The Washoe County District Attorney says 57-year-old Robert Lonnell Smith Jr., has been sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
After a five-day trial, Smith was found guilty of first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon and for being a prohibited person owning or having a gun.
According to the police report, back in 2020, Michael Roach had been shot and killed at a homeless camp in Reno. After the investigation, it was determined that the two people involved had an argument over money before he was shot.
During an interview with law enforcement, Smith admitted to killing Roach.
At sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Travis Lucia pointed out that Smith had used the same gun in an unrelated shooting about a month before murdering Roach, and was an ongoing risk to the community based upon his actions in this case and his prior criminal history.
