Las Vegas Prosecutors Push for Executions of Two Death Row Inmates Later This Year

Prosecutors want 2 death row inmates executed this year – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)

Las Vegas — Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson filed requests this week for execution warrants targeting two longtime death row inmates, signaling a potential end to Nevada’s 20-year hiatus on capital punishment.[1]

The moves come after prosecutors determined that the inmates have exhausted their appeals. Officials proposed execution dates in mid-September, though federal litigation looms as a major obstacle.[1]

This development revives a process dormant since 2006, when Nevada last carried out an execution. Wolfson expressed optimism about the feasibility, citing improvements in lethal injection protocols used by other states.[1]

A Deadly Supermarket Rampage

Zane Floyd, now 50, stands at the center of the renewed push. In June 1999, he entered an Albertsons supermarket in Las Vegas armed with a shotgun and opened fire, killing four people and wounding a fifth.[1][2]

The victims included Thomas Darnell, Carlos Chuck Leos, Dennis Troy Sargent, and Lucille Alice Tarantino. Floyd, who was 23 at the time, later confessed to the crimes, revealing a disturbing history marked by drug abuse and violent impulses.[2]

A jury convicted him in 2000 on multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and burglary. Despite numerous appeals spanning two decades, including denials by the U.S. Supreme Court, his challenges have reached their end.[2][1]

The Hammer Killing of a Retiree

Donald Sherman, 62, faces a similar fate for a 1994 crime that shocked a quiet Sun City neighborhood. On parole for a previous killing, Sherman broke into the home of retired doctor Lester Bauer and bludgeoned him to death with a hammer as he slept.[1][3]

A Clark County jury deliberated just four hours before sentencing Sherman to death in 1997 following his conviction for first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery. Like Floyd, Sherman has pursued extensive post-conviction relief, but prosecutors now deem those avenues closed.[1]

The case underscored the dangers of parole decisions, as Sherman’s prior record included another homicide. Family members of Bauer had awaited closure for years, even as legal delays mounted.[3]

Legal Hurdles and Execution Timeline

Prosecutors asked District Judge Jacqueline Bluth to issue Floyd’s warrant on August 25 and Judge Tierra Jones to sign Sherman’s around August 27. Both executions target the week of September 14, pending approval from the Nevada Department of Corrections director.[1]

Yet challenges persist. Floyd has filed for a preliminary injunction in federal court, and Sherman aims to join that suit. A federal public defender represents both, though requests for comment went unanswered.[1]

Wolfson acknowledged expected litigation but pointed to Nevada Corrections Director James Dzurenda’s assurances on lethal injection drugs. "The appeals have been exhausted, more states are utilizing and actually executing people with the combination of drugs, so I think it’s more likely than it was before," Wolfson said.[1]

Reviving a Stalled System

Nevada’s death row holds dozens of inmates, but executions have ground to a halt amid drug shortages, protocol disputes, and endless appeals. The last occurred in 2006, leaving cases like Floyd’s and Sherman’s in limbo for over two decades.[1]

Prosecutors also eye a warrant for a third inmate, Sterling Atkins, convicted in a 1994 North Las Vegas murder involving beating, sexual assault, and strangulation. His filing lags due to lack of state court representation.[1]

Whether these warrants lead to executions remains uncertain, hinging on courtroom battles ahead. For victims’ families, however, the filings offer a glimmer of finality after years of waiting.