Las Vegas Strip hotel murder suspect remains in jail
A 40-year-old Las Vegas man remains in custody this week on suspicion of fatally shooting another man at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. The two got into an argument over a $20 gambling ticket at a property on the Las Vegas Strip.
Christopher Mason was arrested Monday in the Saturday slaying of 35-year-old Martell Merrill in a hotel room.
The Clark County Coroner's Office ruled he died from gunshot wounds to the arm and chest, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The housekeeper discovered the body
On Sunday, an unnamed hotel housekeeper saw a trail of blood flowing from the hotel room into the hallway. She opened the door and discovered Merrill's body. She quickly called hotel security, who notified the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).
Police found Mason on Monday in the northwest Las Vegas valley. He was charged with open murder with a deadly weapon and has since been held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
Woman heard gunshots
Police said Merrill's unnamed girlfriend was on the phone with Merrill for about 23 minutes Saturday night when she heard two men arguing over a $20 gambling ticket.
She notified LVMPD officers of the dispute. She added that a suspect she called "Quice" (later identified as Mason) allegedly pointed a gun at her boyfriend's head.
She told police she then heard a dull thud followed by heavy breathing, police said. But she apparently gave police and hotel security a false room number, preventing them from responding to the crime scene that night. Police later identified the correct hotel room where Mason was staying.
Meanwhile, Mason left the hotel around 9 p.m. Surveillance video shows him driving south on the Las Vegas Strip. He is carrying a bag. Police later found speedloaders for three revolvers in the bag. Police also discovered that Merrill received a text message from Mason Saturday morning offering a $20 gaming voucher.
The room where the murder occurred was registered to Mason, who checked in on June 6, Las Vegas TV station KSNV reported. Merrill and another man also spent some time in the room while Mason was there.
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Source: www.casino.org
