Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Co-defendant pleads not guilty in slaying of neighborhood mom

Derrick Andrews in Court

Steve Marcus

Derrick Andrews arrives in court at the Regional Justice Center Thursday, March 26, 2015. Andrews and Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. face charges related to the fatal Feb. 12 shooting of Tammy Meyers.

Updated Tuesday, March 31, 2015 | 1:22 p.m.

Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. and Derrick Andrews in Court

Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. listens to defense attorney Augustus Claus in court at the Regional Justice Center Thursday, March 26, 2015. Nowsch and co-defendant Derrick Andrews face charges related to the fatal Feb. 12 Launch slideshow »

A co-defendant got a lawyer and pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder, attempted murder and other charges in the shooting death of a mother of four in a Las Vegas neighborhood.

Derrick Andrews, 26, remained in custody after his arrest March 20 in the slaying of Tammy Meyers.

His newly appointed lawyer, Martin Hart, declined outside court to talk about the case.

Andrews is accused of driving a silver Audi sedan carrying co-defendant Erich Milton Nowsch Jr., 19, who police say fired at Meyers and her adult son, Brandon Meyers, on Feb. 12 in a cul-de-sac outside the Meyers home.

Tammy Meyers was wounded in the head and died two days later, on Valentine's Day.

Nowsch also was in court Tuesday. He previously pleaded not guilty to the same charges, including weapon and conspiracy counts.

Prosecutors are expected to decide Wednesday whether to seek the death penalty.

Nowsch's lawyer, Augustus Claus, said he'll argue against capital punishment.

District Attorney Steve Wolfson has said Andrews faces the same charges as Nowsch because Andrews is accused of aiding and abetting the crime.

The shooting was initially described as a road rage incident, but revelations later suggested it stemmed from a tragic series of coincidences and misperceptions.

Nowsch lived one street away from the Meyers, and police and prosecutors say he knew the family well enough to have had dinner at their home at least once.

But Nowsch apparently didn't recognize the Meyers' green sedan on the night of the shooting.

He later told friends he thought the people in a green car cruising slowly through a school parking lot late at night were after him, authorities said.

Police say Meyers' daughter was at the wheel at the time, practicing driving with her mother.

Later, Meyers apparently thought Andrews' silver Audi was the same silver car that blocked her path home from the driving lesson with a driver who, according to the daughter, threatened them.

A trial in the case was set for May 26.

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