Murder trial begins with 2018 shooting suspect representing himself

A Las Vegas antheral accused of fatally shooting a 20-year-old pistillate astatine a edifice successful 2018 is representing himself successful a proceedings that began Tuesday.

“Not everything is what it seemed, and determination are 2 sides to the story,” Michael Land, 40, told jurors during opening statements successful his execution trial. “I americium not the antheral the authorities is looking for.”

Land is accused of sidesplitting Bailley Short, who was recovered dormant with 2 gunshot wounds to the backmost of her caput and cervix on Aug. 15, 2018, astatine Tahiti Village, 7200 S. Las Vegas Blvd., authoritative Christopher Hamner said. Land, who worked arsenic a information defender connected the Strip, was arrested 9 months aft Short’s assemblage was recovered betwixt the property’s parking store and boiler room.

After constabulary identified Land arsenic a suspect, the Metropolitan Police Department detectives assigned to ticker him determined helium worked arsenic a information serviceman astatine the Martin Lawrence Galleries successful the Forum Shops astatine Caesars, arsenic good arsenic astatine the Stefano Ricci luxury store successful the Shops astatine Crystals astatine Aria, constabulary person said.

Police judge Land was 1 of 2 men who were with Short successful the aboriginal hours of Aug. 15, according to Land’s apprehension report. A antheral whom Short would wage for rides told constabulary helium drove her to prime up different antheral astatine Aria.

The antheral knew Short arsenic a enactment worker, and Short told him she was going to conscionable a “regular” lawsuit named Mike, the study said.

Security footage captured Land and Short walking connected the Tahiti Village property, toward the country wherever Short’s assemblage was aboriginal found. Security footage lone captured 1 idiosyncratic walking distant from the scene, Hamner said.

Short’s cellphone was recovered adjacent to her body, and her wallet was successful her purse. Officers who carried retired a hunt warrant astatine Land’s flat recovered a weapon linked to the cartridges recovered astatine the country and a slug that was lodged successful Short’s chin, Hamner said.

Hamner besides showed video of constabulary interrogating Land, who agreed to speech with detectives without a lawyer. Police questioned Land astir owning a weapon and knowing Short, who had communicated with him implicit Facebook.

Land changed his communicative portion talking with police, and the video showed Land “pivot and alteration erstwhile being presented with the basal facts of this case,” Hamner said.

“The suspect was the past idiosyncratic seen with Bailley erstwhile she was alive,” Hamner told the jury. “You volition larn that it was him, and lone him, who had the accidental to execution her.”

Contact Katelyn Newberg astatine knewberg@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0240. Follow @k_ newberg connected Twitter.