In a grim discovery on December 8, 2011, the body of 20-year-old David Pettis, a Caucasian male from North Las Vegas, was found wrapped in plastic in the northeastern part of Las Vegas. The Clark County coroner's office later confirmed that Pettis's death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head. Metro Police officers made the discovery around 10 a.m.
in the 5400 block of Reflex Drive, an area described as a short roadway near a storage yard for construction equipment.
Investigators soon identified a suspect in the case, leading to an arrest warrant being issued for 42-year-old Pedro Morones-Verdin. Authorities described Morones-Verdin as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and cautioned that he should be considered armed and dangerous. The investigation revealed that Pettis had been living with Morones-Verdin in a North Las Vegas home and was involved in selling drugs for him, earning a daily supply of heroin and a monthly payment.
The relationship between the two reportedly soured, with Morones-Verdin believing Pettis intended to kill him. According to a witness, Cortney Sears, who also lived in the home, a physical altercation occurred between the two men on December 3. Sears stated that she provided a gun to Morones-Verdin, who then shot Pettis in the head. Following the shooting, Morones-Verdin allegedly disposed of Pettis's belongings and had the body, wrapped in plastic, placed in the trunk of a car to be dumped. Sears also told police that Morones-Verdin had fled to Mexico. Police later found evidence of a thorough cleanup of a significant amount of blood at the residence.
