In the summer of 2020, the life of a young, 24-year-old Black / African American woman named Alexus Lay was cut tragically short in North Las Vegas, Nevada. On the morning of July 19, Alexus was left at North Vista Hospital with a fatal gunshot wound to her back, a grim end to a night that had begun with a party. Her death was quickly ruled a homicide by the Clark County coroner's office, sparking an investigation by the North Las Vegas Police Department to uncover the events that led to her
untimely demise.
The investigation into her death began to unravel a complex series of events. Detectives learned that Alexus had attended a party at the home of a man's brother on July 18. Her roommate told police that the last person she was seen with was her friend, 22-year-old Keandre Sims. This claim was substantiated by Facebook messages exchanged between Lay and Sims. As investigators delved deeper, they uncovered a recorded phone call Sims made to a Nevada Department of Corrections inmate on July 19. In this call, Sims was heard discussing the shooting and the subsequent clean-up of his bathroom to remove evidence.
These crucial pieces of evidence led to a breakthrough in the case nearly three months after Alexus's death. Police arrested 26-year-old Denzae Cary, who they believe fatally shot Alexus at the party before driving her to the hospital in the early morning hours of July 19. Cary was subsequently charged with one count of open murder. Keandre Sims was also implicated for his role in the aftermath of the shooting and was charged with destroying or concealing evidence. While Sims was already in custody for an unrelated shooting that had occurred just days before Alexus's death, the arrest of Cary marked a significant step towards justice for the young mother of four.
