Nevada bar reprimanded Las Vegas attorney who killed ex-daughter-in-law, new husband in law office shooting
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas attorney accused of shooting and killing his ex-daughter-in-law and her husband, who was also an attorney, was publicly reprimanded for violating the State Bar of Nevada’s professional rules of conduct, documents said.
Joe Houston II, 77, shot and killed Ashley Prince and her husband, Dennis Prince, during a custody deposition at Dennis Prince’s law firm on Monday, sources told the 8 News Now Investigators. Joe Houston was there to represent his son, Dylan Houston, in the custody dispute with his former wife, Ashley Prince.
Joe Houston shot and killed the Princes before killing himself in the fifth-floor office on Charleston Boulevard near Red Rock casino, sources said.
Joe Houston was a member of the Nevada bar since 1974.
In 2021, a man hired Joe Houston in a divorce case, documents said. Joe Houston charged the man a $5,000 retainer and a $400-per-hour fee. The man paid the retainer in December 2021, documents said.
Between the payment and the next April, the man and his spouse decided to stay together, negating the divorce, documents said. The man later requested “an accounting of the time billed” and the remaining funds from the retainer.
Joe Houston later told the man that “he accepted the case on a flat fee basis and that he was not willing to provide a refund,” documents said.
Joe Houston later sent the man a partial refund of about $1,300, documents said. An invoice also showed he billed the man for more than nine hours of work.
In their reprimand, members of the bar said Houston failed to provide a refund until the bar sent him a letter of investigation. They wrote Joe Houston’s “ethical breach caused potential injury” to the client.
The panel issued the reprimand for violating the rule of declining or terminating representation and fined Joe Houston $1,500, records said.
In 2006, a judge sanctioned Joe Houston for “disrespect” during a divorce hearing. The judge ordered his marshal to put handcuffs on Joe Houston but it was unclear if the action happened. The judge did sanction him $500.
“Our family is in a state of profound shock and sadness at yesterday’s events,” a spokesperson for the Houston family said Tuesday. “We ask for prayers and privacy as we try to navigate the coming days. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is still conducting their investigation and as that continues, speculation about details of the incident only serves to add trauma to our already grieving and overwhelmed families. We have full faith in Metro’s efforts and will leave all future comment to them as their investigation unfolds.”
The Princes recently had a child together, friends confirmed to the 8 News Now Investigators. Both also had children from previous marriages.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
