Suspect charged in NLV homicide

Keith Paul

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1999 | 11:18 a.m.

North Las Vegas Police charged a man Tuesday in connection with a homicide last week, but they are still trying to determine the identity of the dead man.

Jamal Cones, 36, of North Las Vegas, was charged with murder in the shooting death of a man found under a tree in the 3300 block of Civic Center Drive in an apartment complex about 2:50 a.m. on Nov. 24.

Police searched Cones' home in the same apartment complex about 6 a.m. Tuesday. Cones was then taken into custody, said Lt. Chris Larotondo, North Las Vegas Police spokesman.

Cones was questioned by investigators and Larotondo said he confessed to the killing.

Police have a tentative identification of the dead man, but the Clark County Corner's Office has not been able to reach his family to confirm it.

Cones and the homicide victim apparently had been in the same bar in the area of the apartment complex. The two men went to the bar separately before the shooting.

Police are not sure what happened to trigger the shooting. It is not clear if the two men knew each other before the shooting.

Police believe the victim, in his late 40s to early 50s, lived in the area of the apartment complex. But they are still waiting for his family to be contacted to make sure it is the same man, Larotondo said.

The man's killing was the 14th homicide in North Las Vegas this year, police said.