot to death over a stolen wallet in April told a judge on Friday that her life was worth much more than a missing billfold.

Authorities said Candice Cooks, 27, of Las Vegas was shot by Kevin Osborne, 31, in the 1800 block of North Decatur Boulevard after Cooks took Osborne’s wallet.

Osborne pleaded guilty in October to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal and was sentenced Friday by District Judge Tierra Jones.

Mariah Mason, one of Cooks’ sisters, told the judge that she and her relatives are now caring for Cooks’ children, ages 6 and 8, and that the grief caused by the killing has not become easier to endure.

Mason said her sister “took the title of ‘mother’ to heart.”

“She was a good mom, and she loved her kids,” the woman said. “Growing up, we weren’t that fortunate, so she made a goal to make for a better life for her little ones. Never leaving them hungry. Taking them on trips.”

Las Vegas police and Chief Deputy District Attorney Hetty Wong said Cooks met Osborne at an apartment on Decatur while Cooks was working as an escort. She had sex with Osborne, then took his wallet.

Osborne followed Cooks to the parking lot and found her in a vehicle driven by Cooks’ boyfriend, Wong said. Osborne then retrieved a firearm and fired three shots, with one bullet hitting Cooks in the back. She died at University Medical Center.

“She did not deserve to die,” Wong said. “She made some mistakes that morning, but so did this defendant.”

Wong acknowledged that Osborne had no significant criminal history before the shooting, with only a misdemeanor DUI conviction. However, prior to sentencing, Osborne bailed out and was placed on house arrest, then was put back in custody because he violated curfew for going to a strip club and cannabis shops.

“What the defendant is showing us here is he hasn’t learned his lesson,” Wong said.

Osborne declined to speak when given the opportunity to do so. Ashley Sisolak of the Clark County special public defender’s office asked Jones to put Osborne on probation.

Sisolak said her client has been employed and was enrolled in school to become a truck driver. The visits to the cannabis shop, she said, were on behalf of a family member suffering from lupus.

“We are all better than the worst thing we’ve ever done,” the defense attorney said. “This is obviously a life-changing event for him.”

Jones declined the request for probation, however, and sentenced Osborne to six to 15 years in prison. She cited the curfew violations as one of the reasons for her decision.

Cooks’ mother, Teresa Mason, said her daughter was in college studying criminal justice with a dream of becoming a youth probation officer. She also was a certified bartender.

“Not only did I lose my daughter, I lost my best friend,” Teresa Mason said through sobs.

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.