Man sentenced in casino shooting

Kim Smith and Daniela Mohor

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 9:24 a.m.

Although Maria Mersai on Thursday didn't address the man who shot and killed her daughter last year, she made sure he saw her just the same.

"I just wanted to see him and for him to see me," Mersai said. "I want to haunt him for the rest of his life, like the image of my daughter's lifeless body lying in the mortuary will haunt me."

Mersai, an Alameda, Calif., resident, was in District Judge Michael Cherry's courtroom Thursday to watch as Stephen Mullen Jr., 32, was sentenced in connection with the Sept. 8, 2000 death of her daughter, 29-year-old Heather Vitarelli.

Mersai turned down the chance to take the stand Thursday, but she spoke with reporters after the hearing.

"There will always be a void here, that nothing and no one will ever fill," Mersai said, touching her chest.

According to prosecutors, Mullen got into a scuffle with security guards at Harrah's when they confronted him about his possible involvement with a series of petty thefts. During the scuffle Mullen fired a series of shots. One of the shots struck Vitarelli, a tourist visiting from California, in the back, killing her. The other shot struck security guard Frank Willis, who recovered.

Mullen in August admitted that Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz had enough evidence to convict him of first-degree murder and attempted murder. As a result of the deal he made with Schwartz, Mullen agreed to serve 40 years to life in prison.

The judge ordered Mullen to serve a consecutive sentence of 16 to 40 years on that charge.

The judge decided after hearing testimony from Bobby Johnson, a fellow security officer who assisted Willis in apprehending Mullen.

Johnson, who himself narrowly missed being hit by a bullet that struck his pant leg, said he believes the tragedy could have been far worse.

"The only thing that stopped Mr. Mullen, in my opinion, was my finger behind the trigger," Johnson said. "He shouldn't be able to harm anybody else."

Mullen told Cherry that the situation got out of hand.

"I realize I've caused a lot of trouble. I never intended for that to happen," Mullen said. "I'm sorry."

In asking for leniency, Deputy Public Defender Steve Immerman said that although Mullen has a criminal record, none of the prior incidents were of a violent nature.

"He will punish himself more than this court could ... because of how remorseful he is," Immerman said.