Monroe denies plotting hits from jail

The man charged with trying to put hits on a judge, prosecutor and cop took the witness stand Monday and denied any involvement in the alleged plot.

Daimon Monroe, 42, told a jury that fellow inmates inside the county jail had set him up. He said he was shocked when police told him he was accused of plotting to kill District Judge Michelle Leavitt, county prosecutor Sandra DiGiacomo and Las Vegas police Detective Bradley Nickell.

"It didn't make any sense to me," Monroe said, adding that he told police he was willing to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence.

Monroe testified for almost three hours. He gave long, rambling explanations to questions so often that District Judge Douglas Herndon told him several times to simply answer the questions he was asked.

Monroe faces three counts of solicitation to commit murder. Authorities said he plotted from the county jail to kill DiGiacomo and Nickell because they had helped put him behind bars in an unrelated major theft case.

Authorities said Monroe wanted Leavitt dead because he feared she would give him a harsh sentence.

He wanted to pay $30,000 for the assassinations plus another $500,000 once the job was finished, authorities said.

During the trial, prosecutors showed the jury handwritten letters purportedly written by Monroe. One letter states, "Go with killing Leavitt, Nickell. Hold DiGiacomo," authorities said. "Hold DiGiacomo" meant to hold off on killing her.

During their investigation, police had another inmate, Edward Gutierrez, wear a wire during meetings with Monroe inside the jail. On the poor-quality recordings, Monroe could be heard telling Gutierrez that he wants the alleged targets killed, authorities said.

On Monday, Monroe denied that he wanted them killed. He said he knew from the start that he was being set up by other inmates and merely told them what he thought they wanted to hear.

He admitted that authorities had his letters but denied he had written, "Go with killing Leavitt, Nickell. Hold DiGiacomo."

"I'm not violent. That's not even in my nature," Monroe said.

Monroe has been convicted of 51 felonies in at least six cases. He was sentenced to spend life in prison for a theft case that netted at least $2 million in stolen goods.

He also faces an August trial in a sexual abuse and lewdness case. Chief Deputy District Attorney Roy Nelson said Monroe's two daughters testified at a previous hearing that Monroe had shocked them with a Taser before sexually abusing them.

The daughters were 7 and 11 when they testified.

Monroe also denied that he ever sexually abused his daughters.

"It's disgusting," he said. "I wouldn't hurt my kids."

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.