Ex-Iraq soldier’s case may be tossed

By Matt Pordum

Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 | 11:22 a.m.

A 20-year-old former U.S. Army specialist who served in Iraq may have his murder and attempted murder charges dismissed if he can be placed in an inpatient mental treatment facility.

Matthew Sepi is charged with killing 47-year-old Sharon Jackson and wounding 26-year-old Keven Ratcliff on July 31 in an alley behind the 200 block of New York Avenue.

This morning, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure set Aug. 26 as the status check date for Sepi's case. Sepi's lawyer and the prosecutor handling the case said a resolution will most likely be reached by Aug. 26.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens said he was "open to alternative resolutions" for Sepi. Owens said it was his understanding Sepi's lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Nancy Lemke, was looking into inpatient mental treatment as such an alternative.

Lemke acknowledged she was exploring inpatient treatment facilities for Sepi. She added that she was very optimistic that Sepi's case would be resolved before Aug. 26.

A source close to the case who wished to remain anonymous said the district attorney's office will dismiss Sepi's case pursuant to Sepi's successful enrollment in an inpatient facility.

Prosecutors refused to confirm that information.

Lemke said Sepi is "doing all right." She said on his behalf she wanted to "thank every member of the community and veterans from both Las Vegas and out of state who have expressed sympathy and concern for Matthew (Sepi)."

Although Lemke would not discuss the specifics of Sepi's case, she did say "it appears as though he (Sepi) acted in self-defense."

When asked by Bonaventure if he understood what had transpired in court this morning Sepi stood up straight and answered clearly, "Yes sir."

According to the Metro Police report regarding Sepi's arrest, he told police he had been walking to a 7-Eleven convenience store on Fairfield Avenue to purchase beer, and to get there he walked through the adjacent alley. He told police he armed himself with an assualt rifle because an unidentified individual had threatened him with a knife the previous night while he was walking through the alley.

Jackson and Ratcliff allegedly were in the alley as Sepi walked to the store but did not confront the veteran. Sepi then proceeded to the store, where a man bought him two cans of beer for $5, according to the police report.

It was while Sepi was returning to his apartment, drinking a beer, that he encountered Jackson and Ratcliff.

According to the police report, Jackson and Ratcliff allegedly "began yelling for him to get out of the alley." Sepi told police that he saw Ratcliff holding a handgun and that Ratcliff fired in his direction.

Sepi pulled out his assault rifle and fired several shots at the victims, who then fell to the ground, the police report stated.

Owens said Ratcliff is currently in "stable condition."

Police recovered six shell casings of the rifle ammunition as well as three spent 9mm casings at the scene, according to the report.

Sepi had been nervous since returning from Iraq, he told police. Little things would often startle him. When he was working as a day laborer and a pallet fell to the ground, he was 'so startled by it, he could not function for an hour,' he told police.

Police noted in their report that Sepi was "visibly upset, and was very emotional while speaking about the incident in the alley and his military time in Iraq."

After the shooting, Sepi returned to his apartment and picked up more ammunition before driving away in his 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva. Police stopped him as him near Wall Street at Western Avenue, and after seeing the assault rifle in plain sight in the backseat, arrested him.

Sepi, who is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds, served with the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, said Nancy Bouget, spokeswoman at Fort Hood. Sepi served in Iraq for roughly a year.

While in Iraq, Sepi spent most of his time in Balad, Iraq, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, but had performed missions throughout all of Iraq, including along the border of Iran, according to Shay Price, 27, who was an infantryman in the same unit as Sepi.

Price said the unit conducted many missions together, including raids and searches on Iraqi houses to find suspected insurgents.

The U.S. Army Human Resources Command released information confirming that Sepi served in Iraq with the Army. He received numerous awards, including the National Defense Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service medal.

Sepi was discharged in May.