Tragic Legal Idiocy (attorney Dennis Prince murder in Las Vegas)

[MisterV]

Reports show he was careful not to shoot anyone else, and in fact told another person in the office to leave the room before the shooting started.

Would that have been the person who was taking down or recording the deposition?

As originally mentioned, I wonder whether the event was caught of a video of an ongoing depositon, or did it occur "off the record?"

Not that it matters for purposes of criminal prosecution, but it would be relevant in the likely future wrongful death litigation which I am certain the estates of the dead couple will bring against the estate of the shooter.

Kap-pow ===> ka-ching.

[MaxPen]

Reports show he was careful not to shoot anyone else, and in fact told another person in the office to leave the room before the shooting started.

Would that have been the person who was taking down or recording the deposition?

As originally mentioned, I wonder whether the event was caught of a video of an ongoing depositon, or did it occur "off the record?"

Not that it matters for purposes of criminal prosecution, but it would be relevant in the likely future wrongful death litigation which I am certain the estates of the dead couple will bring against the estate of the shooter.

Kap-pow ===> ka-ching.

It was the shooter's wife.

[mcap]

On the bright side, at least there’s real life Las Vegas discussion going on in the Las Vegas subforum

[Dan Druff]

Looks like my theories were correct.

First off, Joe Houston (the murderer) had prostate cancer and was terminal. Note that I put that he "felt he was at the end of his life anyway" and decided to go out killing people he hated for hurting his son.

Second, indeed this looks like anger of a combination of two things -- a child custody battle after custody had already been established, and a pretty woman leaving a guy her own age for an old dude.

Here's a picture of Dennis and Ashley Prince, murder victims:





Imagine you're a lawyer in your 30s, have a pretty wife, and all of a sudden she leaves you for an old dude, who is also a lawyer. Then that old lawyer helps her restart an already-resolved custody battle, and is going for more than the 50-50 previously agreed to.

Dude must have been so furious. So he told Daddy Joe about it, and Daddy Joe decided to end both of them, since he was about to croak from prostate cancer anyway.

Young men typically don't feel competitive with older men, but if they get dumped in favor of one, it's a huge indignity and it tends to really piss them off.

[MisterV]

Did the shooter leave a wife of his own behind?

If so, there won't be much in the way of his estate assets left for her to live on after the expected / likely wrongful death litigation, assuming the guy had a pot to pee in and a window to throw it out of.

But the shooter got his wish: his son will get full custody.

[mcap]

Did the shooter leave a wife of his own behind?

If so, there won't be much in the way of his estate assets left for her to live on after the expected / likely wrongful death litigation, assuming the guy had a pot to pee in and a window to throw it out of.

But the shooter got his wish: his son will get full custody.

Depends on if they find evidence the son knew. Her sister has been granted emergency custody by a judge. The father/son tried to pick them up from school during school the day of the murder, before it was public news.

The irony is that the ex-wife had inquired about private security for the hearing fearful of her ex-husband and his guns, but canceled when she found out he wouldn’t be there.

[MisterV]

I'd be surprised if the son was "in on it," but yeah, if evidence is found that clearly shows he knew of and supported the act then he'd not only not get custody he could face criminal prosecution.

I cannot imagine the shooter, being a lawyer, would be stupid enough to have left a digital or paper trail showing he and his son plotting and scheming, and for damn sure the son will be tight lipped.

Not too surprised at the sister getting emergency custody as there may be questions about culpability; I expect he'll prevail eventually given the fundamental interest a parent has in raising their child.

An interesting case.