In the spring of 2017, the life of 19-year-old Alyssa Mariah Sayago was tragically cut short in Las Vegas, Nevada. A graduate of Centennial High School, Alyssa was attending the College of Southern Nevada with dreams of studying Kinesiology in Canada. Described as smart, beautiful, and driven, she had a gift for seeing the good in others and brought sunshine to those she met.
Her aspirations were to become a strength and conditioning coach, a goal fueled by her passion for working out and kickboxing.
On the evening of March 14, 2017, Alyssa was lured to a vacant house on Copper Knoll Avenue under the pretense of a marijuana sale. She had expressed apprehension about the location to a friend she was on the phone with, having initially arranged to meet the buyer in a more public place. The plan was, in fact, a robbery orchestrated by several individuals. Upon arriving at the dark, empty home, she was led to the backyard where the supposed transaction was to take place. Moments later, she was shot once in the head.
The investigation into her death, which was quickly ruled a homicide, led to the identification of several teenage suspects. Authorities determined that 18-year-old Daelin Wagner had coordinated the robbery remotely via his phone, setting up the meeting with Alyssa. The alleged shooter was 17-year-old Khari James, who later admitted to shooting Alyssa after she reportedly sprayed mace in his face during the attempted robbery. James was arrested in California, and Wagner was captured in Texas. Both faced charges including murder, conspiracy to commit robbery, and robbery with a deadly weapon.
Further investigation revealed the involvement of others. Police identified Latrell Stanley, 19, as another individual present at the scene, his fingerprints having been found there. Tracena Danay Brown, 19, was arrested on suspicion of being the getaway driver. While charges against Brown were eventually dismissed, Stanley, James, and Wagner were all indicted on charges of murder, robbery, conspiracy, and kidnapping. A fourth male suspect, who allegedly accompanied James to the house, was also implicated but has not been publicly identified. The tragic event stemmed from a plan to rob Alyssa of what was reportedly only an ounce of marijuana.
