Police: Grandson told others of slaying

Jen Lawson and Malia Spencer

Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | 11:06 a.m.

Authorities had believed that 81-year-old Frank Campos died Friday night of natural causes. But the next day Campos' grandson told a friend and relatives that he had smothered Campos, according to the police records.

Shawn Scott, 18, was arrested by Metro Police detectives Saturday on a charge of murdering a person over 65. He is being held in the Clark County Detention Center. Bail was expected to be set when he appears in Las Vegas Justice Court Wednesday.

According to the arrest report, paramedics from American Medical Response were dispatched to the 1400 block of Strike Jumper Court, near Rainbow Boulevard and Vegas Drive, shortly after midnight Saturday, and paramedics said Campos' death did not appear to be suspicious. They determined the time of death was 11:15 p.m. Friday.

About 15 minutes after his grandfather died, Scott called a friend and asked him to pick him up, the arrest report says.

Once inside his friend's vehicle, his friend "caught Scott attempting to hide two garbage bags and a pillowcase inside the vehicle," the report says.

The friend "told Scott not to leave his trash inside his vehicle, and Scott admitted ... that he had murdered his grandfather."

Scott's friend told police his conscience was bothering him, so he called Scott's family and told them that Scott admitted to killing his grandfather, the report says.

Saturday afternoon, Scott's family confronted him and he said it was true, the report says. Scott's aunt called police, who came to the house that Scott shared with his grandfather and grandmother, and arrested him.

The report does not give a motive for the killing.

Homicide Sgt. Rocky Alby said Scott was cooperative with police when giving his statement but he did not give any motive to authorities.

"A grandson killing a grandfather is unusual," Alby said.

But he added that usually a murder victim does know the killer, so that aspect of the case is typical.

Criminologist Richard McCorkle agreed the case of a grandchild killing a grandparent is "exceptionally rare."

McCorkle, an associate professor of criminal justice at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said most crimes are committed against peers or acquaintances, and children killing parents or grandparents is not typical.

But, McCorkle added, if the trend for grandparents raising grandchildren grows, more conflicts between the two parties could occur.

Scott did not have a long police record. He only had some minor incidents as a juvenile, Alby said, but nothing of this magnitude.

On Monday afternoon, after arriving home from the grocery store, the family declined to comment on Scott's arrest.

Neighbors said they were surprised when they saw on the news what happened to their neighbor.

"They were really nice," said Lyn Peralta, who has lived across the street from the victim for nine years. She added they used to do things as a family a lot.

Peralta spoke to Scott fairly frequently and said he had just returned to Las Vegas a few months ago from California.

"Shawn moved around a lot, he didn't stay in one place," Peralta said.

She said she did not know Campos well but remembered he was always friendly in passing.

Maria Sanchez has lived across the street from Campos and Scott for nine months.

"They were real good people," she said.

Sanchez said Scott was always playing basketball in the cul-de-sac or outside with his younger cousins and other neighborhood kids.