Jeremy Strohmeyer

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Jeremy Strohmeyer, born October 11, 1978, is a Long Beach, California man who molested and murdered 7-year-old South Los Angeles elementary school student Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997)^[1] at Primadonna Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada, on May 25, 1997.

1 The crime
2 Plea bargain
3 Conclusion
4 The Sherrice Iverson bill
5 See also
6 References

[edit] The crime

Around 4 a.m., May 25, 1997, Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently "playful" contact with Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling and drinking and although security asked him several times that evening to keep a closer watch on his daughter, he ignored her again after security departed. Eventually Strohmeyer followed her into a women's restroom.

While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, who was with him at the casino, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly take Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who immediately confessed to him that he had molested and killed the girl.

Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody after two of his classmates, James Trujillo, and Jordan Wheeler, indentified him as the killer from a security tape played on the news. He was charged with murder, kidnapping and sexual assault. To avoid the death penalty, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Although the witness, Cash, had knowledge of the murder immediately following it and failed to report it to the police, he was not charged with any crime, a decision that outraged many people who feel that his inaction should be punishable.

[edit] Plea bargain

Strohmeyer's defense attorney was Leslie Abramson, who represented many famous names in Hollywood including the Menendez brothers who murdered their wealthy parents for money. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. The witness would go on to face being labelled "the bad Samaritan," and also a campaign of students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime.

Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, a plea bargain was entered by his attorney, Leslie Abramson. He was therefore sentenced to four life terms, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole.

[edit] Conclusion

Jeremy Strohmeyer has since appealed his conviction. In 2000, he was unsuccessfully defended by Camille Abate, who was admonished by the presiding judge, Joseph Bonaventure, for her consistent failure to prepare for court and her blatant disrespect for the process^[2]. He has appealed his case to the Nevada Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court. All appeals were subsequently denied. As a result of this murder, hotels in Nevada increased security in their arcades, often having a security guard even in small arcades.

Strohmeyer is currently imprisoned and classified as "close custody" in the Protective Custody Unit (P.C. Unit) at Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.

[edit] The Sherrice Iverson bill

Sherrice Iverson's murder led to the passage of Nevada State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from the inaction of a witness, and friend of the murderer, who stood by and did nothing during the commission of the crime. Strohmeyer received life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; Cash was not charged.

The "Sherrice Iverson" bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins (D-Henderson), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was introduced but was never enacted.