Murder trial under way in death of Las Vegas woman

Jeffrey Preciado and Kimberly Long had a “toxic” and “chaotic” relationship, a defense attorney said.

Their relationship was marked by alcohol and prescription drug abuse, and domestic violence.

As the relationship crumbled in November 2008, Preciado’s father, Edward Preciado-Nuno, a 25-year veteran FBI agent and former U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, hoped to intercede.

The result was Long’s violent death.

A two-week trial is under way before District Judge Donald Mosley to determine whether Long was murdered by Preciado-Nuno or was killed in self-defense by the ex-law enforcement agent.

Prosecutors say Preciado-Nuno beat Long to death with a hammer, striking her more than a dozen times in the head.

During opening statements Tuesday, prosecutor Giancarlo Pesci told the jury, “this isn’t a whodunit.”

Pesci showed the jury graphic photos of Long in a garage with pints of blood splattered around her body. He then showed autopsy photos of Long’s shaved head, highlighting the 13 blows made by a hammer, including six to the back of her head.

“Is this murder or is this self-defense,” Pesci asked the jury.

But defense attorney Tom Pitaro had graphic photos of his own, depicting Preciado-Nuno at a hospital after the Nov. 13, 2008, incident. In those photos Preciado-Nuno , 61 at the time, has blood caked on most of his face and obvious bruising.

Pitaro said Long first attacked Preciado-Nuno, striking him seven times with a hammer in the garage of his son’s home near Durango Drive and state Route 160. Pitaro said Preciado-Nuno got another hammer and struck back. Preciado-Nuno “knew he was in for the fight of his life,” Pitaro said.

The attorney said Preciado-Nuno knew Long had a history of violence against his son and abused drugs. Pitaro said Long’s toxicology report suggested she was using oxycodone, a prescription drug she wasn’t prescribed to use.

“He acted in self-defense” after she attacked, Pitaro said.

Preciado-Nuno lives in San Diego but came to Las Vegas to “resolve the (couple’s) problems as best he could,” Pitaro said.

Even after the incident, Pitaro said, his client tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Long and had his son call 911. Authorities said the slaying occurred after a dispute between Long and Preciado-Nuno’s son. The couple had been together for five years and had a son together.

Authorities contend Preciado and his father wanted to evict Long from the couple’s home and gain custody of their son in the wake of a fight several days before the slaying. Police were called to the house during that incident but made no arrests.

Several days after the fight, Preciado went to a police station to make a report against Long.

On the morning of the incident, while Preciado was staying at a hotel, Preciado-Nuno confronted Long, sparking the fatal fight. If convicted Preciado-Nuno could face 20 years to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review
journal.com or 702-380-1039.