Court upholds conviction of man who killed wife in 2008

By Cy Ryan

Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 | 10:19 a.m.

Mauricio Israel Melendez

The first degree murder conviction of Mauricio I. Melendez in the shooting of his wife in 2008 in Las Vegas has been upheld by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Melendez, through his lawyers, claimed that improper evidence was admitted at trial and that he was stopped from attempting to impeach the credibility of one of the state's witnesses.

Melendez shot his wife Chennel once in the forehead while she was sitting at the couple's kitchen table. He said they were playing with the gun and he didn't know it was loaded.

The prosecution presented Melissa Hill to testify that Melendez, a co-worker, had told her he was going to kill his wife. After the shooting Hill told her fellow workers about the alleged statement of Melendez.

District Judge Donald Mosley refused to allow Melendez to question Hill about being disciplined prior to the shooting for missing work. Melendez sought to show Hill made up his statement. And he maintained she lied to avoid further discipline and to gain the attention of her fellow-workers.

The Supreme Court said Melendez was still able to impeach Hill on two other issues. Hill was not even at work on the day Melendez allegedly made his comment to her. And Melendez showed Hill had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor forgery charge and she had been arrested on stealing personal property from her roommate.

The Supreme Court said questioning Hill about his discipline for absences at work was not relevant to the case. And even if the jury did not believe the Hill testimony, there was additional evidence to show the shooting was premeditated and deliberated.

Melendez was sentenced to 20-year to life and a consecutive term of 8-20 years.