Judge orders house arrest for teen held in shooting of dad

Bill Gang

Friday, Jan. 14, 2000 | 11:36 a.m.

Justice of the Peace Tony Abbatangelo today released 15-year-old Conan Pope from jail and ordered that he be held on house arrest at a friend's house. The teenager is charged with murder in the shooting death of his 62-year-old father.

Abbatangelo decided that because of the boy's age, his lack of any juvenile criminal record and questions raised about the charges by Deputy Special Public Defender Kristina Wildeveld, the Clark County Detention Center was an inappropriate place to house the defendant.

Pope is charged with murder in the Jan. 6 incident during what the defendant and his sister said began as a tirade over dirty dishes by their father, Frank Pope, when he arrived home about 6 p.m.

Conan Pope has claimed he was protecting his 16-year-old sister when he fired the fatal shots.

As a condition of house arrest, Abbatangelo ordered that no firearms would be allowed in the home where he will be staying and he must be home-schooled rather than attend his public high school.

Wildeveld has argued that the case should be handled by the Juvenile Court, rather than adult court because of the family issues and the lack of proper facilities at the county jail to house youthful offenders.

She said no one should believe the shooting occurred because of dirty dishes.

But Nevada law requires that any juvenile charged with murder or attempted murder must stand trial as an adult. The law, however, precludes prosecutors from seeking the death penalty for persons under 16.

A Feb. 9 preliminary hearing has been set for Pope to determine if sufficient evidence exists to hold him for trial on the charges that could put him in prison for life.

The teenager's sister, 16-year-old Desiree Pope, called 911 after the shooting and later gave a statement to police telling how her father became enraged when he arrived home to find the dishes unwashed.

She said he began throwing and smashing the dishes and ordered the children to their rooms "as he continued his tirade," the police report indicates.

Desiree Pope was taken to Child Haven after the incident, but she is now staying with her father's employer.

It is not known where the children's mother is, according to authorities.

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