Wyoming man charged in death of former UNLV football player

A Wyoming mixed martial arts fighter faces a second-degree murder charge in the June beating death of former University of Nevada, Las Vegas football player DeMario Reynolds Sr.

The Gillette (Wyoming) News-Record reported Saturday that prosecutors in Las Vegas filed the charge against Jason Simon Sindelar, 25, on Thursday. Local officials could not be reached Saturday to confirm the report.

Authorities say Sindelar, a Gillette native who moved to Las Vegas two years ago, attacked Reynolds, 26, at the Luxor on June 22.

Reynolds was a linebacker who last played for UNLV in 2005. After graduating from the school, he worked at a nightclub at the Luxor and became friends with Sindelar, who also promoted clubs there, Christina Reynolds, the victim's sister, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in June.

Sindelar's whereabouts were unknown as of Saturday. He was arrested in Las Vegas following the killing, but was released while prosecutors were waiting for autopsy results. Clark County District Attorney David Roger said at the time that charges could come after the manner and cause of death were determined.

According to Sindelar's arrest report, Iman Aubrey, DeMario Reynolds' 43-year-old fianceé and the operator of a website for prospective swingers, told investigators that Reynolds was trying to stop a fight between Sindelar and his girlfriend in a hotel room bathroom at 4 a.m. on June 19.

Aubrey and other witnesses told police that Sindelar had grabbed his girlfriend by the throat and slapped her, which prompted Reynolds to grab Sindelar and pull him to the floor. Reynolds told Sindelar he didn't want to fight and tried to calm down the professional fighter.

The confrontation between the men continued in the master bedroom, where Sindelar "continuously hit Reynolds in the head and chest," witnesses said.

Sindelar left the suite but quickly returned and began beating Reynolds in the face and chest again. Reynolds was in a defensive position at that point, according to witnesses' reports.

Sindelar left a second time and security was called. Reynolds was later pronounced dead at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center.

During an interview with detectives, Sindelar said Reynolds grabbed him by the throat while he was arguing with his girlfriend. He told police that no physical altercation had occurred, but he had "several visible injuries" on his body, according to the arrest report.