In the east Las Vegas Valley, the life of 37-year-old Derrian Joshua Stephens, a Black / African American male, came to a tragic end on the night of March 29, 2017. His body was discovered between two houses on the 4600 block of Van Buren Avenue, near Owens Avenue and Nellis Boulevard. The cause of his death was a gunshot wound to the neck, and the Clark County coroner's office officially ruled it a homicide.
Witnesses in the area reported hearing an argument followed by the sound of gunshots before Stephens was found.
The investigation into the murder revealed a volatile mix of drugs, sex, and jealousy that preceded the fatal shooting. According to a Las Vegas police report, Stephens had spent the morning with his girlfriend, Nina Daniel, using methamphetamine. Animosity arose when Eric Joseph Flores, 27, arrived at the residence to speak with Daniel. Stephens became enraged, reportedly striking Daniel with a fire extinguisher and forcing her to leave the house. Following this altercation, Daniel sought help from Flores to retrieve her belongings from Stephens' home.
This set the stage for a final, deadly confrontation between the two men. A fight broke out between Flores and Stephens in front of the residence, culminating in the fatal gunshot. In the aftermath, witnesses saw two men and a woman fleeing the scene eastward on Van Buren. The investigation led police to Eric Joseph Flores, who was arrested on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon. Flores admitted to homicide detectives that he had been in a sexual relationship with Daniel. He was taken into custody after being recognized in a shopping center.
