LAS VEGAS — A jury has determined that a man with a prior felony record is guilty of breaking into a hotel room on the Las Vegas Strip, leading to the robbery and murder of two Vietnamese tour guides in June 2018.
Julius Damiano Deangilo Trotter, 37, appeared visibly distressed as the unanimous verdicts were announced on Tuesday in Clark County District Court, according to reports from local news outlets. Trotter is now facing severe penalties, which could include either the death penalty or a sentence of life imprisonment for charges of murder, burglary, and armed robbery. The case revolves around the fatal stabbings of Sang Boi Nghia and Khoung Ba Le Nguyen at the Circus Circus hotel.
The jury proceeded to hear further testimony and review evidence on the same day as the verdicts during the sentencing phase of the trial. The jury spent about three hours deliberating after a two-week period filled with evidence presentation and witness testimonies.
It was revealed during the trial that Nghia, 38, ran a tour company with her husband in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, while Nguyen, 30, worked as her employee. Their bodies were uncovered on June 1, 2018, after they failed to meet a tour group. It was later established by hotel staff that the locking mechanism on their room was malfunctioning.
Trotter emerged as a suspect shortly before his arrest, which occurred about a week later alongside his girlfriend, Itaska Dean, following a police pursuit in Chino, California. At the time of these events, Trotter was already on probation for five years following a guilty plea for felony resisting arrest with a weapon. He had been held in jail in Las Vegas while waiting for his trial, which faced multiple delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic and related legal proceedings.
Dean has entered a guilty plea in California for fleeing law enforcement but has not faced any charges regarding the murders of Nghia or Nguyen. She testified against Trotter during the trial.
During his testimony, Trotter claimed that a friend had provided him with stolen goods previously, including items belonging to Nghia and Nguyen. Contradicting his statements, prosecutors presented video evidence showing Trotter in a hotel elevator carrying a backpack that allegedly contained a purse, two wallets, a cellphone, jewelry, watches, and Vietnamese currency.
Prosecutor Michelle Fleck emphasized that Nghia and Nguyen were “completely innocent individuals” who did not deserve their tragic fate. On the other hand, defense attorney Lisa Rasmussen contended that there was insufficient forensic evidence linking Trotter to the hotel room, noting that neither his DNA nor fingerprints were found at the crime scene.