Lone Mountain killing jury gives 40 years to life

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005 | 8:37 a.m.

A jury sentenced a 19-year-old man to 40 years to life in prison for first-degree murder on Tuesday for the beating death of his friend before leaving the body at the base of Lone Mountain last summer.

On Monday the Clark County jury found Christopher Nay guilty of luring 19-year-old Elijah Ansah to Lone Mountain, on the northwestern edge of the Las Vegas Valley, with a lie about a double-date that had been set up.

Instead of enjoying a date, Ansah was beaten to death with a baseball bat that day in July 2003.

The jury was asked to consider whether to sentence Nay to life in prison without the possibility of parole, 40 years to life in prison, or a set term between 40 and 100 years in prison.

Nay was also convicted of robbery with use of a deadly weapon for taking Ansah's gun, money, pants and shoes after the killing. District Judge Jackie Glass is scheduled to sentence Nay on the robbery charge on March 24.

The jury rejected Nay's argument at trial that he acted in self-defense after Ansah pulled a gun on him. Nay, who didn't express much emotion through his pale, boyish face during the trial, showed some as he asked the jurors to consider giving him a chance at parole.

"I'm usually not one to show my emotions in public," Nay said. "I do my crying in my room. I really am remorseful. Elijah was my friend."

Nay told the jurors whom he called "12 strangers" that he held no animosity or ill will for them having found him guilty.

Prosecutors successfully argued and used testimony and evidence to prove Nay never acted in self-defense, but instead set up, carried out and tried to cover up the killing. They said Nay's intent from the start was to beat and rob Ansah on the night of the killing.