A judge Tuesday rejected the attempt of an attorney to set bail for one of the suspects in the killing of an Atomic Liquors bartender, meaning both men will continue to be held with no bail.
Police have identified 18-year-old Phillip Strong and 20-year-old Charles Wright as suspects in the Feb. 15 slaying of Hope Ritter, 29, in the 400 block of 11th Street near the bar. She was found inside a vehicle, shot in the head.
They face charges of burglary, open murder and discharging a gun into an occupied vehicle.
Both appeared before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan for an initial hearing. The judge read the charges, then said she could appoint the public defender’s office to represent Wright. Strong’s attorney is Ryan Helmick.
“I’d like to address his custody status today if I could, please,” Helmick said.
But Sullivan shot down the request, saying he’d need to file a motion to do so. The Nevada Supreme Court’s Valdez-Jimenez decision, which sets bail guidelines, does not apply to murder charges, she said.
Ritter left behind a 10-year-old daughter and many friends.
“Everything Hope did was for her daughter,” friend and colleague Maria Ledesma said previously. “She was a hard worker who just wanted to always become a better version of herself. She was just so sweet.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.