LAS VEGAS — An 18-year-old male and his 16-year-old girlfriend reportedly joked on cellphone video about “murdering somebody.” A few short days later they were charged with killing one of their parents, according to reports.
Aaron Guerrero, 18, and Sierra Halseth, 16, face murder charges in the April homicide of the girl’s father, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
After their arrest on April 13, police found video of them seemingly joking about the murder while examining their cellphones for evidence, KLAS-TV reported.
“Welcome back to our YouTube channel: day three after murdering somebody,” Guerrero says in the video.
“Whoa, don’t put that on camera,” Sierra Halseth replies, laughing, Fox reported.
“It was worth it,” Guerrero says with a smile as he pretends to choke Sierra Halseth.
Police say their parents told them they couldn’t see each other anymore. The teens planned on running away together to California, and then Sierra’s father ended up murdered.
Daniel Halseth’s body was found stabbed and badly burned in the garage of his Las Vegas home on April 9, FOX5 Las Vegas reported. It appeared that the killers tried to dismember his body, according to prosecutors.
As LVMPD searched the home, they noted a strong odor of lighter fluid throughout the residence. In the living room, they discovered a burned area with blood nearby. They found a new chainsaw on the ground, as well as a handsaw in the kitchen “with apparent blood and tissue on the saw and in between the groves of the saw.” Detectives also located a circular saw with extra blades in packaging and two folding knives in the kitchen. Investigators said “extensive” clean-up efforts were attempted throughout the house, according to FOX5.
Surveillance video from Home Depot showed Guerrero buying saws and gloves that later were found inside the Halseth home, prosecutors said, while ATM surveillance video showed Sierra Halseth using her father’s debit cards, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The Clark County coroner noted Daniel Halseth, 45, had puncture wounds to his chest, neck and back.
The pair had been in a relationship with each other until both of their parents found out they planned on running away together. Both sets of parents had agreed that their kids should stop seeing one another.
After Daniel Halseth was murdered, the pair had attempted to run away together to Salt Lake City, where they were arrested days after the discovery of his body.
Prosecutors are expected to decide soon whether to seek the death penalty against Guerrero, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Sierra Halseth’s age prevents prosecutors from seeking capital punishment against her.
The pair was also indicted on charges of conspiracy, arson, robbery and fraudulent use of a credit card. They are being held without bail.
