Man receives life in beating death

Kim Smith

Thursday, June 6, 2002 | 9:43 a.m.

In what one prosecutor called a classic case of domestic violence, a 47-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for fatally beating his girlfriend to death last summer.

District Judge Kathy Hardcastle had to decide whether to sentence Howard Vincent Brown to 10 to 25 years in prison or 10 to life after Brown pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the June 18, 2001, death of Joanne Williams, 47.

Hardcastle chose the stiffer sentence after learning from Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lalli that Williamshad been hospitalized after beatings numerous times in their three-year relationship.

In one instance, which took place in Missouri, tests showed Williams had been beaten so badly the midline of her brain had shifted and she spent several days in intensive care, Lalli said.

Lalli also cited Brown's four felony convictions and 21 prior arrests as reasons to impose the harshest sentence possible.

Deputy Public Defender Steve Immerman said Brown had been convicted of only one domestic violence-related charge and it was a misdemeanor. He told Hardcastle that Brown and Williams were alcoholics who continually fought.

"His history is not that bad," Immerman said.

Brown told the judge he was sorry for his "alcoholic actions and selfish ways."

Williams is survived by four children between 15 and 22 years old and a 2-year-old granddaughter.

"She was a very good person who did nothing but try to help people," said Williams' daughter, Lalita, 22. "She didn't deserve what happened to her. She was a very good person."

Lalli said that the night Williams died three 911 calls were made from her East Karen Avenue home. When police arrived after the first call, no one answered the door and no sounds were heard from inside.

On their second visit Williams was found alone and injured, and they took a report.

Brown made the third 911 call after he came home and beat Williams more, Lalli said. Brown told authorities that he found Williams unconscious and he believed she had mixed alcohol and insulin.