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Jury finds two men guilty in slaying at LV timeshare

Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 12:42 p.m.

Wrongful death suit filed in beating at LV timeshare resort (6-1-09)

Tahiti Village Vacation Club

A jury today found two men guilty of fatally beating a man during a 2007 robbery at a Las Vegas timeshare resort.

Adrian McKnight, 21, and Michael Smith, 25, were convicted of murdering Angel Nieva, 62, who was hurt so badly he later died at University Medical Center.

Nieva and his wife, Lydia, were staying at the Tahiti Village Vacation Club, 5101 W. Tropicana Ave., while visiting from La Mirada, Calif.

Nieva's wife, Lydia, was also beaten during the robbery. She and other relatives filed a wrongful death suit last month against the resort, alleging the business failed to employ adequate security practices.

The jury convicted McKnight and Smith of multiple charges, including robbery of a victim over 65 and battery.

A third man, 18-year-old Ronnie Gibson, also faces charges in the case. Gibson was 16 at the time of the slaying and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Sentencing for McKnight and Smith is scheduled for July 30.

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