PHOTOS: Miller released from custody
A painted quote on the wall, attributed to Saint Augustine, looks over courtroom B at the Pahrump Justice Court.
“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future,” it reads.
Nevaeh Miller, 18, was released from custody on her own recognizance for her charges connected to the Joey Perry murder case on Wednesday, Aug. 20, after her third appearance in court.
“We got her on the straight and narrow right now. We want to keep her there,” said Miller’s grandfather, Ronald Lawrence, when reached by phone by the Pahrump Valley Times.
Before the hearing, Miller’s grandparents sat on the right side of the courtroom.
Miller was arrested on July 22 for a domestic battery incident. Later that day, detectives charged Miller with three separate offenses related to statements she gave during an interview with detectives regarding the location of a cellphone belonging to Carlos Blakely, who turned himself in to authorities in Las Vegas in the days following the murder.
“This kid has not been involved with these people at all,” said Lawrence. “We just barely have gotten to Pahrump. We moved here to Pahrump in June.”
Blakely, 19, and Anthony Aguilar, 18, were arrested as suspects in the July 5 murder case. An arrest report said Blakely didn’t have any cellular devices on him when he surrendered to police in Las Vegas.
“Nevaeh is a wild kid, yes, but capable of murder or being a part of murder? No, not even,” said Lawrence.
After her interview with police, Miller was charged with making a false statement to obstruct a peace officer, destroying or concealing evidence, and harboring, concealing or aiding a felony offender, according to a Nye County Sheriff’s Office declaration of probable cause.
“If you look at the charge, it was just an allegation that she aided in concealing cellphones, and there was no evidence of that,” said Miller’s attorney, Karen Hanks, after the hearing. “I think they overcharged it, and they were stuck with it. Rather than doing what was right, looking at it for what it was, they didn’t.”
Hanks added that she felt Senior Deputy District Attorney Keith Brower previously made comments that weren’t correct that had nothing to do with the case, which kept Miller in custody.
“I honestly know my granddaughter had nothing to do with Perry’s murder,” said Lawrence.
Miller entered a guilty plea deal with the state to be released on her own recognizance for her battery charge. This deal imposed a 180-day sentence from Justice of the Peace Michael Foley that was suspended through a stay of execution, so Miller can serve one year of probation.
For her charges related to Joey Perry’s murder, Miller entered an Alford plea to be released on her own recognizance. An Alford plea allows Miller to keep her innocence, since she previously pleaded not guilty during her arraignment hearing. Alford pleas also mean the defendant acknowledges there is ample evidence to find them guilty. This deal included an unconditional bind-over to district court, requiring her to appear at all future court dates.
Miller’s Alford plea includes up to three years of probation so she can continue seeking the mental health counseling she was previously receiving. The plea also includes a strict no-contact order with Perry’s family.
“Basically, don’t play into anything,” Judge Foley told Miller. “If someone tries to set you up, don’t take the bait.”
Miller was released from the Nye County Detention Center a few hours after her Wednesday morning hearing concluded.
Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com
