November 8, 2022 Update:

The Washoe County District Attorney's Office (DA's Office) has announced that Darnell Solis Smith has been sentenced to life in prison. He'll have the possibility for parole beginning after a minimum of 20 years in prison. 

In addition, Smith was sentenced to a consecutive five to 20 year prison sentence for the enhancement of having committing the crime on an elderly person. 

Smith previously pled guilty in September to one count of 1st Degree Murder Committed Against a Person Who is 60 years of Age or Older in connection with the January 2020 beating death of his 75-year-old father. 

The case against Smith began in January 2020 when officers with the Reno Police Department (RPD) responded to a welfare check at the elderly victim’s residence. 

When RPD officers arrived, they discovered the victim’s body in the living room wrapped in blanket. 

Smith, who also lived at the residence, admitted that he had killed his father because he thought he was in an ongoing relationship with Smith’s girlfriend. 

Agitated that his father was making too much sound one morning, Smith pushed him to the ground and repeatedly slammed his head into the ground and murdered his father. He then wrapped the body in a blanket and left it in the living room. 

An autopsy determined the manner of death to be homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Jeff Hoppe argued for imposition of the significant criminal sentence due to the egregious nature of the murder.

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A man accused of killing another man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. 

Darnell Smith is now scheduled to be sentenced on November 2. 

Authorities say Smith killed 75-year-old James Smith inside a home on Stardust Street in January 2020.  

The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office previously said that James Smith died from blunt force trauma of the head and neck due to physical assault. 

The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office says officials have identified the man that was found dead inside his home on Stardust Street on Thursday.

They said 75-year-old James Smith of Reno was pronounced dead on scene.

They said the cause and manner of death are pending investigation.

The Reno Police Department says on Thursday, officers responded to suspicious circumstances at 1345 Stardust Street.

Officials said upon arrival, they made contact with the reporting party and discovered what appeared to be a dead person inside the home.

They said detectives took over the investigation as a suspicious death.

Officials said the investigation revealed the death was a homicide and one person was subsequently arrested for open murder.

They said the investigation is ongoing and there are no outstanding suspects in the case.

Officials said the name of the person who died is being withheld until next of kin is notified.

The Reno Police Department identified the suspect as 36-year-old Darnell Smith.

Anyone with any information on this case is urged to contact the Reno Police Department at (775) 334-2188 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900. You will remain anonymous.

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