- Nearly 10 years after driving her car into numerous pedestrians along the Vegas Strip, Lakeisha Holloway has pleaded guilty to charges filed in connection with the incident
- Holloway pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder and a charge of battery with a deadly weapon
- The case took so long to settle because Holloway had previously been found mentally incompetent to stand trial
It took nearly 10 years, but the woman accused of plowing her car into people walking along the Las Vegas Strip, killing one and injuring 37 others, pleaded guilty on Friday, according to court records obtained and reported by KLAS-TV/Las Vegas.
Lakeisha Holloway, 34 — who legally changed her name to Paris Paradise Morton just before the Strip crash — pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of battery with the use of a deadly weapon
The lag between her crime and the resolution owes to the legal requirement that a defendant must be mentally competent to stand trial. Holloway’s mental health evaluations repeatedly found her unfit, which triggered extended stays in state-run mental health facilities and postponed court proceedings indefinitely. While such safeguards are designed to protect due process, they also contributed to a near-decade delay in delivering justice for the victims and their families.
The Incident
On Dec. 20, 2015, police say, Holloway intentionally veered onto the sidewalk near Planet Hollywood and Paris Las Vegas, striking 38 pedestrians over the course of several blocks.
Jessica Valenzuela, a 32-year-old mother visiting from Arizona, died of her injuries.
Holloway, who police say had cannabis in her system, initially faced 71 charges, including murder with the use of a deadly weapon, child abuse/neglect — her 3-year-old daughter was in the car with her — and multiple counts of attempted murder and battery with the use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm.
After the crash, Holloway initially pleaded not guilty to all charges. She claimed she was suffering from a mental breakdown precipitated by the deaths of at least two loved ones, a job separation, and failed attempts to leave the Church of Scientology.
Holloway’s sentencing is scheduled for September 25, where she will face the consequences of a tragedy that shocked Las Vegas and reverberated across the nation.
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