Investigators say the clip aligns with records that the suspect texted “I killed her” after the Dec. 1 shooting.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A video obtained by local investigators shows a Las Vegas man saying “She’s dead,” as police accuse him of shooting the mother of his two children outside her apartment on the night of Dec. 1, 2025, before driving away with both kids.
The case centers on Richard Watson, 41, who faces an open murder charge and counts of child abuse or neglect in the killing of 29-year-old Christina Kelly near Arville Street and Flamingo Road, west of the Strip. Detectives say surveillance cameras captured the shooting and Watson’s escape with the children. He was arrested hours later after officers used cellphone data to find his car and took him into custody inside a bar. The children were recovered unharmed at a relative’s home, according to police. The death was one of dozens of domestic-violence killings investigated by Las Vegas police in 2025, underscoring a persistent public-safety concern.
Police were first called about 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex in the 4200 block of Arville Street. Responding officers found Kelly in the parking area with multiple gunshot wounds and attempted lifesaving measures. Medical personnel pronounced her dead at 8:53 p.m. Detectives later collected 13 cartridge casings from the lot. Investigators say surveillance video from the complex and nearby businesses showed the couple leaving the apartment with their two young children around 8:27 p.m. In the footage, a man identified by police as Watson can be seen placing a child carrier near a car, pulling one child toward him, and almost simultaneously firing at Kelly, continuing to shoot as she fell. “She’s dead,” a man says in a separate clip reviewed by journalists, which investigators say is consistent with messages attributed to Watson after the attack.
Officers and detectives began piecing together the hours before the shooting. Surveillance video earlier in the day recorded a black sedan linked to Watson arriving about 4:20 p.m. and leaving within minutes, police wrote in reports. The same vehicle returned shortly after 7 p.m. Phone records indicated Watson’s handset traveled between the apartment area and other parts of the west valley. After the shooting, detectives wrote, the sedan left the complex with its lights off. A witness told police she heard arguing at Kelly’s door earlier that evening. Another person later provided text messages in which a sender identified as Watson wrote, “I killed her,” according to the report. Kelly’s mother told investigators the children belonged to both Kelly and Watson and, when notified, reacted by asking, “What did Richard do now?” Police later found the children safe at Watson’s father’s home; the elder Watson first told officers the youngsters had been there all day but then acknowledged his son dropped them off without notice, reports said.
Watson was arrested within hours after officers used location data to track his phone and vehicle to a west valley bar, where they detained him without incident. Booking records show he was taken to the Clark County Detention Center on counts including open murder with a deadly weapon, two counts of child abuse or neglect and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Court documents state Kelly suffered several gunshot wounds outside her home. The Clark County coroner identified her as Christina Kelly, 29, and ruled the death a homicide. Detectives noted the presence of 13 spent casings at the scene and documented video from both the apartment complex and the Palms area that they say places Watson in the vicinity that evening. Investigators did not immediately specify the caliber of the weapon recovered or whether a gun was found at the time of the arrest. The names and ages of the children were not released.
Kelly’s killing came during a year in which Las Vegas police counted 24 domestic-violence-related homicides. Advocates and police have long said such cases often occur in or near the home and involve partners or ex-partners. Records reviewed in this case describe prior turmoil between Kelly and Watson, including threats, according to investigators, though a full history of calls for service at the apartment was not immediately available. Domestic-violence prosecutions in Clark County frequently hinge on surveillance video, phone data and statements from family members, which together can provide a timeline hard to reconstruct from witness memory alone. In this instance, detectives pointed to synchronized video clips, location pings and messages that they say fit within minutes of each other on the night of the killing.
Watson made an initial court appearance the week of Dec. 3, where a judge reviewed the arrest report and set conditions for his detention. Formal charges are pending review by the Clark County district attorney’s office, which typically files a criminal complaint before a preliminary hearing to decide whether sufficient evidence exists for the case to proceed to district court. A future court date was expected but not immediately listed in online calendars as of Friday. Watson remained jailed at the county facility. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek additional enhancements tied to the presence of children at the scene or alleged prior threats. Under Nevada law, an open murder charge allows the state to pursue degrees up to first-degree murder at later stages.
Neighbors described a quick, chaotic scene. One resident said she heard “pops” near the carports and saw a person on the ground as a vehicle rolled away with its lights off. Another resident said officers arrived within minutes and cordoned off the lot while paramedics worked on Kelly. Outside the apartment Tuesday, a small cluster of flowers and candles had been placed near an oil stain in the parking space where she fell. A family member stopped briefly and declined an interview, saying only that Kelly was a devoted mother who “loved those babies.” A Metro homicide supervisor, speaking generally, said investigators emphasize locating children first in cases like this to ensure they receive immediate care and safe placement.
As of now, police say the investigation remains active, with detectives reviewing additional video and phone records and interviewing relatives and neighbors. Kelly’s children are in the care of family. Watson is being held at the Clark County Detention Center while prosecutors evaluate evidence gathered from the apartment complex, the bar where he was arrested, and the phones tied to the case. A preliminary hearing date will mark the next milestone; if a judge finds probable cause, the case would be bound over to Clark County District Court for trial proceedings. Further updates from police and the district attorney are expected in the coming weeks.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.