Manslaughter verdict returned

Friday, March 11, 2005 | 9:56 a.m.

A 49-year-old man who said he killed a man to keep the victim from hitting him over the head with a 40-ounce beer bottle was convicted of voluntary manslaughter on Thursday.

Lester Gamble was charged with murder in the August 2004 killing of 42-year-old Willie Mayse in the 3500 block of Rio Robles Drive near the Community College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne Campus.

Gamble took the stand during the two-day trial and admitted to killing Mayse, but did so in self-defense. He would not explain the nature of his confrontation with Mayse, and the prosecutors, defense attorneys and investigators couldn't explain it either.

"He denied having anything to do with this killing in his 74-page statement to police, he said he would swear he was innocent on a stack of bibles" Deputy District Attorney Susan Krisko said. "But then he came in here, took the stand and changed his whole story."

Krisko said unfortunately only two people know what truly happened the night of the killing and "one is dead."

"I don't understand it (the jury's verdict)," Krisko said. "I'm disappointed, but they (the jury) did their job."

Special Public Defender David Schieck said while the prosecution proved Gamble shot Mayse he didn't think they ever established a motive, the present of malice, or any of the required aggravators for a murder conviction.

Schieck said he doesn't know exactly why Gamble and Mayse were involved in a confrontation, but he noted that 5.5 grams of crack cocaine was found in Mayse's pocket.

"Lester (Gamble) said Mayse told him he was going to hit him in the head with a 40-ounce beer bottle so he decided to pull his gun out first and shoot him,"Schieck said.

Gamble who has several non-violent felony convictions dating back to the 1970s pleaded guilty to two counts of an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.