In the spring of 2022, the life of 41-year-old Linal Morris, a Black/African American male, came to a violent and tragic end in the unseen depths of Las Vegas. His body was discovered on March 21, 2022, in a wash beneath Charlie Frias Park, a discovery that would unravel a story of a fatal altercation. The Clark County Coroner's Office would later determine that Morris died from a shotgun wound to the head.
Although his remains were found in March, it was established that he was lost to gun violence on May 21, 2022.
The investigation into Morris's death led police into the city's network of flood control tunnels, where a grim narrative of his final moments began to surface. Witnesses recounted a heated argument between Morris and another man, 38-year-old Donald Blodgett, within the confines of an encampment in the tunnels. One woman, who had been staying in Blodgett's encampment, told investigators that she was awakened by the fight, which escalated to the point where Blodgett allegedly shot Morris three times with a shotgun. Following the shooting, Blodgett reportedly asked the witness to help him move Morris's body, a request she refused.
Further witness accounts painted a disturbing picture of the aftermath. Another individual reported seeing Blodgett days after the shooting, moving Morris's body deeper into the tunnel system and attempting to set it on fire. In an apparent effort to destroy any evidence, Blodgett also allegedly burned his own encampment. Rumors of a body in the tunnels had been circulating for about a week before a concerned citizen alerted the police.
Based on the investigation and witness testimonies, Donald Blodgett was arrested and charged with the murder of Linal Morris. He was taken into custody and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, where he was held without bail.
