In the early morning hours of December 26, 2023, the holiday season in Pahrump, Nevada, was shattered by a violent incident that claimed the life of 28-year-old Jonathon Reyes, a White / Caucasian male. The tragic events began to unfold at approximately 4:15 a.m. when Reyes himself placed a 911 call, reporting that he was holding an unknown individual at gunpoint in the backyard of his home on West Wilson Road.
When Nye County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at the residence just
minutes later, they discovered a grim scene. Reyes was found in his yard, having been shot to death. The very situation he had called to report had tragically turned against him, leaving a community in shock and investigators with a complex homicide to unravel.
The investigation into Reyes's death quickly gained momentum, leading to the initial arrests of three Pahrump residents: 32-year-old Edward Travis Parrett, 33-year-old Clifton "CJ" Lee Pfeifer Jr., and 33-year-old Stephanie Erin Vazzo. All three were charged with murder and conspiracy. As the inquiry deepened, authorities identified and apprehended two more individuals in connection with the crime. Benjamin Moser, 58, and Kathy Moser, 56, also from Pahrump, were arrested and faced the same charges of murder and conspiracy.
Investigators have stated that this was not a random act of violence, revealing that the five suspects and Jonathon Reyes were known to one another. This prior relationship between the victim and the accused suggests a deeper motive behind the fatal encounter, a detail that continues to be a central focus of the ongoing investigation as the legal process against the five suspects moves forward. The case has left the Pahrump community seeking answers and grappling with the loss of a young man in such a sudden and violent manner.
