In the late hours of January 18, 2017, the life of 27-year-old Alyssa Nicole Velasco, a Black/African American female, was tragically cut short in a violent episode that unfolded within a Las Vegas apartment. What began as a dispute over drugs escalated into a double homicide, leaving Alyssa and a 33-year-old man named Myron Manghum dead from gunshot wounds.
Alyssa succumbed to gunshot wounds to her head and neck, while Myron suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The grim discovery was made after police were called to the 700 block of McWilliams Avenue for a report of a man with gunshot wounds to his hands. This man, Johnny Brooks, was the lone survivor of the attack. Officers followed a trail of his blood back to an apartment on the 900 block of West Washington Avenue, where they found the bodies of Alyssa and Myron. Brooks was transported to University Medical Center for his injuries. According to police, two men who had been at the residence earlier in the evening were allowed back inside, leading to the altercation that ended in gunfire. During the horrific event, Alyssa's brother was on the phone with her and heard her scream, "No, no, no!".
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrests of two suspects, Durwin Allen and Terrell Stewart. Allen and Stewart were charged with murder in the killings of Alyssa and Myron. The case against them heavily relied on the testimony of the surviving witness, Johnny Brooks. However, the legal proceedings faced a significant challenge when Brooks became a reluctant witness.
In the years following the murders, the prosecution's case was complicated by Brooks's wavering cooperation. At one point, Durwin Allen was released on house arrest after prosecutors were unable to locate Brooks to testify at his trial. Brooks was later arrested on a material witness warrant and, when he did appear in court, he recanted his initial identification of the shooter, claiming he could not remember the faces of the assailants. Terrell Stewart was also taken into custody and awaited a separate trial.
