Man sentenced to life in prison for role in 70-year-old’s killing
A Las Vegas judge sentenced a man on Tuesday to life in prison for shooting and killing a 70-year-old retiree in his driveway in 2020.
Otis Buchanan, 38, pleaded guilty in February to first-degree murder for the death of Alan Bondelid.
On Dec. 27, 2020, Bondelid pulled into the driveway of his home near Mountain Vista Street and Tropicana Avenue before Buchanan approached him and demanded his wallet. Buchanan shot Bondelid before he could get out of his car or hand over a billfold containing $8, police have said.
Minutes after Buchanan fled the scene, Bondelid’s wife, daughter and grandchildren arrived at the home to find him shot in the driveway, the victim’s son, Ethan, told District Judge Jacqueline Bluth during a court hearing Tuesday.
Ethan Bondelid said Buchanan shot his father after the two were in a dispute at a bar.
“He was shot over a petty argument that challenged Mr. Buchanan’s ego and pride,” Ethan Bondelid said. “Today, Mr. Buchanan gets to keep his pride and ego, while my father lost his life.”
Bluth sentenced Buchanan to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly said 33-year-old Dalana Smedley drove the car that she and Buchanan used to follow Alan Bondelid home from the Stadium Saloon and Laundry, at 6016 Boulder Highway.
Smedley’s defense attorney, Anthony Abbatangelo, said his client has maintained that she stayed in the car parked away from Alan Bondelid’s home and did not realize that Buchanan had shot the man.
The woman pleaded guilty in February to felony counts of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and accessory to murder, court records show. She entered what is known as an Alford plea, meaning she only admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence to prove her guilt.
Although Smedley was eligible for probation, Bluth sentenced her on Tuesday to four to 10 years in prison.
“It’s hard for me to fathom that she didn’t hear the gunshot or wasn’t aware of anything that was going on in the driveway,” the judge said.
Alan Bondelid’s wife, Tina, previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her husband was a native of Washington and a retired owner of a carpeting business. His loved ones described him as a committed family man who would take his children skiing, camping and horseback riding in the Idaho mountains.
After retiring, Alan Bondelid’s life was “a big party,” his son said in an interview shortly after the shooting. He was often seen in colorful Hawaiian shirts, and his backyard pool featuring a hot tub and pirate flags was always open to friends.
On Tuesday, Alan Bondelid’s daughter, Vanessa Doren, said her children will not get to experience major milestones with their grandfather. Instead, they will be left with the image of him shot and bleeding in his driveway.
“There are simply no words to express the pain and devastation that we have felt,” Doren said.
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Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
