Slain businessman’s son admits giving witnesses cash

A son of slain Las Vegas businessman John Herda paid witnesses in his father's murder case thousands of dollars before the trial, he testified Wednesday.

Nick Herda said he paid three key witnesses to get information about his father's slaying and to help out the witnesses, who claimed to be down on their luck.

Herda, who at one point broke down crying on the witness stand, said he wasn't trying to bribe them.

"I can show you a list of 20 people in the last year I gave money to," he said. "My brother gets so mad at me because I'm such an easy guy."

The witnesses Herda paid are scheduled to testify against Bryan Crawley in his trial.

Crawley, 40, is accused of killing 83-year-old John Herda during a robbery and home invasion at the victim's Spanish Oaks house in 2006.

If Crawley is convicted, he could receive the death penalty.

Prosecutors said they don't believe the money will affect the testimony of witnesses.

Anthony Sgro, one of the attorneys defending Crawley, questioned that, pointing out that Nick Herda gave the witnesses up to $10,000.

Relatives described Nick Herda as being overly generous. One relative said one of the reasons he gave witnesses money was to keep them from leaving Las Vegas.

Herda said the witnesses initially approached him for money. He would often give them money in parking lots or at gas stations.

He said he felt sorry for the witnesses because they were in dire financial situations. He gave one witness money for rent so that she and her child wouldn't be homeless.

The three witnesses Herda gave money to were Max Gutierrez, Gutierrez's sister and Kenneth Haywood.

Herda testified that he paid Gutierrez about $10,000 over a year's time. He kept giving Gutierrez money even after authorities told him to stop.

Gutierrez dated Crawley's mother.

Authorities said Gutierrez drove to Mexico with Crawley after John Herda's slaying so that Crawley could get a .22- caliber bullet removed from his side.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said the victim fired the shot that wounded Crawley on the night of the home invasion.

Nick Herda said he paid Haywood between $1,000 and $3,600 after his father was killed.

Haywood shared a cell with Crawley at the county jail. Authorities said Crawley asked Haywood to kill several witnesses in the case.

Haywood agreed to take a digital recorder into the cell and secretly record hours of their conversations.

Gutierrez's sister, identified only as "Toni" during testimony, tried to remove the bullet from Crawley in Las Vegas, said Allison Kiel, Crawley's girlfriend.

Crawley is facing more than 20 criminal charges, including murder and solicitation to commit murder.

Months after he killed John Herda, Crawley stabbed a man outside a bar and robbed and beat a woman in Henderson, authorities said.

Kiel, who faces charges in connection with the Henderson robbery, testified that Crawley told her he had robbed John Herda and that the robbery went bad.

She said Crawley told her that he "unloaded on him," meaning that he fired multiple rounds at John Herda.

John Herda was shot six times. He died from gunshot wounds.

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