The lede of the Las Vegas Review-Journal article this evening didn’t exactly thrill me:
Three men accused of executing and robbing two alleged drug dealers were indicted Wednesday by a Clark County grand jury.
The sum total of the lives of my young friends, Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson, amounted to much more than mere “drug dealers” but I know that and their families know that so there’s no sense in having a cow over the matter, the crime beat reporter for the LVRJ was just trying to distill the lengthy indictment.
And then there’s this passage:
Police believe Jeremias had bought marijuana from Stephens and Hudson before, and had coveted the expensive items in the apartment and their lifestyle.
Coveted the expensive items and lifestyle? A laptop, cash, bank cards, and a bundle of weed. It’s not like Paul and Brian had an original Da Vinci etching gracing their wall or a Rodin sculpture in the bathroom. And until recently Brian had been working a full-time job at McCarran Airport while attending college. If that’s the lifestyle these hoods “coveted” then they chose the wrong way going about acquiring it.
More …
Carlos Zapata, 23, Ralph Jeremias, 24, and Ivan Rios, 24, face two counts each of murder with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon. They also face one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary. Investigators believe that on June 7, Jeremias went to the Polo Club Apartments, on Decatur Boulevard south of Flamingo Road, to buy marijuana from Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson.
The Clark County D.A.’s office has 30 days to consider whether imposing the death penalty on the three alleged perpetrators; let’s hope that in the case of the gunman, Jeremias, they make the right decision.
the lifestyle…. yeah paul was really livin it up. This is turning into a cliche las vegas drug dealer murder movie scene. they coveted the expensive items. really. yeah along with the devinci’s dont forget about the bentley. come on people.
Yes… I agree, pretty much everything in brian and pauls apt is what I would send brian home with everytime he visited me… (I work at pier1… and Brian loved candles!) I helped him decorate his apt! They had a normal “bachlore pad” thing going on… nothing to fancy. I guess it just goes to show you how desperate these guys were to get money. To take the life of my best friend and his roomate paul.
im just glad to know that the people closest to paul and brian really knew who they both were.
I agree… Brian was my best friend.. and he didnt deserve this.
I saw this coming with bells and whistles, John. Once the police revealed that marijuana was being sold from the apartment, it was’t long before the local press dubbed the crimes as “drug murders” or “drug related.” It’s the nature of the media beast, easy-to-grasp labels for an audience of intellectually famished readers.
Or even intellectually undernourished readers, Rodger. Sorry about your friends. I’ve always felt the readership challenged the talent of the scribes. We’re bombarded these days with instantaneous news via this medium whereas the careful digestion of a story is denied in favor of a sort of intellectual indigestion. Does that make any sense at all?
Sure, Joe, media always reaches for the lowest common denominator is what I think you are saying. And I think “intellectualy undernourished” is a better representation as well in terms of the audience.
Paul and Brian were not drug dealers in the sense that the louse-ridden characters in my true crime book, “Long Time Money and Lots of Cocaine”, were; that was a case of hardcore drug peddlers stepping over the line and paying for it with their lives. Paul and Brian’s story is not that tale.
how can you plead not guilty when you have already told on yourself.
What I don’t understand — mind you, I have not read the indictment — is how the trio was indicted for “conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary” and yet the homicide, in Rios’s own words, was premeditated. That charge is contradictory to the facts as reported:
(1) Rios entered the apartment with intent to kill. That is evident in his statement that he had to go to the bathroom and take several deep breaths to gain his composure for what he was there to do: Murder. That is premeditation and is punishable by death in Nevada.
(2) The apartment, per Rios’s statement to the police, was robbed of cash, credit cards, marijuana, and a laptop hours after the fact, which indicates that robbery was not the primary motivation.
I think the prosecutor’s office could be bungling this one if what I read in the LVRJ is any good indicator.
Rios didn’t enter the apartment and shoot the victims Ralph Jeremias did.. gotta keep the facts straight
yeah this is not going to end how we are all hoping for sadly our justice system is going to fuck this up.
Pauls legacy will live on! It already is I didnt know his roommate but I am sure he is doing the same for the people in his life. Paul was amazing.
Yes.. Brian (pauls roomate) was my best friend… he was an amazing person, and would do anything for anyone. He didnt’s deserve this at all… He just graduated College and had his whole life ahead of him… I don’t think these (murderers) should get the death pent… I think they need to sit in jail for the rest of their lives thinking about the two innocent men they murdered….
you know it tears me up to read the comments that people post on the articles.
Are they still talking smack, John? Just don’t go there and read it, that’s my method.
Just came across this blog…thanks for writing this, Rodger. I was a good friend of Brian in Hershey and also was his roommate in The Brook one summer. I feel really lucky to have known him well and really admired his outlook on life. Also visited him in Vegas around New Years and was hoping to get to hang out with him this summer before this terrible tragedy happened. I also know his sister Julie pretty well and can’t imagine how hard this has been on her and the rest of his (and Paul’s) family.
I agree that it’s ridiculous that the press and police keep putting the label “drug dealers” on these guys. It sickens me that someone would stamp that kind of label on a great guy like Brian and try to minimize what a great person he was. Also, the comments some people have made on those articles are absolutely disgusting. Glad some of you guys have stood up for them on there. I put a few posts up myself under “deez.” I’d like to just ignore it, but I also want to make sure I do whatever I can to defend Brian’s legacy and honor his life that was tragically cut short by these cruel and heartless thugs.
Beautifully said, Nick, and I can really offer no more except to underscore my first two words: beautifully said.
Unless they know something I don’t know (and, yes, that’s highly possible) the Clark County D.A.’s Office and Metro PD is going about prosecuting this case in quite a wrong framework as a “drug murder” or a “drug deal gone bad” incident.
The fact that Rios and associates returned to the scene of the crime some time later and in another vehicle and ransacked the apartment for marijuana, cash, credit cards, and a laptop indicates that robbery was an afterthought. What does that give a capable prosecutor? Premeditated murder, that’s what, which is punishable by death in most states in the continental United States because it demonstrates a “callous disregard for human life.”
I dont know if anyone is still reading these articles but i just noticed now that there are comments. I am brian’s sister and to set the record straight Brian loved to snowboard, travel, eat sushi (and anything else he’s never tried before), he loved animals, and i have never seen him in a fight (physically or verbally) ever. For those of you who don’t know brian i can see how you might say its good to have a drug dealer off the street but Brian was different then what you all are thinking. He was a contributing member to society who made the deans list, helped his friends with disabilities, and encouraged others to live their lives to the fullest. This is not a person that you want gone from this earth. Those of you who knew brian can say that he had a positive impact on your life and nothing negative whatsoever. Those of you who don’t know Brian I’m not quite sure why you’re even commenting, guessing your just bored at work and hadnt thought about his family reading your negative comments about such a positive life. Maybe you all should try working at the airport like Brian did so you can travel and see the world and not have so much free time. RIP Bri… you are greatly missed and will always live on in our hearts. Love you<3
Thank you, Julie, and my sincerest condolences. I heard from your mother via e-mail several months ago and she mentioned that my correspondence to her about Brian may be used in a victim’s impact statement, which touched me tremendously. Please stray away from the hateful comments at the LV newspapers. There’s nothing useful there but vile remarks from rednecks who were so radical they didn’t make the cut as Bakersfield citizens and were deported here instead.
I’m glad I knew Brian through work. He always covered for me when I’m out of town and vice versa. It’s just a shock that he is gone. He was a very nice, mellow guy and people at work liked him. Rest In Peace..Brian.
I want to thank all of Brian and Paul’s friends for their support. Brian was not a Drug dealer and we can all pray that his accomplishments as a great US air employee and College Graduate who worked hard to get ahead are remembered. Our family wants justice for Brian and punishment for all who had any part in this tradgedy.
My name is not important but Those were my friends and I will never forget the day I found them like I did. I will miss them always and only have good thoughts.
Everyday Brian will be there for you helping you to achieve your dreams. He only wants to send love and blessings to his family and friends. He wants to celebrate all the good times with you. Keep positive.
My name is not important either. I was friends with Brian Hudson while going to UNLV. Although we weren’t best friends (not for any particular reason), we were in the same circle of friends who had a lot of fun in the 3-1/2 years I went to school there.
I can honestly say that the valuable lessons I have learned from this incident have changed my life dramatically. Because of this, I have become a better person. With the one year anniversary coming up, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have used this incident to change my life for the better.
Saying Brian Hudson was non-confrontational is a complete understatement. If it could happen to Brian Hudson, it’s twice as likely to happen to anybody else.
I have worked very hard at my great job, I surround myself with people who make good decisions, and I have really learned to enjoy the things I do in life.
Thank you, Brian Hudson, for giving me a renewed sense of gratitude for the great opportunities I have been given in life.
It is amazing how many lives Brian has touched. Brian was always thankful and appreciated everthing he had and anything done for him. He was always ready to pay it forward. I hope all his friends remember him and appreciate their life each day.
Paul was my best friend. I have known him for years and met many other people in my life, probably more than most my age and Paul was as good as they come. Paul was an angel. He was a constant beam of sunshine that nothing could dim. I have never met someone that had such a positive perspective on everything in life. He was an amazing friend and like a brother to me. He would give you his last dollar without thinking if you needed it, that was the type of person he was. RIP Paul I love you bro and I miss you everyday.
I also had the privilege of knowing Brian through Paul and got to know him more and more over the time they had lived together. He was also and amazing person and I am glad to see how many other people had the opportunity to see the great person he was.
I hope those pieces of sh** get everything they deserve and more. f**k
This is for everyone who reads these articles and would like to see justice served. It really doesnt matter what the court system decides to do. Check on those boys who shot them in a few and you will be pleased at what you find out.
Well, that’s certainly cryptic …
The trial is now pushed back to sometime between February and June 2011. The guilty will be punished, karma has a way of working things out. For now continue to remember Brian and Paul, enjoy your life and pay it forward like they would do.
Justice please just dont come on here to get people worked up. Lets see what you can do….
Thanks for still thinking of us (the family). This speedy trial is now posponed until June 2011. At least I give credit to the detectives who caught these guys.
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FacebookFarkDiggBuzzDeliciousRedditStumbleMan makes plea deal in Las Vegas drug-related double-murder case
Two other men charged to stand trial in June for execution-style shootings, robbery
By Dave Toplikar (contact)
Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 | 3:27 p.m.
Sun Archives
■Three arrested in LV roommate deaths appear in court (6-26-2009)
■Police: Deaths of 2 men found shot to death a mystery (6-12-2009)
One of three men accused in the 2009 execution-style deaths of two Las Vegas roommates has made a plea agreement with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Carlos Zapata, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of second degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and one count of robbery in connection with the deaths of Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson.
Stephens and Hudson were found shot to death inside their apartment at Polo Club apartments, 4201 S. Decatur Blvd., on June 8, 2009, by a friend.
Chief Deputy District Attorney David Stanton would not divulge the nature of Zapata’s plea agreement, saying only that Zapata “took responsibility for what he did in the crime.”
Asked if the two other men involved in the shootings, Ralph Jeremias, 25, and Ivan Rios, 25, would still have their trial next June, Stanton said there will be a hearing to discuss that at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday before District Judge Valerie Adair.
Adair accepted Zapata’s plea during a status check Tuesday morning on his trial and set his sentencing for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 4.
All three defendants have been held without bail in the Clark County Detention Center since they were arrested June 24, 2009. Each was charged with two counts of murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with the use of a deadly weapon.
Police investigators followed a trail of stolen credit cards and videotapes as one man tried to use the cards to get cash, bank records and detective work to find the Zapata, Jeremias and Rios, according to a police report.
Detectives said they learned that Rios drove Zapata and Jeremias to the apartment complex. Jeremias wanted to buy a pound of marijuana, police said.
Rios and Zapata told police that Jeremias went into the apartment alone carrying a black handgun. Jeremias told Rios and Zapata later that he took deep breaths in the apartment’s bathroom before shooting each victim twice.
Jeremias ran to the red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and they fled the apartment complex. Jeremias and at least one other man returned in a rental car to gather bank cards, cash, a laptop computer and marijuana, the report said.
Jeremias had bought marijuana before from Stephens and Hudson and had noticed the items in the apartment, police said.
Police used surveillance tapes at Las Vegas Strip resorts, a gas station and a bar to identify the three men. The video also tied the rental car to Jeremias, the police report said.
Thanks John for keeping us all updated on this. Brian had many friends across the country who would not get Las Vegas News. We are glad to see Zapata is taking responsibility for the crimes.
sad that the shooter /instigator is not taking reponsibility, Zapata just went along for the ride…
Karen,
Please keep this site updated. I have since moved from Las Vegas and don’t have frequent news. I think about these boys everyday and would love to have the slightest bit of resolution.
I will keep everyone updated the best I can. I live in Pa so if anything shows up in the paper I hope friends will pass it on. At this point the trial is schsduled for June, but it is not confirmed until a few days before. Thanks for thinking of Brian and Paul. keep them in your prayers. Blessings from Karen
Thank you john for posting that article, I look for updates online all the time but I mostly come up with just articles from 2009… so thank you! I’m glad at least one of them took responsibility, and the other two will get what they deserve. All I have now are positive thoughts for Brian and Paul, I know Brian is watching over all of his family and friends, and we will meet up again someday! And thank you Karen for keeping everyone on the right track and just remembering how good Brian was to all of us <3