Suspect’s wife indicted after Las Vegas woman’s body found in freezer

The wife of a suspect in the killing of a 68-year-old woman whose body was found in a mobile home’s freezer late last year has been indicted in connection with the case.

Daniel Roush, 37, is facing murder, abuse, burglary and drug charges in connection with the death of 68-year-old Monique Gilbertson, whose body was found stored in a freezer inside her mobile home in the east Las Vegas Valley on Nov. 6. Gina Lopez, Roush’s wife, was indicted last week alongside Roush.

Lopez faces charges of residential burglary and four drug-possession counts, court records show. The indictment indicates Roush could be liable for murder by “aiding or abetting and/or conspiring” with Lopez, although Lopez was not indicted on the murder or abuse charges.

According to court records, Lopez told police she is estranged from Roush, a transgender woman who also goes by Jazlynn Roush.

“That’s my legal name,” Roush told a judge during a brief court hearing on Thursday morning.

Deputy District Attorney James Puccinelli told the judge that Roush’s case would be submitted to a committee to determine if prosecutors will pursue the death penalty.

The indictment charges Roush with murder of a victim 60 or older, abuse of an older or vulnerable person resulting in substantial bodily harm or death, residential burglary, administration of a drug to aid in the commission of a felony, high-level drug possession, low-level drug possession, and two additional counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Lopez, who is also identified in court documents as Gina Roush, did not appear in court on Thursday. She is incarcerated at the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center after her probation was revoked in an unrelated child abuse case, court records show.

District Judge Tierra Jones postponed the arraignment until Lopez could be transported to court for a defense attorney to be appointed to represent her.

According to an arrest report, Roush met Gilbertson at Home Depot, and Gilbertson invited Roush to come live with her. Gilbertson later kicked Roush out, court records show.

Gina Lopez, who also said she occasionally stayed in the mobile home, told police that Roush was providing Gilbertson with drugs, according to grand jury transcripts. She told police that Roush said Gilbertson had overdosed, and Roush smothered Gilbertson with a pillow before putting the woman in the freezer.

Gilbertson had fentanyl in her system when she died, court records show.

Roush initially denied giving Gilbertson any drugs, but later told police about purchasing narcotics for Gilbertson. Lopez also later admitting to helping Roush place Gilbertson in the freezer, according to grand jury transcripts.

Lopez’s sister, Monique Renaud, testified to the grand jury that before they were arrested, Lopez and Roush visited her at the house she was staying at, driving a vehicle she believed belonged to Gilbertson. Renaud said she heard her sister speak to her boyfriend about “how to get rid of the body,” according to grand jury transcripts.

“And I’m just thinking like is this a joke, is this real, or I didn’t know if it was real or not,” Lopez’s sister told the grand jury.

She also testified that Lopez was selling birds that Gilbertson owned, and brought jewelry and two rocking chairs to Renaud’s home.

Another hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 6.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.