North Las Vegas police: Husband faces murder charge in wife’s April death

Jarom Boyes told police that his wife fatally shot herself on April 6.

On Thursday, Jarom Boyes was arrested and faces charges in her homicide.

Just before midnight April 6, North Las Vegas police were called to Whitetail Archery Avenue, near the Las Vegas Beltway and 5th Street, where they discovered 24-year-old Melissa Boyes on the floor in the master bathroom with a single gunshot to her chest, according to a police report released Thursday.

The husband told police that his wife shot herself after they argued at a nearby bar.

But things weren’t quite adding up for detectives.

Boyes’ shirt collar was ripped, and detectives noticed a 12-inch hole in the wall that looked fresh, the report said. According to Boyes’ original story, his wife had rammed her head against the wall when they returned home from the bar.

Officers also noticed that Boyes “was crying without any tears. At times, he would start chuckling as he was crying.”

An unidentified friend of Melissa who also worked for Jarom Boyes contacted officers during the investigation. She told police Melissa had called her at 11:25 p.m., roughly 20 minutes before officers were notified of the incident. According to this friend, Melissa said, “Help me please. I think he’s going to beat the (expletive) out of me,” the report said.

On May 14, the husband was given a polygraph test by detectives. He failed, and detectives noticed that he was attempting to use countermeasures to beat the test.

Ultimately, Boyes admitted to police that he had thrust his wife’s head through the wall, causing her to run into the bedroom and grab her gun. the report said. When Boyes entered the room, he said his wife had her handgun aimed at him.

“Jarom continued to come after her to the point he grabbed the gun, turning it on her, shooting her one time, killing her,” the report said.

Boyes was booked into the Las Vegas city jail on a charge of first-degree murder.

Contact reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.