Monday, May 19, 2014 | 3:05 p.m.
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Supreme Court has ordered more hearings in a legal battle by a couple accused of murder in Las Vegas who want to retain parental rights of their young daughter.
The Supreme Court has directed District Court Judge Frank Sullivan to conduct a hearing on a petition by the Clark County Department of Family Services to end parental rights of the parents, Gabriel Yates and Anne Osborn, who have been in jail since 2008 awaiting trial on capital murder charges.
The child was born 28 days before the arrest of the couple in August 2008.
Sullivan so far has refused to terminate parental rights, saying the two have been taking parenting classes and have not been convicted, according to court documents.
Yates and Osborn are accused of choking to death 17-year old Nichole Yegge, whom authorities allege worked as a prostitute for the couple, according to court documents. Authorities allege they pulled out the teen’s teeth and cut off her tattoos to prevent her identification and buried her body in the desert outside of Las Vegas, according to court documents.
Family Services took custody of the couple’s child their arrests and placed her with an aunt and uncle in Tennessee, according to court documents.
The agency wants to terminate the rights of the father and mother so the aunt and uncle can adopt the girl, according to court documents. She now calls them “mom” and “pop” and has been in their care for five years, court documents say.
The father and mother want the termination hearing delayed until after their trials later this year.
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