Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Girl one of eight delayed deaths in ’22
9-year-old died of complications from 2016 wound
A 9-year-old girl died in 2022 nearly six years after she was shot by an older sibling, according to a report released Thursday.
Honesty Townsend died Oct. 8 from complications of a gunshot wound to the neck that she suffered on Oct. 16, 2016, according to a report from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Honesty was shot on Studio Street, in northeast Las Vegas, while her mother was home and moments before her father came home.
“Based on the age of the child and lack of intent, no criminal charges will be filed,” Metro wrote in the report after Honesty’s death. “The incident will need to be added to the homicide log for 2016.”
Her mother, Shaletres Townsend, was arrested the day of the shooting and pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment for leaving a weapon where a child could access it. She was sentenced in 2017 to four years of probation.
Townsend told the Review-journal after her arrest that she had been robbed at gunpoint before, so she kept a gun in her purse in the bedroom, which she thought was locked.
Honesty was partially paralyzed after the shooting but understood what people were saying to her while she lay in her hospital bed.
Metro did not disclose her death because it routinely does not announce delayed deaths.
Honesty’s death was one of eight delayed deaths that occurred in 2022. The eight deaths will be added to the department’s homicide logs according to the year of each crime. Her death was recorded by the Clark County coroner’s office in its 2022 logs because of her date of death.
On Oct. 29, 2019, Camille Castellanos, 45, confronted a man at Molasky Family Park about stealing $50 from her, according to a report from Metro released Thursday. The man stabbed Castellanos in the face, head and neck, severing her spine.
Alexander Jacobo was arrested and pleaded guilty to battery with use of a deadly weapon, but he was released on parole one month before Castellanos died from her injuries on Feb. 7.
Marques Devine, 34, died 13 days after his slaying suspect was sentenced for a misdemeanor battery charge. Devine was found beaten and unconscious on July 26 outside 3646 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
Devine suffered a brain bleed, and police said Edward James was found nearby and arrested, though they did not say how James injured Devine.
The Clark County district attorney’s office did not say whether they would re-prosecute the men on murder charges. In 19999, the Nevada Legislature had repealed a law blocking murder prosecutions in cases where a homicide victim died more than one year and one day after being attacked.
More than 11 years later, 42-yearold Paul Vera died on May 3 from a remote gunshot wound of the neck.
Metro said Vera was shot on March 6, 2011, when he got out of his vehicle to fight with another driver near 804 E. Flamingo Road. Police named the people they suspected in the killing, but it was unclear if anyone was ever arrested.
“The male in the Honda got out and fired at least three shots striking the victim in the back at least once,” police wrote in the report.
Metro did not provide information on four other delayed deaths in 2022. At least two of those deaths were still under investigation, according to Metro records.