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UPDATE: Coroner identifies woman found dead for hours at hotel before boyfriend called for help

JUSTIN MEDOF
Posted at 8:44 AM, Jul 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-20 22:57:56-04

UPDATE JULY 20: The Clark County Coroner has identified the victim as 30-year-old Stephanie Duarte from Orange, California. Her cause of death is still pending the final results of the autopsy.

ORIGINAL STORY: The arrest report has been released for the man accused of killing his girlfriend in a hotel room on Dean Martin Drive.

According to the arrest report, Justin Medof told police that he woke up around 8 a.m. July 12 and found his girlfriend beaten, bloody, and unconscious in their hotel room.

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He told police that they had been in an argument the night before while on Fremont Street and he left her there.

Video surveillance obtained from the hotel showed Medof arriving at the hotel around 2:12 a.m. His girlfriend, identified as Stephanie Duarte, arrived around 2:25 a.m.

The motel clerk told police that Duarte asked if Medof had been looking for her and seemed nervous.

A couple in the room next door told police they were awakened by the sounds of a fight between 2 and 3 a.m.

Police officers observed that Medof had red marks on his rib cage, back, shoulders and knees. Various abrasions were also observed on Medof's bicep, left elbow, knees and the top of his right foot.

The arrest reports also noted that Duarte's body was already in rigor mortis when they arrived, indicating she had been dead for a few hours before a call was placed for help.

Medof refused to answer any questions at the police station and requested an attorney.

The Clark County coroner has not officially identified the victim or released her cause of death.

Medof is scheduled to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. July 15.