Man pleads guilty in Las Vegas triple murder, avoids death penalty

Prosecutors agreed to drop the death penalty Monday against a man accused of fatally shooting three people during a drug robbery in Las Vegas.

Gerald Pointer, 42, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in the December 2015 execution killings of DeAndre Leggett, 38, Charlita Carroll, 35, and Morty Young, 37.

He is expected to be sentenced in May to 20 to 50 years behind bars. Pointer’s plea was entered through what’s known as the Alford decision, which means he did not admit guilt but agreed that prosecutors had enough evidence to prove the charges against him to a jury.

Metropolitan Police Department officers had responded to the 205 Jackson Ave. apartment, near Owens Avenue and D Street, where the victims were found shot to death.

Pointer was arrested about four months later in Chicago for violating parole and a robbery charge and has been an inmate at High Desert State Prison under the alias Leroy Greenwood.

Pointer was initially indicted on three counts of murder with a deadly weapon, burglary while in possession of a firearm, two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.