Judge delays trial of man accused of killing girl in drug-related burglary

By Dave Toplikar

Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 | 12:09 p.m.

A man accused of fatally shooting a teen girl during a drug-related burglary in December 2010 in a southwest Las Vegas Valley home will have his murder trial delayed for another year — to February 2013.

Norman Belcher, 36, is accused of slaying 15-year-old Alexus Postorino, an honor student at the Southwest Career and Technical Academy, and critically injuring Nicholas Brabham, who was living at the home of the girl’s father, William Postorino.

Although Belcher was to have gone to trial on Feb. 21, his attorney, Robert Langford, asked the judge for a continuance until January 2013 so he can continue preparing for the trial.

After checking her schedule, Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish set the new trial date for 10 a.m. Feb. 4, 2013.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lalli said that the new trial date in 2013 is "a long time off" and asked the judge to set a status check on the case for July to make sure the defense team is on track. Cadish set the status check hearing for 8:30 a.m. July 11.

The judge also approved Robert Draskovich as co-counsel for Belcher. Cadish said attorney Lance Maningo, who had been appointed to the case, had a conflict.

Last summer, Belcher told the court he didn’t want to be represented by Langford and Maningo and wanted to change his plea to guilty. His attorneys said they were concerned about his competency to make decisions and asked for a psychiatrist to evaluate him. Belcher was evaluated and last August was ruled competent to stand trial.

The case stems from a break-in about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 6, 2010, at a home in the 9700 block of Villa Lorena Drive, which is near Tropicana Avenue and Grand Canyon Drive.

Brabham testified at a preliminary hearing last January that he went to investigate the noise of the break-in and was shot twice by Belcher as he stood at the top of the stairs.

Brabham, who testified from a hospital bed, said he retreated into his own room to hide from Belcher, then collapsed into a closet. Ashley Riley, who was with Brabham, testified she jumped out of the second-story window to get away and was just about over the backyard fence when police arrived.

Police said they found Brabham and Postorino had been shot multiple times. They were taken to University Medical Center, where Alexus Postorino died and Brabham underwent surgery.

William Postorino, who was at a casino at the time of the shooting, testified that he and Belcher had known each other for a long time but had been recently having a disagreement over money. William Postorino said that Belcher had been at his home many times and knew that he kept money and drugs in a heavy metal safe in the master bedroom.

Postorino testified that he had let his daughter sleep in his room the night of the burglary while her own bedroom was being painted.