Spencer McDonald, a 32-year-old man from Las Vegas, has agreed to a plea deal and will spend life in prison without the possibility of parole. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Tuesday for the 2023 killings at the Rancho De Montana Apartments, as reported by News 3 LV.
McDonald will no longer face the death penalty after reaching a plea agreement. The incident happened in June 2023, when McDonald killed his grandmother, Dina Vail, her boyfriend, Andrew Graden, and a maintenance worker, Chris Brassard. According to 8 News Now, McDonald said he used a cosplay sword and a kitchen knife in the attacks. As part of the agreement, prosecutors removed the death penalty from consideration. Court records show that McDonald’s family has mentioned his mental health issues during hearings.
Police went to an apartment complex after reports of an attack on a maintenance worker. They found a man named McDonald with a weapon and later found the bodies of Vail and Graden inside the apartment. Investigators said McDonald stayed in the apartment after the killings. The maintenance workers, including Brassard who was killed and another who escaped, were there to check on Vail, who had not been seen for days. McDonald had been ordered to get mental health treatment last year after being found unfit for trial, but was found fit in May, as per News 3 LV. He pleaded guilty but mentally ill. His sentencing is set for August 26, as mentioned by 8 News Now.
