In the spring of 2019, a new chapter in the life of 31-year-old Rebekah Peters, a White / Caucasian female, was tragically cut short in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having moved from New York just two months prior with dreams of becoming a professional poker player, she was working as a bartender and embracing a fresh start. Friends and family remembered her as a vibrant and adventurous soul with an infectious laugh and a zest for life, someone who could light up any room she entered.
On the night
of April 2, 2019, what began as a casual evening at her home on Sundance Avenue with her two roommates, one of whom was her cousin, Ian Donovan, took a devastating turn. An argument broke out, and for reasons that remain unclear, her other roommate, 37-year-old Richard Kelly, became enraged. He retrieved a handgun from his room and went out to the patio where Peters and Donovan were. There, he opened fire, shooting both of them.
Donovan, despite being wounded, was able to call 911 to report the shooting. When officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived, Kelly surrendered to them. Inside the home, police found Rebekah Peters and her cousin on the patio with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to University Medical Center, where Rebekah was pronounced dead on April 3, 2019. Donovan, who was hailed as a hero by the family for his efforts to save his cousin, survived his injuries.
Richard Kelly was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. In March 2023, he was convicted of the charges and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. During the sentencing, as Rebekah's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, Kelly reportedly appeared dispassionate. The senseless act of violence left a permanent void in the lives of those who knew and loved Rebekah, a young woman who had moved to the city of lights with hopes for a bright future.
