Video shows suspect’s behavior in murder, mutilation case
Video surveillance footage released this week shows a man behaving bizarrely outside a 7-Eleven shortly before he was arrested on suspicion of murder, accused of mutilating his victim’s face.
Colin Czech, 29, was indicted this month on charges of murder, mayhem and attempted murder. He is accused of attacking two men in downtown Las Vegas in the early hours of April 28, killing one man, Kenneth Brown, and eating part of his face, police have said.
According to the indictment, the mayhem charge stems from prosecutors’ accusation that Czech disfigured Kenneth Brown, by “removing an eyeball and/or ear by biting/chewing them off and/or by means unknown,” court records show.
A crime scene analyst with the Metropolitan Police Department testified to a grand jury that when investigators were searching the scene, Brown’s eyeball and ear were lying on the ground near his body, according to court transcripts.
Less than an hour before police said Czech attacked Brown, an employee at a 7-Eleven near Charleston Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard South called 911 to report a man had tackled somebody outside the store.
Surveillance footage released by the District Court showed Czech pacing outside the store as another man, identified in court documents as Christopher Jordan, swept the sidewalk in front of the store’s front door.
Czech occasionally got on all fours on the ground and moved closer to Jordan, who was standing outside with the broom. At one point, someone came out of the store and appeared to chase Czech away.
Later on, Czech walked back towards the store’s parking lot, and appeared to be watching Jordan as he swept. The footage showed Czech appearing to mimic Jordan’s movements.
Jordan walked towards a dumpster, and Czech attacked him. The two struggled on the ground until Jordan moved on top of Czech. Several people came out of the store and helped Jordan get away from Czech, who backed off. The footage showed Czech remaining outside the store for several minutes, repeatedly crouching on the ground.
About 45 minutes after an employee at the 7-Eleven called 911, dispatchers received another call from the nearby AM/PM store at 333 E. Charleston Blvd. The employee at that store reported a man across the street at a bus stop, lying unconscious outside.
The caller said that someone had attacked the victim.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Czech crouching over Brown, covered in blood, video evidence showed.
Brown died of blunt force trauma after Czech struck him in the head, prosecutors have said.
After he was arrested, Czech told police that he had been “tweaking” and got in a fight with a “shape-shifter,” according to this arrest report. He admitted to hearing voices, and said he had eaten part of the victim’s face.
Czech is scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 8.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.
