Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Suspects in liquor store slaying get public defenders

Lee's Liquor Court Appearance

L.E. Baskow

Attorney Mark Bailus confers with his client Lee Murry Sykes, one of three men accused in the April 18th shooting of a Lee’s Liquor store employee during his first appearance in Justice Court on Friday, May 6, 2016.

Updated Friday, May 6, 2016 | 1:34 p.m.

Lee’s Liquor Court Appearance

Suspect Lee Murry Sykes departs the courtroom with Ray Brown to follow, two of three men accused in the April 18th shooting of a Lee's Liquor store employee during their first appearance in Justice Court on Friday, May 6, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Three men arrested in the shooting death of an employee at a Lee’s Discount Liquor store during a robbery last month appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court today and were appointed public defenders.

Justice of the Peace Deborah J. Lippis also set a status check for 8 a.m. Tuesday for the defendants — Lee Murry Sykes, 22, Ray Brown, 22, and Lee Dominic Sykes, 20. They each face counts including murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said today that evidence “clearly points” to Brown as being the shooter.

The men were arrested this week in the death of Matthew Christensen, 24, of Las Vegas, who was killed April 18 while working at the Lee’s Discount Liquor store at 8785 W. Warm Springs Road, near Durango Drive, Metro Police said.

Three men, at least two of them armed, stormed the store about 9:45 p.m. and may have become frustrated when they couldn’t get into to the store’s safe, police said. Christensen was shot to death with his hands in the air, police said.

Two other employees were not injured.

Brown and Lee Dominic Sykes were arrested Tuesday after police said they received some 150 tips following the release of surveillance video from the store. Two of those tips led to the arrests, police said.

Lee Murry Sykes surrendered to authorities Wednesday after police announced they were closing in on him.

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