Witness’ Account in Casino Slaying Case Released

A California teenager says he tried to intervene when his classmate began assaulting a 7-year-old Los Angeles girl, fearing that their game of hide and seek in a Nevada casino had “crossed the line.”

David Cash Jr., 18, told a grand jury that he tapped Jeremy Strohmeyer on the forehead, trying to get his attention, as he allegedly assaulted 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson in a stall in a women’s restroom at the Primadonna Resort and Casino.

Cash said Strohmeyer stared at him, but continued the assault, so he left.

Cash said he met Strohmeyer half an hour later, and Strohmeyer told him, “I killed her.”

The girl’s body was found in a stall about 5 a.m. May 25.

Cash was a key witness before a Clark County Grand Jury two weeks ago.

The grand jury indicted Strohmeyer, 18, on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and two counts of sexual assault.

District Judge Donald Chairez on Thursday ordered that the grand jury transcript be released, except for a portion by a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police detective who interviewed Strohmeyer before his arrest.

Chairez also lifted a gag order that had been imposed in the case, with the restriction that those involved could not talk about a statement Strohmeyer made to police after his arrest in Long Beach on May 28.

Strohmeyer’s attorneys, Leslie Abramson of Los Angeles and Richard Wright of Las Vegas, objected to the release of the transcript, saying it could prejudice potential jurors.

Cash said he, his father and Strohmeyer had stopped at the Primadonna, one of three resorts on the California-Nevada border, the night of May 24. Cash said he and Strohmeyer, a classmate at Wilson High School in Long Beach, began interacting with the Iverson girl about 3 the next morning in an arcade at the hotel-casino, now known as the Primm Valley Resort.

Daniel Eitnier, director of corporate surveillance for the resort, reviewed security videotapes taken by one of the 400 surveillance cameras at the resort.

He identified three people in the tapes as Strohmeyer, Cash and Iverson.

Eitnier said the tapes showed the girl entering the women’s restroom at 3:48 a.m., followed 15 seconds later by Strohmeyer.

Strohmeyer is seen leaving the restroom 25 minutes later, but the girl was not seen again, Eitnier said. He said eight women entered and left the restroom during the time the pair were in there.

Cash said he was curious and walked into the restroom a minute after Strohmeyer entered.

He said the teenager and girl were throwing wet paper towels at each other after apparently playing hide and seek earlier. When the girl threw a wet-floor sign at Strohmeyer, he grabbed the girl and took her into a toilet stall, locking the door, Cash testified.

Cash told the grand jury he went to an adjoining stall, stood on a toilet seat and peered over at the two of them.

He said Strohmeyer was restraining the girl and had a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams.

“My upper torso was over the wall of the stall,” Cash testified. “I was tapping Jeremy on the head trying to get his attention, telling him to let go, trying to get him to come out of the restroom. I knew at that point that the little game that they were playing kind of crossed the line.

“I was tapping on his forehead. At one point I accidentally knocked off his hat. He looked up at me, kind of in a stare, you know, like of--like he didn’t care what I was saying.

“At that point I exited the ladies’ restroom.”

Cash said he and Strohmeyer talked of what they would tell authorities if they were identified. The two had noted to others at the resort the night of the incident that both had their tongues pierced, and Strohmeyer had pierced nipples.

Cash said he, his father and Strohmeyer drove on to Las Vegas, then returned to California on Memorial Day.

Cash said his father took him to the police when he learned about the crime while reading a newspaper the following Wednesday.

Cash has not been charged in the incident. Police and prosecutors have said there is no evidence he took part in the crime.

In Thursday’s hearing before Chairez, Clark County Dist. Atty. Stewart Bell argued for release of the transcripts, saying Nevada law requires that they be made public “unless there is some darned good reason why not.”

Abramson argued against the release, saying it could prejudice potential jurors.