Supreme Court upholds convictions of 2 Las Vegas killers

By Cy Ryan

Thursday, June 3, 2010 | 1 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has upheld the Las Vegas murder convictions of a woman who fatally stabbed her 7-year-old daughter and a man who killed a mentally impaired woman during a home burglary.

Sherri Love was found guilty in the stabbing of her daughter, Arabella Moreno. She also stabbed her 8-year-old son, Brian, who escaped with minor injuries in February 2007.

Love, now 49, maintained she wasn't guilty by reason of insanity. She was sentenced to a life term with the possibility of parole.

She had diagnoses of bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders and a long history of alcohol abuse. Less than a week before the stabbings, she was an in-patient in a drug and alcohol detoxification program.

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of District Judge Stewart Bell, who refused to admit an out-of-court statement she made to a forensic psychologist that she had no recollection of stabbing her daughter. Bell ruled it was hearsay and the court backed his decision.

Love challenged the jury instructions on insanity, involuntary intoxication and voluntary intoxication, but the Supreme Court said she failed to object to the instructions at trial.

In the other case, Cornelius E. Rogers, now 44, was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibly of parole in the death of 33-year-old Julie Holt during a home burglary on March 2001.

Holt’s hands and feet were tied and she had a sock stuffed into her mouth. She died of suffocation. She was discovered by her father when he returned home from work and the house had been burglarized.

The prosecution sought the death penalty but the jury came back with the consecutive life terms without parole. Rogers argued the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. But the court said the question is moot since the jury did not impose the death penalty.

“This court has repeatedly refused to render opinions on moot questions,” said the court.

The court also upheld the ruling of District Judge Jennifer Togliatti when she denied a motion to suppress statements by Rogers to the police.

Togliatti said Rogers was repeatedly advised of his Miranda rights not to speak with police. He exercised his right once to stop police from questioning him so he could speak to his family members. He was interviewed over several days and “was not physically mistreated in any way,” the Supreme Court said.