Court briefs for November 21, 2000

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2000 | 10:42 a.m.

Sentencing set in stabbing death

One of two brothers accused of stabbing a North Las Vegas woman to death in April has made a deal with prosecutors.

James Cook, 17, pleaded guilty to attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon in the shooting of Pamela Fremou, 22, and conceded that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him of first-degree murder in the death of Walburga Soult.

Cook could get 20 years to life in prison on the murder charge and 16 to 40 years on the attempted murder charge when District Judge Joseph Bonaventure sentences him Jan. 10.

According to authorities, Cook shot Fremou during an argument at Soult's house on April 8, but she managed to escape out of a back window. When she went back inside a few minutes later, she discovered Soult, her mother, bleeding from several wounds to her head.

Soult, 61, died from cutting and stabbing wounds, an autopsy revealed.

Cook's brother, Daniel, 20, is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 29.

Woman charged in double slaying

A Las Vegas woman charged along with two others in a Henderson double-slaying will remain jailed on $500,000 bail.

District Judge Kathy Hardcastle denied Cyndy Wasso's motion for a bail reduction during a short court appearance Monday. Wasso's attorney, Kirk Kennedy, said Wasso is not a flight risk because she has a job and family here.

Authorities believe Wasso drove Ralph Goodman, 23, and Stephen Ciolino, 31, to and from the scene of Steve Szany and David Bender's slaying on Aug. 22.

Bender, 21, and Szany, 22, were stabbed and shot to death. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Goodman and Ciolino.