Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Handyman to stand trial in North Las Vegas shooting death

Police: Surveillance video shows suspect tried to stage break-in

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Billy Ray James

It’s been more than two years since Billy Ray James was arrested in the shooting death of Willie Henderson, a 60-year-old North Las Vegas man James worked for from time to time doing odd jobs at his home.

James, 43, who has pleaded not guilty, learned this morning that his murder trial will start the middle of next week in Clark County District Court.

Judge Valerie Adair went over final motions today with attorneys and set jury selection to begin at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

James’ attorneys, Alzora Jackson and Robert Arroyo, both from the special public defenders office, said they expected the trial to go through next Thursday, then continue through the following week.

James has been charged with first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon involving a victim over the age of 60, burglary with a deadly weapon and ex-felon in possession of a firearm.

Henderson’s body was found by his daughter, Sharon Miles, at 4:41 p.m. Jan. 22, 2010, at his home in the 4700 block of Cattleman Drive, near Decatur Boulevard and Craig Road, according to a police report. The Clark County coroner’s autopsy report said the cause of Henderson’s death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was homicide.

Officers said Miles told them the rear door had been forced open to the home, the police report said. Officers said they found Henderson seated in a recliner in the living room, with blood on his head neck and shirt, the report said. They also found a .25 caliber shell casing on the floor, the report said.

The rear door had two broken window panes and other debris scattered on the living room floor, police said.

Police said Miles told them she had spoken to her father about 7:30 a.m. that day and they planned to have dinner together that night. She said when she called about 3:30 p.m., there was no answer to his phone. She said she arrived at his home and, getting no response to the doorbell or to her phone calls, used a spare key and discovered her father’s body, she told officers.

Miles said that Henderson lived alone and was in the process of getting a divorce from his wife, Grace Henderson, who had moved out the previous July, police said.

Officers said they discovered a large piece of broken wood that had come to rest on top of Henderson’s right foot, indicating that the rear door was forced open. The police report said he must have been dead when the door was forced open, because it is reasonable to assume he would have moved out of the chair from the sound and commotion of someone kicking in the rear door of his home.

Police said they found a surveillance system in his home that was turned on, showing a quad-screen view of cameras mounted on the exterior of the house.

Police said the surveillance video indicated that Henderson let in heavyset black man around 7:47 a.m., presumably someone he knew. The police report said officers believe the suspect in the video shot the victim inside the house. The police report said the cameras show that person going outside at 8:04 a.m. and kicking in the rear door, then leaving out the front door. The police report said they believe the door was kicked in to create the appearance of a break-in.

Detectives said they were later able to find James, who confirmed he had been at the residence that morning and had stayed there for about 45 minutes.

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