Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Court date set for man arrested in death of woman found in closet

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Jon Hendie Morris

A man charged in the death of a woman whose body was found in her closet in December will have his first appearance next month in Clark County District Court.

Jon Hendie Morris, 50, was arrested on a murder charge in the death of Mecenda Mazone, 34, who was found Dec. 15 in her apartment on Bonanza Road.

On Friday, Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis decided there was probable cause for a first-degree murder charge and sent Morris' case to district court. His initial arraignment will be at 10:30 a.m. July 20 before District Court Judge Jennifer Togliatti.

According to a Metro Police report, Morris initially denied involvement in the death.

But Morris eventually told police that in November, the couple had exchanged blows during a fight and that Mazone fell, hitting her head violently on a tile floor. Morris told police he thought she was knocked out and after 10 minutes, he checked her neck for a pulse and found no signs of life.

Morris told police he then carried her to a closet, put a floral blanket over her and closed the closet door, the report said. Morris told police the death was an accident and that he had struck her just to try to stop her from hitting him.

The report said the couple, who shared apartment together, had a "combative relationship" and that Morris had been arrested five times for battery of Mazone. When Morris was arrested on Dec. 17 for the murder charge, he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest on domestic violence charges for beating Mazone, police said.

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