Charges upgraded against pair after man dies from stabbing near Strip
Two men now face murder charges after the death of a man they are alleged to have stabbed during a fight just off the Strip.
Prosecutors upgraded charges against Jerome Hopkins and Christopher Mcintosh to include one count each of murder with use of a deadly weapon for the death of Randall "BP" Blackwell.
Blackwell was stabbed in the heart July 9 up the block from Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, near Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
The 25-year-old died from his wounds a week later, bringing the number of Strip homicides this summer to four, including three as the result of knife attacks.
Once the murder charges were added, Hopkins and Mcintosh were ordered jailed without bail at the Clark County Detention Center by Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Sciscento. They had been detained on $80,000 bail.
According to court documents, the fight that resulted in Blackwell’s death was an isolated incident.
Authorities think a fight erupted between Mcintosh and Hopkins, both 38, and Blackwell and his friends because they were talking to a woman the two defendants were with.
An officer was flagged down and witnessed the fight. The officer was able to call for backup and then arrest Hopkins and Mcintosh but not before Blackwell and another man were stabbed. The other man’s injury was not life-threatening.
Hopkins and Mcintosh will face three other counts, including attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy.
A knife was recovered from the roof of Battista’s Hole in the Wall Italian restaurant after a witness told police he saw Mcintosh throw a knife there.
Hopkins told police he was being assaulted by five men when Mcintosh interceded, but witnesses said Hopkins was "punching" Blackwell in the chest when others tried to break it up.
Blackwell’s friends had flagged down a nearby patrol cruiser after they realized he had been stabbed.
According to court records, both Hopkins and Mcintosh have a criminal history that includes several felony convictions over the past two decades.
The case meets the criteria for review by the district attorney’s death penalty committee, which would decide whether prosecutors should seek capital punishment against the defendants.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.