Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015 | 3:52 p.m.
CARSON CITY — A reputed gang member who fatally stabbed a Las Vegas man 38 times in a dispute over a $10,000 debt has lost his bid for a new trial.
The Nevada Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the first-degree murder conviction and life sentence for Xiao Ye Bai, accused of being a member of a Taiwanese gang called United Bamboo.
Prosecutors say Bai killed Wen Jun Li in July 2009 outside a Las Vegas nightclub because the victim owed a $10,000 gambling debt to the gang. Bai, who said the debt was with his father, pleaded guilty to avoid a potential death sentence, according to court records.
The court upheld the District Court’s decision to deny a three-month continuance of the trial to allow Bai to bring his father from China to testify about the debt and the son’s mental problems, according to court records.
Bai’s trial had been pending for three years and he made the request only 11 days before it was set to start, the court noted.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy