USA - Nevada. Judge Valerie Adair sentenced Ralph Simon Jeremias to death

Judge Valerie Adair of the 8th Judicial District Court of Nevada sentenced Ralph Simon Jeremias, 29, a Filipino national, to death. A Clark County jury recommended the death penalty on November 10, 2014 after finding him guilty in the execution style killing of Paul Hudson and Brian Stevens on June 8, 2009. According to the police report, both victims were selling large quantities of marijuana and were keeping large amounts of cash inside their apartment. Jeremias reportedly admitted to buying drugs from one of the victims. He claimed that he found the door to one of the victim’s apartments unlocked and found both Stephen and Hudson on the floor. He then took a large amount of marijuana from one of the kitchen cabinets and stole their wallets and credit cards. Ivan Rios and Carlos Zapata were identified as other suspects. Carlos Zapata pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree murder. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, in connection with the deaths of Paul Stephens and Brian Hudson. Zapata says Jeremias not only stole from the victims, but actually brought a gun in the apartment and shot them both. In 2012, a jury acquitted Rios, who faced two counts of murder and other charges. From the witness stand, Jeremias said he went to the apartment complex with friends Carlos Zapata and Ivan Rios to buy marijuana. Both Rios and Zapata told investigators that Jeremias went inside alone with a gun and shot each victim multiple times. Zapata made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, one count of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. In exchange, he agreed to testify at Jeremias’ trial. In 2012 Rios was acquitted of murder and robbery charges.