Brad Mehn, a Nevada resident, was found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the savage 2021 killing of 27-year-old Roy Jaggers.
Alongside Mehn, Heather Pate, Mehn’s former girlfriend and Jaggers’ neighbor, and her current boyfriend, Kevin Dent, were also charged.
Both Pate and Dent negotiated plea deals and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, respectively. According to these agreements, Pate could apply for parole in 15 years and Dent in 10.
The victim, Jaggers was falsely accused of molesting Pate’s child, and subsequently lured to Pate’s home, where he was assaulted and restrained by Pate and Dent. Pate reached out to Mehn, who directed her to bring Jaggers to him in Nye County. The trio proceeded to torture Jaggers for hours, using a range of weapons including a blowtorch, knives, batons, an axe, and a shotgun. They then drove Jaggers to Cathedral Canyon, forced him to strip and walk off a cliff. Mehn shot him multiple times after he landed in a gorge, resulting in Jaggers’ death.
The victim’s body was found on August 1, 2021, and the perpetrators were arrested within 36 hours. The jury convicted Mehn after less than two hours of deliberation, and his sentencing is due to start on May 18.
The late Jaggers’ parents expressed outrage at the District Attorney’s Office for permitting plea deals without their knowledge or consultation. The District Attorney’s Office defended its actions, citing the lack of a constitutional right for such consultation.
