Ex-con wanted in 3 cases arrested for murder

An ex-felon was arrested Thursday on multiple warrants, including one in a murder case.

Marvin Smith, 45, was arrested on charges of murder, assault, robbery and drug possession.

Smith is suspected of fatally shooting Dion Southern, 48, on Oct. 3. Police said Southern was found around 11 p.m. that day on the 800 block of North Rancho Drive after an fight over drugs.

Court records show Smith was released on his own recognizance on Aug. 3 after he was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance. A warrant was issued in the case on Oct. 12, after Smith did not appear for court in a separate robbery case.

Smith’s criminal history in Las Vegas dates back to 1996, when he was sentenced to two years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. District Court records show he returned to prison in 2004 and again in 2008, both for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

In 2017, he pleaded guilty to strangling a person over 65 and was first sentenced to probation. Court records note he was not checking in with his probation officer, and he was sentenced to another two years in prison in 2019.

Smith is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, and he is expected to appear in court Tuesday. Details on how he was tied to Southern’s killing were not immediately provided.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.