Teenager heads to prison for Las Vegas hotel room slaying

David Charns
·2 min read
24

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A teenager who killed another teen inside a hotel room off the Las Vegas Strip will serve at least eight years in prison, a judge ordered Thursday.

Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Sincere Smith to 8-25 years in prison as part of a settlement conference.

Sincere Smith, who was 15 at the time, shot and killed Omarion Wilson, 17, during a gathering at a hotel on March 25, 2023, records said. The hotel is located on Flamingo Road about a block east of the Las Vegas Strip.

In January, Smith took an Alford plea on a second-degree murder charge, meaning he believed prosecutors had enough evidence to convince a jury to convict him but he did not admit guilt.

Police in California arrested Smith in June 2023. He originally faced a charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, records said.

<em>A photo Omarion Wilson, 17, who was killed in March 2023. (Family photo)</em>
A photo Omarion Wilson, 17, who was killed in March 2023. (Family photo)

Wilson was wrapping up his senior year at Legacy High School in North Las Vegas, his family said, describing him as outgoing and competitive and a well-known football and track athlete.

Wilson’s mother, Laquinna Wiggins, said she buried her son in his prom outfit.

“To my son Omarion, mama wishes she were there to save and protect you,” Wiggins said during the sentencing. “I wish this were a dream I can wake up from. Mama misses and loves you so much.”

Detectives reviewed surveillance video from before the shooting, which they said showed Smith and a group of other teenage boys arriving at a parking garage, taking a gun from his waistband and putting it into a backpack, documents said.

Four minutes after the boys reached the floor where the group was holding the party, video showed the same group running away via the stairs, police said.

In Nevada, if a 16-year-old or 17-year-old is charged with murder, the case is automatically moved to the adult system. The process is referred to as certification. Judges can certify children over the age of 14 as adults for any felony offense, including murder, though the process is not automatic.

With credit for time served, Smith will be up for parole in June 2031.

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