Man, 22, guilty in deadly game

Kim Smith

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

A 22-year-old Las Vegas man faces a 20-year to life sentence after being convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon in the October 2000 shooting of his girlfriend.

Prosecutors had asked jurors to convict Trent Dirden of first-degree murder in the death of Brendan Humphrey, 22.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Abby Silver and Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said Dirden shot Humphrey during the last of their many arguments.

Humphrey was trying to leave him when Dirden put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger three times, DiGiacomo said. The gun went off on the third trigger pull.

Defense attorney Pete Christiansen said Humphrey's death was a tragic accident.

Dirden was playing a game he and Humphrey often played together while arguing, and Dirden thought he would be able to safely pull the trigger four times, Christiansen said.

District Judge Jeffrey Sobel must decide between the life sentence or a 20- to 50-year term when he sentences Dirden Feb. 27.

Had the jurors convicted Dirden of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon, he could have received a life sentence with or without the possibility of parole.