Woman pleads not guilty in 10-year-old’s death; prosecutors to seek death

Philip Morris’ eyes welled up with tears outside Judge Kathleen Delaney’s courtroom.

Inside, ex-fiancee Brenda Stokes pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges in connection with the slaying of Morris’ 10-year-old daughter, Jade, who was stabbed 40 times, and the slashing of a blackjack dealer at the Bellagio.

“My baby died for absolutely no reason. I don’t know why she just won’t say she’s guilty,” Morris said with his voice cracking.

During a brief arraignment hearing Wednesday, a trial date was set for July, but it probably will be delayed after Stokes’ defense lawyer, Tony Liker, said he planned to withdraw from the case. New lawyers are soon expected to be appointed.

Prosecutors have said Stokes’ guilt “is simply overwhelming.”

And the Review-Journal has learned that the district attorney’s death penalty committee decided to seek capital punishment for Stokes if she is convicted.

Stokes was indicted by a grand jury last month on charges of murder with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, attempted murder, battery, mayhem and burglary.

The motive for the attack is still unclear.

A lawsuit filed last week by Joyce Rhone, the Bellagio blackjack dealer who was slashed, said Stokes “erroneously” believed Rhone was spreading rumors and trying to break up Stokes’ relationship with Morris.

Morris denied any relationship with Rhone and said he was working in Montana when the attacks occurred.

“I wasn’t here. Whatever (Stokes) and her friends talked about at work is what drummed it up. (That) is what I understand,” Morris said.

Jade’s body was found two days after Christmas in an undeveloped residential subdivision in North Las Vegas.

Some of the wounds occurred after Jade was dead, including stab wounds that penetrated her skull. A butcher knife was found lodged in her neck.

A toxicology report found Jade was drugged with a generic form of Xanax. Though she was drugged, Jade, who stood 4 feet tall, had defensive wounds on her right arm.

The evidence presented to the grand jury included Jade’s blood found on the steering wheel and door handle of the car Stokes was driving when the child disappeared earlier in December. The child’s blood also was found on Stokes’ clothing.

Jade was last seen on Dec. 21, when Stokes picked up Jade from her mother’s home to go Christmas shopping.

Stokes was engaged to Jade’s father and had a close relationship with the girl over the past three years.

But a few hours later, authorities say, Stokes approached a Bellagio blackjack table and began slashing the face of a dealer, 44-year-old Joyce Rhone.

Rhone survived the attack, and Stokes was arrested, but Jade was nowhere to be found. The girl’s body was found Dec. 27 by a person walking a dog.