Death sentence in Reno killing upheld

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004 | 9 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday upheld the death sentence for a man who fatally shot a Reno man who was dating the killer's ex-girlfriend.

After shooting Brian Pierce 10 times and stabbing him three times, Robert L. McConnell called the victim's mother and left a message on her answering machine, saying: "Your son died like a coward."

In his appeal, McConnell raises a series of issues including the constitutionality of the Nevada death penalty law, the admission of character witnesses during the penalty hearing, claims of misconduct by the prosecutor and improper jury instructions.

The court denied all of the claims of error and said, "McConnell committed this murder with a shocking degree of deliberation and premeditation and without any comprehensible provocation."

McConnell, now 32, broke up with April Robinson in the spring of 2001, and Pierce, who was 26, started dating her. They planned to be married. McConnell staked out their house for two days and then broke into the home in August 2002.

When Pierce came home, McConnell shot him 10 times, stabbed him three times and cut out one of the bullets from the body. When Robinson came home, McConnell tied her up, sexually assaulted her and then forced her into a car. He drove her to California where Robinson escaped.

McConnell was later arrested in San Francisco and extradited to Reno.

McConnell pleaded guilty to felony murder but told the jury he was sorry for what he did.