Lhe sun is rising over Salt Lake City, in the great American West. Aaron and Sierra rode all night, almost without stopping. They have driven 700 kilometers from Las Vegas. But the two lovers of 18 and 16, driven by adrenaline, still do not feel fatigue. They both know they can’t turn back. Their program? A break of one or two days at the edge of the Great Salt Lake, then take the road to California. And after ? They prefer not to think about it. They’re together, that’s all that matters.
This April 10, 2021 is the very first day of their new life. No one, henceforth, will be able to oppose their union. At the origin of this story, a script worthy of Romeo and Juliet, with the neon lights of Las Vegas instead of the balconies of Verona. In the lead role, a lovely wax doll with big green eyes: Sierra Halseth.
The teenager has everything going for her, starting with her parents, beautiful, rich and (almost) famous. Between 2010 and 2012, her mother Elizabeth became the youngest senator in Nevada history, and remains a national politician. His father Daniel, an executive in an IT company, is a dashing quad who rides a Harley-Davidson, and makes all his friends fantasize when they leave high school.
He keeps an eye on his daughter’s dating
Since their divorce, Sierra has lived alone with him in his big house in Las Vegas, and from the photos she posts on social networks, we can guess that they get along wonderfully. But, as relaxed as he is, Daniel Halseth likes to keep an eye on his daughter’s dating.
When, last June, he finds out that Sierra is dating Aaron Guerrero, the cool dad hardens his tone. Out of the question to let her kid hang out with this zonard older than her, who has not even been damned to finish her schooling! The father of the family is therefore categorical: as long as Sierra lives under his roof, the little Latino will have to clear the landscape!
She secretly sees her Romeo
It is easy to imagine the doors slamming, the tears, the cries and the arguments after this clarification. Because Sierra is in love, as you can be at 16 years old. And, of course, during the following months, she continues to see her Romeo in secret. The thrill of the forbidden only makes the affair more romantic. But on April 9, 2021, patatras. Coming home earlier than expected, Daniel Halseth bumps into the young couple in the living room. This is where the romantic comedy ends. And let the horror film begin.
How exactly do things get out of hand, behind the walls of the beautiful villa? If we ignore the precise scenario of the drama, we know in any case how it ends. Daniel Halseth, 45, collapses in his living room, stabbed to death. By the two lovebirds? Was the crime premeditated? Were the cursed lovers waiting for him to finally get rid of the only obstacle to their happiness? It will be up to the investigation to say so. But what is certain is that their crime accomplished, the two teenagers are far from panicking.
In the early evening, they take their victim’s Nissan Altima, and do some shopping in town. While Sierra buys two cans of bleach and orange juice, Aaron raids the DIY store, where he buys gloves, knives, wood saw, grinder, and even a chainsaw! On leaving, the couple stops at the pump to fill a jerry can with gasoline, and returns to lock themselves in the house of the crime.
The plan of the little lovers is simple: cut up the body, make it disappear, and clean all traces of their passage, as in the series Les Expert : Miami. But the case turns out to be more complicated than in television fiction. Despite all his tools, and after several attempts, Aaron finds himself unable to dismember the corpse. The duo therefore change plans, and decide to set the house on fire, before fleeing with the dead man’s car …
The thesis of the accident is rejected
On the morning of April 10, Las Vegas firefighters were called for a fire at 8400 Dunphy Court. Entering the garage of the house, the firefighters discover the half-charred corpse of the owner. The thesis of the domestic accident was immediately dismissed: not only did the body present multiple stab wounds, but we found in the kitchen all the material with which we tried to cut it. There is even a saw still red with blood! As for the fire, supposed to nullify the evidence, it did not really take hold. Only part of the living room is a little blackened by soot… Suffice to say that for the “perfect crime”, it will be necessary to iron!
The police are quick to identify the two suspects: the victim’s own daughter, and her boyfriend. CCTV shows them shopping in town, then withdrawing $ 1,400 with their victim’s bank card. A wanted notice is immediately disseminated throughout the country. Due to the age of the lovebirds, the media are initially kept away from the matter. But the story quickly spreads …
April 13, 2021. As they arrive in Salt Lake City at dawn, Sierra and Aaron are unaware that they are already identified, and wanted across the country. They abandon the Nissan in a parking lot and choose to go downtown by public transport. To them the high life! Carefree, they don’t even bother to pay for their tram ticket… And find themselves on the platform, stuck by controllers. A police patrol shows up, checks their identity. End of the adventure. We have rarely seen a run end so pitifully …
Aaron and Sierra remain walled in silence
At the time of writing, many gray areas still surround the murder of Daniel Halseth. What happened in this living room, that things got so bad? Impossible to say. Aaron and Sierra have chosen to wall themselves in silence, and for the moment refuse to answer questions. But they would do better, from now on, to work on their little story.
In Nevada, 16-year-olds are tried like adults, and the death penalty is still in effect. In a few months, they will have to convince a jury. Either they pretend to be Romeo and Juliet to the end. Either we do not give a lot of their skin.
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