Suspects arrested in Stratosphere strangling

Jace Radke

Thursday, June 1, 2000 | 11:39 a.m.

Using Stratosphere hotel-casino surveillance video, Metro Police detectives identified two suspects and then arrested them Wednesday in connection with the strangulation slaying of a Kentucky man found dead in his hotel room Monday.

Jaime Kay Shuey, 23, and a man whose name police have not been able to determine, were arrested as they left a pawn shop near Las Vegas Boulevard North and Carey Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Both were charged with murder and robbery and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, Lt. Wayne Petersen said.

Stephen Nalley, 42, was found dead in his Stratosphere room by a hotel employee Monday afternoon when he failed to check out. Surveillance video revealed Shuey and the unidentified man near Nalley's room, Petersen said.

"The female went in first and then called the male," Petersen said. "The motive certainly looks like robbery at this point. There were things missing from the room"

Surveillance tapes showed the unidentified man in a hallway shortly before entering Nalley's room, and then in the same hallway later in a different shirt.

"He went in with a white shirt on and then came out with a dark print shirt on that was the victim's," Petersen said. "We found the white shirt inside the victim's room."

Nalley arrived in town for a convention on May 20, and prepaid for his room through Monday. He was last seen alive leaving his room on May 26, Petersen said.