A photo of Liam Husted, 7, is displayed during a press conference that named his mother, Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, as a suspect in his murder at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Headquarters Monday, June 7, 2021.
Published Tuesday, June 8, 2021 | 9:16 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, June 8, 2021 | 3:42 p.m.
A California mother accused in the death of her 7-year-old son killed the boy on the outskirts of Las Vegas where his body was found nearly two weeks ago, according to Metro Police.
Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35, was taken into custody this morning in Denver by an FBI-led task force without incident, police said. The arrest came less than 24 hours after police publicly identified her as a suspect, and her son, Liam Husted, as the victim.
A warrant on a murder count was issued Monday for Moreno Rodriguez, according to Las Vegas Justice Court logs.
Investigators have an idea about how Liam died but were not disclosing it until the Clark County Coroner’s Office finishes its investigation, Metro Police Lt. Ray Spencer said today.
Spencer said investigators don’t know what led Moreno Rodriguez to Denver.
A hiker found Liam’s body the morning of May 28 near a hiking trail in the community of Mountain Springs, off State Route 160, about 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas, police said.
It wasn’t until late Sunday that Metro and the Coroner’s Office, following up on a missing person’s report from San Jose, Calif., confirmed Liam’s identity using DNA.
A possible motive for the killing hasn’t been determined, Spencer said.
Moreno Rodriguez is awaiting extradition from Colorado. If she waives the process, she could be in Las Vegas by the end of the week, he said. It could take up to 30 days if she fights extradition, he said.
Detectives were interviewing her this afternoon, Spencer said.
On May 24, Liam’s father returned to the family’s house in San Jose to find that Moreno Rodriguez and Liam were gone, along with all the child’s belongings, Spencer said.
According to police, Moreno Rodriguez left the boy’s father a voicemail stating: “I'm sorry I had to do it like this. We could talk about this in the future.”
She further stated she was “going to try to get a house for Liam and I,” Spencer said.
“There was nothing that indicates there was any type of long-term abuse (against Liam) whatsoever,” Spencer said. There was no interaction between the family and the San Jose Police Department or social services agencies, he said.
Nothing in the voicemail suggested Liam was in danger, Spencer said.
Two day later, Moreno Rodriguez and Liam were spotted in Laguna Beach and Victorville, California, Spencer said. The next day, the woman and the boy checked into a Las Vegas hotel, Spencer said. Liam’s remains were discovered the next morning.
Moreno Rodriguez then drove to the Denver area, where she checked into a hotel on May 31, Spencer said.
The next day, Liam’s father summoned police to his house to report his son missing, Spencer said. At the time, he thought the boy was safe, Spencer said.
On Friday, a friend of Moreno Rodriguez saw in the news a composite sketch of the boy found in the desert and reported to the San Jose Police Department that it looked like Liam.
That night, the agency contacted Spencer, who sent a detective Saturday morning to California, where he retrieved Liam’s pillow and some clothing, which contained the DNA used to identify him.
Spencer did not share many details about the arrest. He said Moreno Rodriguez was found with a person who was not involved in Liam’s death and was not facing any charges.
Moreno Rodriguez’s car, a dark blue 2007 Dodge Caliber, was recovered, sealed by the FBI and was being towed to Las Vegas, Spencer said.
In the 11 days since Liam’s body was discovered, Metro fielded hundreds of tips, including reports of missing children from across the U.S., Spencer said.
The FBI in Las Vegas stepped in to offer resources and a $10,000 reward to anyone who could identify the boy.
Spencer credited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s digitized composite image of the boy with leading to his identification.
“It’s emotionally draining working a case like this,” Spencer said. “Being able to have closure and identify Liam was very important."
