‘Completely non-transparent’: Fiancé frustrated after arrests in Nye County jail death

On Monday afternoon, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill confirmed the identities of two deputies, Kyle D. Benes and Carlos A. Luna, who were arrested Sunday in connection with an inmate’s death in June. They are charged with involuntary manslaughter, inhumanity to a prisoner and neglect of duty resulting in death over the death of Stevie Miller, 30, on June 10.

McGill said Nye County deputies on June 9 chased Miller for suspicion of reckless driving in a high-speed vehicular pursuit north on Highway 160 from Highway 372 in Pahrump. Miller’s vehicle collided with two other vehicles and she fled the scene on foot before deputies arrested her, McGill said.

The sheriff said Miller, a Pahrump resident, appeared to be uninjured from the crash, but under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. She was taken to Desert View Hospital for a blood draw, then to the Nye County Detention Center to be booked on multiple charges, McGill said.

Miller appeared in Pahrump Justice Court on June 10 and was ordered by the judge to be held on bail. Later that day, she was found unresponsive inside her cell, the sheriff said.

Despite efforts from deputies, medical staff and Pahrump Valley Fire-Rescue Services, Miller was pronounced dead at Desert View Hospital, McGill said.

Through a criminal investigation, McGill said probable cause was developed to draft arrest warrants for two sheriff’s office deputies. Both deputies surrendered for booking on Sunday, he added.

“There will be no further release of information on this case due to being an ongoing criminal investigation and an ongoing internal investigation,” McGill said on Sunday.

Seeking answers

Mathew Rios, Stevie Miller’s fiancé, is frustrated with what he described as a lack of transparency following the arrests of two deputies.

McGill referred requests for copies of arrest warrants in the case to the Nye County district attorney’s office. Nye County District Attorney Brian Kunzi could not be reached for comment Monday.

Rios, 36, of Las Vegas, questioned Monday why the deputies were not initially identified and why no information was provided as to what exactly led to their arrests.

“They are being completely nontransparent,” Rios said, calling the situation “incredibly frustrating.”

Rios said an autopsy on Miller was performed by the Clark County coroner’s office. On Tuesday morning, the coroner’s office said Miller’s death was caused by the combined effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The manner of death was deemed an accident.

Union response

John Tolle, president of the Nye County Law Enforcement Association, said the union that represents deputies in Nye County will not comment on the specifics of the allegations against the two deputies.

“The association is providing representation to our members, as we would for any member facing a criminal or administrative investigation,” Tolle said in an email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “An arrest and the filing of criminal charges are allegations, and our members are entitled to the same due process and presumption of innocence afforded to anyone accused of a crime.

“We recognize the seriousness of an in-custody death and understand the public interest surrounding this case,” Tolle said. “We also believe it is important that the investigative and judicial processes be allowed to proceed based on the evidence and facts, rather than speculation.”

An attempt by the Las Vegas Review-Journal to obtain arrest warrants from Pahrump Justice Court was not successful.

Tolle said the union was working with McGill and the sheriff’s office “to review and update policies and procedures where appropriate.”

“Our goal is to identify areas where we can improve, provide our members with clear guidance and training, and take reasonable steps to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Tolle said.

In need of help

Rios described Miller as a talented artist. The couple was planning to get married in July.

“She was very kind and loving. Just an all-around good person,” Rios said. “She was very interested in art. She was interested in doing a tattoo apprenticeship or a tattoo with piercing apprenticeship.”

Rios thinks it is possible his fiancée had a medical episode or that she was injured from the crash that led to her arrest.

“They are saying she didn’t appear injured when the cops made contact with her, yet they brought her to court in a wheelchair,” Rios said Monday morning.

Rios said Miller was unable to use a phone while in jail. He said Miller’s family has retained an attorney and also has had trouble getting more information about the case.

Miller was struggling with mental health issues in the weeks leading up to her arrest, Rios said.

“I actually was with her that morning probably two hours before that incident happened,” he said. “She was definitely going through it. We had an agreement that as soon as I got home from work that day I was going to take her to a doctor’s office to try and get her help.”

Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.

Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.