Man gets life in prison in fatal shooting of off-duty Metro officer
A 24-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday for fatally shooting a Las Vegas Metro officer Trevor Nettleton.
Nettleton had just returned to his North Las Vegas home on Nov. 19, 2009, from his late shift at the Bolden Area Command when he was gunned down.
Then 18-year-old Prentice Marshall approached with a Glock semi-automatic pistol in his hand. A firefight ensued in the garage, while Nettleton's 2-year-old son, Tanner, and 2-month-old daughter, Quinn, along with his wife, Danielle, and mother, Deborah Austern, were inside the home.
Police at the time described the crime as a random robbery attempt that lead to Nettleton's killing.
Almost six years after the slaying, Marshall, who had been facing the death penalty, pleaded guilty in June to murder and robbery charges.
His father, Richard Nettleton, said his son also was a Marine, husband, father, brother and friend.
"My son was taught compassion for people, which obviously the defendant will never know what that means," he said.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly called the killing "so callous, so unnecessary."
In handing down the sentence, District Judge Jessie Walsh noted that Nettleton was "gunned down in the sanctity of his home."
Marshall declined to speak on Wednesday during the sentencing.
Marshall admitted to each of the eight counts alleged, including first-degree murder, robbery and burglary in connection with the killing.
He admitted to two counts that were related to the carjacking of a 2005 Ford Mustang that occurred at a convenience store two days before Nettleton was killed. Another count tied Marshall to a robbery that occurred 30 minutes before the fatal shooting.
Prosecutors have said that Marshall and three others — Saul Williams Jr., Quadrae Scott and Adrian Pena — were driving around with criminal intentions when they saw an open garage door at Nettleton's North Las Vegas home.
Prosecutors said Marshall was a member of the Wood Street gang, and that the shooting highlighted the danger of gang activity.
Marshall's lawyers said he could still appeal District Judge Jessie Walsh's ruling on a statement Marshall made while hospitalized. If he wins that appeal, he could be granted a trial.
Borthers Emmitt and Michael Ferguson, who lived in the same house with Williams, pleaded guilty in 2011 to felony accessory to murder for hiding the murder weapon in their attic.
Scott pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2012, and Pena later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, robbery and attempted robbery. Williams is still awaiting trial.
Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker
